ã€ŠFortune&#x27;s Fateã€‹


 May Your Life be Interesting

    Episode I

    May Your Life be Interesting

    Carnivals were all fun and games until someone demanded to see the manager.

    The confrontation occurred at the base of the Ruby Cat Ferris Wheel, though the ride had nothing to do with the disagreement¡ªit merely served as a backdrop of crimson color, adding a bit of gaudy absurdity to the confrontation.

    ¡°Sir, I run a hot dog cart.¡± This much was true. The cart wasn¡¯t even all that impressive¡ªwooden, with fading paint and holding fewer toppings for the delectable treats than would be ideal. There were much fancier carts in numerous places around the Cat-Ival grounds that were far better equipped to meet the needs of the hungry public for ¡°reasonable¡± prices.

    ¡°A hot dog cart with exorbitant prices and terrible customer service!¡± the man shouted, glaring down at the hot dog vendor.

    The vendor gave him a blank stare. Taking this as a challenge, the man stared back like his life depended on it. After a few seconds of this, the vendor rolled her eyes and started licking the back of her paws¡ªlike most of the workers at the Cat-Ival, she was a cat.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    The cat twitched her pointed ears in the feline equivalent of a shrug. ¡°I did.¡± She took a moment to adjust the red cap on her head that marked her an official vendor of the Cat-Ival.

    The man forcefully gripped the front of the hot dog cart with his hands, leaning forward with enough pressure that the cart threatened to tip over. He leaned into the cat¡¯s unperturbed face, slowly spitting out words like each one burned his tongue, ¡°I. Demand. To see. The manager.¡±

    ¡°Dear,¡± a woman said, grabbing the man by his sleeve. ¡°Let¡¯s leave the poor cat lady alone¡­¡±

    The man turned to his wife. ¡°She¡¯s the one making this an issue! All I asked was to see the manager, and¡ª¡°

    ¡°That¡¯s not all you did and you know it,¡± the woman interrupted.

    ¡°She still has no reason t¡ªhey!¡± He glared at the cat again. ¡°Just because I¡¯m not talking to you doesn¡¯t mean you can ignore me!¡±

    The cat raised her equivalent of an eyebrow and flicked her tail. ¡°Oh, sorry, I thought relationship-ending marital drama was happening.¡± Leering, the cat continued, ¡°Is that¡­ still going on?¡±

    A dark look came over the woman. ¡°What are you implying¡­?¡±

    The cat rammed her face into her paw. ¡°Oh no, not you too¡­¡±

    Now the woman leaned forward, pointing an accusatory finger at the vendor.

    A short way behind them, their daughter let out a deep, pained sigh. It looked like they weren¡¯t going to be done with this anytime soon. She probably shouldn¡¯t have asked for that hot dog. It wasn¡¯t like she¡¯d even been hungry; it had just seemed like a good treat. But, alas, it was not to be, for the cat had to be a cat and her parents had to be her parents.

    Catching her father¡¯s eye for a moment, she indicated that she was going to go wander around a bit. He didn¡¯t stop his rant at the vendor, but with a quick glance and a nod, he managed to communicate that she should stay within sight of them. Which she would have done anyway, she wasn¡¯t stupid.

    She hoisted her backpack up, setting it comfortably on her shoulders; careful not to rest it on exposed skin. One would think she was wearing a sleeveless shirt because it was a hot summer day, but the periwinkle outfit wasn¡¯t exactly light and it was so long it went down to her knees. The long black pants under it weren¡¯t doing her any favors, either.

    The simple fact of the matter was that she didn¡¯t have a practical or an aesthetic fashion sense to speak of. She¡¯d woken up that morning, decided she wanted to get dressed quickly, and thus ended up in her current situation. Not that she would have cared that much if she¡¯d noticed: in fact, she would have been proud of her strangeness. After all, today her shirt had a mathematical equation printed on the front, and she would be the first to brag to other kids that she knew what it meant¡ªe to the power of x.

    After taking a moment to shake her head and get her stark black hair out of her eyes, she began her slow walk around the Cat-Ival. For a carnival run almost entirely by cats, it was certainly interesting that it catered mostly to humans like herself. Almost all the rides had human seats, the doorways were tall and vertical, and most of the food was meant for an omnivore¡¯s palette rather than what were essentially carnivores. The most striking part about it were the pedestals all the cats had to sit on to reach average human eye level¡ªthough anyone taller than the average could still look down on the felines.

    The girl found herself wishing she could get up on one of those pedestals. It wasn¡¯t that she was short for her age¡ªshe was actually quite tall¡ªbut she¡¯d never liked being small, and she waited with bated breath for the day she didn¡¯t have to stand on her toes to look over a countertop. Here, this desire manifested itself in the not all that unrealistic thought that the cats were looking down at her as though she were some kind of prey animal.

    Deciding she¡¯d had enough of the cats, she looked high and low for something that wasn¡¯t a cat. This was rather difficult since the entire point of the Cat-Ival was to put cats on everything and cash in on the cuteness factor. The Ferris Wheel had cats, the balloons had cat ears on them, the few workers who weren¡¯t cats had cat ears sewn into their employee caps, and even the obviously rigged games used baseballs with little cat faces drawn on them. It was all a bit frustrating.

    However, she was an eagle-eyed girl, and she was able to pick out a few stands that weren¡¯t cat-related. There was a plushie stand that sold a variety of cute cuddly animals, most of which weren¡¯t cats, but it was still tangentially related, so she passed it over. Instead, she set her sights on what appeared to be a potion stand run by a woman with chalk-white skin and pink hair. Something about her and her sparkling concoctions just grabbed the girl¡¯s attention.

    Alas, she was interrupted on her way to the stand by the person selling all the plushies.

    ¡°Why hello there, little one!¡± The man said, drawing her attention. ¡°You look like you could use a new stuffed friend!¡± The most striking part of him was on his face, a pearly white mask with six eye slits cut into it. His dark black suit smelled vaguely of old straw, which gave the girl pause.

    He took advantage of her momentary curiosity. ¡°Please, feel no need to buy anything¡ªjust look around. I am Sir Freddloi, proprietor of this fine establishment.¡± He gestured to his collection of merchandise. There were the usual animals¡ªdogs, rabbits, pandas, dinosaurs, etcetera. And cats, of course. There were also a few unusual creatures the girl couldn¡¯t identify, such as a green orb-like creature with five limbs.

    ¡°I¡¯m Amaris,¡± the girl said, managing a smile. ¡°I like your name.¡±

    ¡°Most do,¡± Freddloi said, tilting his head to the side.

    Amaris mimicked the motion with her own head, finding it difficult to read him, given the mask. Maybe that was the point?

    ¡°So, Amaris,¡± he continued, ¡°what brings you to this feline-infested carnival?¡±

    ¡°Vacation,¡± Amaris said with a shrug.

    ¡°Are you enjoying your vacation?¡± Carefully, he placed a golden teddy bear down in front of her.

    Amaris noticed that he purposefully hid the price tag out of her view, but she didn¡¯t comment on it. ¡°I guess? It¡¯s been nice, and all, but¡­¡± She glanced back at her parents, still at the hot dog stand. Her dad waved at her, letting her know she was fine where she was. She waved back before returning to Freddloi. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not exactly the best thing ever.¡±

    ¡°Trouble with your parents?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d think that, but no.¡± Amaris smirked as she turned the golden teddy bear around. Yeesh, that¡¯s more expensive than the tickets to get in here. ¡°My parents are great. Mathematical artists, they call themselves. They just¡­ get fixated on things sometimes.¡±

    Freddloi crossed his arms, leaning on the counter of his stall, craning his ear toward her. ¡°Oh? Then what is the issue?¡±

    ¡°Life is boring,¡± Amaris said, flicking the golden bear in the nose and knocking it over. ¡°I¡¯ve been on most of the rides already and they aren¡¯t that different from other carnivals I¡¯ve been to. Vacations are supposed to be exciting and new but really it¡¯s just more of the same.¡± She shrugged, not exactly sure where she was going with this or why she was telling it to this random guy.

    ¡°So your problem is one of boredom.¡± He carefully sat the golden bear back up, patting it on the head as if it were his pet. ¡°An issue becoming more common in this day and age. It seems that, with progress, the mystery of the world loses its charm.¡±

    Amaris blinked. ¡°¡­What?¡±

    He waved a dismissive hand. ¡°Never mind all that, young one. I suppose I shouldn¡¯t expect everyone to understand.¡± He gestured at his wares. ¡°Please, consider getting yourself a new friend. They do wonders to alleviate the inherent, ah, monotony of existence!¡±

    Amaris was mildly surprised; most adults didn¡¯t expect her to understand words like those. ¡°I prefer friends that aren¡¯t stuffed. They¡¯re far more interesting.¡±

    ¡°But you can¡¯t take live ones wherever you go!¡±

    Amaris actually chuckled at the strange man¡¯s little joke. In response, she lifted her left hand, letting a living, breathing, black snake out of her bag, the animal coiling around her arm like a rope. The reptile was only about twice as thick as one of her fingers, but even so, Amaris had found it was always shocking to have a snake¡¯s flicking tongue inches from one¡¯s face.

    Freddloi jumped back. ¡°What in the Eighth!?¡±

    Amaris chuckled. ¡°This is Pitch. Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s harmless.¡± She used her free hand to scratch Pitch under his head. ¡°I always have him with me. Most of my backpack is outfitted for him. He slithers in and out all day¡­¡±

    Freddloi was silent for a few moments. Then, slowly, he leaned in. ¡°Your parents are mathematical artists, you¡¯re clearly of above-average intelligence, and you have a pet snake you take with you at all times.¡±

    Amaris frowned. ¡°Have you been taking notes?¡±

    He ignored her question. ¡°And yet, you think your life is boring?¡±

    Amaris slowly took a step back. ¡°Um¡­¡±

    The jovial tone in his voice was gone, replaced with a venomous ire. ¡°An ungrateful little brat¡­¡± With a swift motion, Freddloi grabbed the golden teddy bear and ripped it in half, sending stuffing flying across the countertop. Before Amaris knew what was happening, he¡¯d thrown the bear¡¯s head into her face.

    It bounced harmlessly off¡ªas a plushie should¡ªsending sparks of gold over her face and into the air.

    ¡°May your life be interesting, Amaris,¡± Freddloi growled.

    ¡°Freaking¡­ what¡¯s wrong with you!?¡± Amaris didn¡¯t wait for an answer¡ªshe backed away from the stand, more than a little afraid of this teddy bear massacring psycho. She glanced to her parents, relieved to see that they were still there, but apparently they hadn¡¯t noticed her get beaned by a decapitated plushie. In fact, as she looked around, nobody seemed to have noticed the occurrence at all.

    Amaris considered screaming and drawing attention to the whole thing so he would be fired, but at that point she noticed that the potion stand was completely gone. No sign of the woman, her elixirs, or even that there had been a stand there in the first place. This sudden absence unnerved Amaris enough that she decided she was done exploring for now.

    Keeping one eye on Freddloi¡ªwho hadn¡¯t stopped glaring at her this whole time¡ªshe cautiously walked away until she was back with her parents.

    The tables had turned in the hot dog discussion while she was gone. The cat¡¯s expression was still one of conflict between apathy and annoyance, but her parents had swapped roles. Her mom was clawing the counter¡¯s edge with her fingernails while her dad seemed locked in a permanent facepalm.

    Amaris decided enough was enough. ¡°Mom? Dad? Can you just¡­ pay for it so we can go do something else?¡± Still unnerved by her encounter, she rubbed her arm nervously.

    Her mom must have picked up that something was wrong because she immediately dropped the discussion. Fixing Amaris with a sad smile, she wordlessly pulled out her credit card and gave it to the cat. Kneeling down, she patted Amaris on the head. ¡°All right, for you, we¡¯ll give in to the evils of capitalism.¡±

    Amaris couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Moooooom¡­¡±

    Her dad lifted her up. ¡°Amm¡¯s right, we are on vacation. We can let them rip us off just this once.¡±

    The cat twitched. ¡°I can still hear you.¡±

    ¡°Just dish up that hot dog,¡± Amaris said. ¡°You¡­ really don¡¯t want to get them going again.¡±

    The cat lifted a paw in a half-shrug and set to work.

    ~~~

    It took less than an hour for the interaction with Sir Freddloi to pass out of Amaris¡¯ mind. Once again, the apparent monotony of the Cat-Ival drove itself into her mind. Cats, rides, food, more cats, more rides, more food. All the same, same, same. She was getting desperate for some kind of new experience. But none of the coasters or games felt like much of anything.

    She was trying to hide her feelings, but she knew she was failing given how her parents kept glancing at her. They really were trying to give her the best time, going out of their way to ask her where she wanted to go and what she wanted to do. It made her feel a little bad that she didn¡¯t feel excited about much of anything.

    Have fun, she told herself. You can have fun. That is the entire point of the Cat-Ival. Have fun and they¡¯ll be happy. She may have been a smart girl, but she lacked the wisdom to know the one way to ensure a terrible time was to try and force herself to have fun.

    With this somewhat unfortunate mindset, she grasped hold of the first attraction she saw and put on a smile. ¡°Look, the house of mirrors!¡±

    The building in question was rather large for a simple house of mirrors. It had multiple stories, fancy chrome cat statues at the front, and apparently moving parts given the soft rumbling of an engine coming from inside.

    Her parents, seeing Amaris light up, jumped on the opportunity like a couple of hyenas. They rushed to the house of mirrors as fast as they could, almost running over a passing cat in the process.

    ¡°Hold it!¡± a cat said, his white paw sticking out at about chest level. ¡°The house of mirrors is not covered with the basic Cat-Ival ticket.¡±

    Amaris¡¯ dad clenched his jaw. ¡°How much more for a ticket?¡±

    ¡°Fifty. Each.¡± The cat grinned.

    ¡°Now listen here y¡ª¡°

    His wife elbowed him. ¡°She really wants to.¡±

    Amaris felt her throat clench up. ¡°Dad, no, you don¡¯t have to¡ª¡°

    But it was too late. He¡¯d already handed over the money; enough for one pass, which he handed to Amaris. ¡°You have fun in there. We¡¯ll be waiting out here at the exit. Take as long as you need¡ªexplore, have an adventure.¡±

    Amaris could only smile nervously at this.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting right here,¡± her mom said, pointing at the exit door a few feet from the entrance door. ¡°And then you can tell us all about it!¡±

    Amaris looked at the pass in her hand. This is it, Amaris. Go in there. Have fun. You¡¯re going to have fun and you¡¯re not going to think it¡¯s boring. It is a house of mirrors! There¡¯s going to be things in there you¡¯ve never seen before! She almost believed herself.

    Quickly, she hugged her parents. ¡°Thank you!¡± With what she hoped was an excited skip, she climbed a few steps and entered the twisting maze of mirrors.

    She was mildly impressed with the design; she had no idea where the light was coming from, but she could see perfectly. Below and above, reflections of herself spread out to infinity, alternating the soles of her shoes with the inky sheen of her hair. Already, the mirrored walls were a lot more than just flat panes¡ªthey were beveled in, out, and some even swirled, creating a chaotic cascade of Amaris-like mutant forms in every direction.

    Her grin became genuine. Yes, this will work. She held out a hand and began to trace her fingers over the beveled mirrors, watching as the entire universe around her responded to her motions.

    Pitch slithered out of the backpack, resting on her neck.

    ¡°You like the mirrors too?¡± Amaris asked him. Being a snake, he didn¡¯t respond beyond flicking out his tongue. ¡°Yeah, it is cool.¡± She walked forward¡ªbonking her head on the smooth mirror in front of her. With a joyous laugh, she turned to the left and walked down the actual path.

    The next hall had a moving wall, giving Amaris an appreciation for how complex light could be. Fractal patterns appeared within the reflective sheen, and the slight tilt of the mirrors made it look like the room was spiraling off to infinity¡­

    Of course, at this point, she registered that the mirrors weren¡¯t perfect¡ªnone were, it was a physical impossibility. As the light reflected back and forth and back and forth, eventually the deep reflections became dim and greenish.

    Amaris shrugged and moved on¡­ to another hall with beveled mirrors. Granted, this one had bevels on the floor and ceiling too, but it was essentially the same. By the time she came to the end and climbed up a mirrored staircase, the smile plastered on her face looked more forced than legitimate.

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    Pitch licked her face.

    ¡°I¡­ am having¡­ fun.¡± She grit her teeth and continued on, forcing herself to look at every mirror, trace every beveled edge, and appreciate all the math that went into designing such a complicated structure of mirrors. Needless to say, she was ruining it for herself. Had she gone in without any need to have fun, she would have found it all delightful.

    Now, she was so soured she started pushing on the mirrors around her a little harder than probably was wise. For her trouble, when she traced her finger across a divide between two mirror slabs, a rough edge cut right into her finger.

    ¡°Agh!¡± Amaris called out, pulling her hand back. Crimson blood poured out of the cut onto the reflective ground below. ¡°Oh for the love of¡­¡±

    Pitch slithered down her arm and started licking the wound.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I bet you find that delicious¡­¡± Amaris grumbled. ¡°I need to stop this bleeding. If mom and dad see this they¡¯ll yell at the cats for hours about safety violations or something equally dumb¡­¡± She rested her arm on a flat mirror wall while she used her free hand to reach into her backpack. In addition to Pitch¡¯s accommodations, she knew there was a pack of bandages somewhere in there¡­

    She heard a soft crack.

    ¡°Huh?¡± She glanced at the wall she was leaning on. It sounded like¡ª

    The support that held the mirror in place gave way and it fell into the wall, taking a shocked Amaris with it. The impact with the ground knocked the wind out of her, and the cloud of dust kicked up from the other side didn¡¯t help her breathing any.

    She sat up, coughing furiously. ¡°P-pitch!?¡± she called out, the snake noticeably absent from her shoulders. A soft hiss from below let her know he was fine. She gently opened her hands and he slithered back onto her, soon resting around her neck once more.

    With the dust clearing and her bearings returning to her, Amaris managed to stand up, coughing every few seconds. One mystery was solved¡ªthe destroyed wall revealed where the light was coming from. Shining from behind the mirrors, there were little white LEDs. Light could pass through the panes in one direction, but was reflected the other way. This was fascinating enough on its own, though the realization was quickly overshadowed by what was in the newly exposed area.

    The space was the size of a large closet, and none of the walls were mirrors¡ªinstead, it was black panels with numerous supports holding it up. Most of the supports were wooden, and several were rotting. The one she¡¯d broken had apparently been all but dust before she leaned on it, and her weight had finally disintegrated the poor thing.

    Amaris¡¯ initial thought was that the area was simply an empty space in the house of mirrors that none of the mazelike paths covered, so it had been left unfinished. However, the pedestal in the center of the room called that theory into doubt. She wasn¡¯t sure what it held at first, since the only light came from the mirrored hall she¡¯d just come from, but on closer inspection it revealed itself to her: an ornate handheld mirror with golden relief that was studded with brilliant white gemstones.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Amaris picked up the mirror in her hands without hesitation, finding it to be much heavier than it looked. Idly, she wondered if it was real gold. She hefted it in her hand and traced the edge of it. Until that moment, she had momentarily forgotten her bleeding finger, reminded only when she smeared the red fluid over the mirror. ¡°No! Agh, how could I be so¡ª¡°

    She never finished, for the mirror flashed with a silvery light. A moment later, all the blood Amaris had smeared on the reflective surface was gone, as though it had been absorbed by the mirror itself.

    Amaris blinked. ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    The mirror did nothing else. As far as she could tell, it had just cleaned itself.

    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± With a soft smirk crawling up her face, she turned around, intending to examine the mirror under better lighting conditions.

    To her shock, there was someone standing there. At first, Amaris thought it was just a reflection coming from one of the many mirrors in the hall until she noticed that the girl held no mirror and was standing with her hands behind her back. It was Amaris¡ªand yet, it was not.

    ¡°Woah¡­¡± Amaris said, letting her arms hang limp. Pitch let out a hiss.

    The other Amaris waved awkwardly. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah. Woah.¡±

    The two stared at each other in silence for several seconds.

    ¡°Sooo¡­¡± Amaris said, rocking back onto her heels. ¡°You¡¯re, what, my reflection?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ think so?¡± the other Amaris said.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°So cool!¡± they both shouted at once, and proceeded to high five and giggle like it was their birthday.

    Amaris quickly held up the mirror. ¡°A magic mirror¡­ trapped behind a wall in a house of mirrors!¡±

    Her reflection nodded. ¡°Kind of weird, don¡¯t you think? I mean, who hides a magic mirror in a funhouse? People come here all the time, not the best way to keep it hidden!¡±

    ¡°Very weird, but I¡¯m not complaining!¡± Amaris held up the mirror so they could both look at it, creating reflections of both of them. ¡°Wow, we¡¯re identical...¡±

    Pitch hissed, letting Amaris realize that he didn¡¯t exist on the other Amaris, though the backpack did.

    ¡°I guess he doesn¡¯t count,¡± the other Amaris said, holding out a finger to pet Pitch. ¡°His blood is not your blood, or something.¡±

    Pitch snapped at the reflection¡¯s finger, biting down on her. She recoiled with a gasp. ¡°Dumb freaking snake!¡± Pitch may not have been venomous, but his fangs were sharp enough to puncture skin. The duplicate¡¯s blood ran down her finger and onto the ground below.

    Amaris¡¯ stared at her copy¡¯s injury with wide eyes. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m so sorry, he¡¯s usually such a good snake!¡± She glared at Pitch. ¡°We¡¯ve been through this, Pitch! We don¡¯t bite people!¡±

    Pitch let out a tense hiss.

    ¡°We¡¯re not arguing about this¡­¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t argue with a snake,¡± the copy said, applying pressure to her finger with her other hand. ¡°Just an animal.¡±

    Amaris put her hands on her hips and let out a huff. ¡°So what? Pitch is amazing.¡±

    ¡°Right. Whatever.¡± The reflection locked her hands behind her back. ¡°Maybe he just doesn¡¯t like seeing two of you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see why. This is, like, the best thing ever!¡± Amaris beamed at her counterpart. ¡°Think of all the things we could do with two of us! The pranks we could pull¡­ and two brains are better than one! I bet we could figure out that weird integral dad left for us back home!¡±

    ¡°Sure is exciting, isn¡¯t it?¡± The reflection fixed Amaris with a blank stare.

    ¡°Well, yeah!¡±

    ¡°Not boring in the slightest.¡± She turned her back to Amaris, taking a moment to trace the edge of a mirror wall with her finger. ¡°It¡¯s what you wanted, after all.¡±

    Amaris paused, tilting her head. ¡°You know, you¡¯re right. This is what I wanted. ¡°

    ¡°Yes, so dissatisfied with your life that you couldn¡¯t even have fun at a carnival.¡± The reflection tapped her foot, as though she were impatient.

    ¡°I¡­ what?¡± Amaris frowned. ¡°Are you okay over there?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m only as okay as you are.¡± She flipped around, grinning so widely that it made Amaris uneasy. ¡°You messed up, Amaris. Your parents got worried! Ca¡ª¡°

    ¡°Oh, my parents!¡± Amaris gasped. ¡°How are they going to deal with two of me!?¡±

    The duplicate laughed. ¡°They w¡ª¡°

    Amaris dropped her fake concern and kicked her doppelganger in the stomach, knocking her to the ground. Amaris had been prepared for this from the beginning¡ªafter all, blood absorbing mirror? That just screamed evil. Amaris had hoped it was just a pure duplicate, but it clearly wasn¡¯t the case.

    While the reflection was recovering from the shock of being kicked, Amaris took off at a run back the way she had come through the house of mirrors, already accessing her mental map of the place, working out the fastest escape route. She gripped the magic mirror tightly in her hand.

    Pitch hissed in her ear.

    ¡°Yes, yes, you were right,¡± Amaris huffed. ¡°But hey, this is exciting, right? On the run from an evil dopplega¡ª¡°

    The doppelganger in question stepped out of a mirror in front of her. Amaris attempted to skid to a stop, but the slick mirror floor was of no help. The doppelganger grabbed her by the shirt collar, bringing the two of them face to face.

    The doppelganger¡¯s grin remained. ¡°You¡¯re smarter than you look, but I¡¯m afra¡ª¡°

    Amaris kicked upward as hard as she could. The doppelganger may have been a monster, but she still had Amaris¡¯ body¡ªthe force of the impact was enough to make her lose her grip.

    Scrambling, Amaris pushed her legs as hard as she could. Despite a few slippery first steps, she managed to get her footing and bolt. ¡°Hah!¡± She allowed herself a confident smirk. ¡°You can¡¯t catch m¡ª¡°

    The doppelganger grabbed her by the backpack, stopping her flight in an instant. Instead of letting out a biting remark, the reflection only growled. With a shove, she thrust Amaris into the mirror in the floor like it was some kind of thick liquid.

    With a panicked flail, Amaris grabbed hold of her counterpart¡¯s collar, dragging her into the mirror as well.

    ¡°No!¡± The doppelganger shouted. ¡°I¡¯m not going back!¡± She planted her feet and resisted Amaris¡¯ pull, all the while using a free hand to pry Amaris¡¯ fingers off her one by one.

    Amaris felt the strange, syrupy nature of the mirror pass her stomach. She could no longer feel her legs at all, as though they had been numbed with anesthetic. Soon, her arms would go under, and then her head, and she might not be able to keep hold any longer.

    In desperation, she swung the magic mirror at the doppelganger.

    She paled. ¡°You idio¡ª!¡°

    The magic mirror shattered.

    And so did the mirror Amaris was falling into. Suddenly, the feeling returned to her legs and feet¡ªbut now she was falling in utter darkness. Looking up, she saw her duplicate falling as well, and above her there was a white square of light quickly receding from view.

    Amaris became aware of the painful pounding of her heart now that there was no noise from the struggle. It was deafening. Somewhere in her mind, she recognized that her heart was incapable of making a noise of that volume, and it was just her panic and adrenaline mixed with the absolute silence of her surroundings that made it seem as such. This did little to quell the feeling that there was a drum in her chest trying to break out through her ribcage.

    She was fortunate the shock of falling and the intensity of her own heartbeat distracted her because it allowed her to land perfectly on the chrome slide below. Had she been angled a different way, she could have easily broken her neck. As it was, the gentle slope rose up to meet her and carried her down.

    Contact with the slide shook her to her senses. Above, there was darkness, but below, there was a field of chrome covered in spikes, slides, and unusual geometric shapes that rose higher into the sky than any building Amaris had ever seen. Everything she saw on the journey down was perfectly clean and smooth, and looked like they could have been taken right out of a math textbook.

    The incline of the slide gradually shifted until it was almost flat, depositing her on an expanse of chrome that served as the ground for this strange realm. It was so smooth there was only the slightest amount of friction, so she went sliding for several dozen meters on the expanse.

    It was at this point that Amaris realized she had no reflection here. The chrome structures acted like she didn¡¯t exist¡ªonly reflecting each other. Not her, and not the doppelganger sliding a short ways behind Amaris.

    Amaris tensed up¡ªshe was in this alien realm, alone, with that¡­ thing. She needed to get up and do something. She was moving slow enough now that she could get her feet under her, but that was about the extent of what she could do. Wobbling considerably, and with her arms extended, it took all her effort just to keep from falling over.

    The doppelganger didn¡¯t even bother getting up. She remained on her back, arms splayed, only lazily looking at Amaris as they slid along the chrome field. ¡°You¡­ idiot. You broke it. You broke everything.¡±

    Amaris glanced at the magic mirror. It was still in her hand, but there were only a few shards of actual mirror in it now. The bare golden backing dominated its appearance.

    ¡°Now we¡¯re both trapped here,¡± the doppelganger groaned. ¡°Forever stuck in these pillars of chrome.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sure there¡¯s a way out¡­¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t.¡± The doppelganger audibly ground her teeth. ¡°That mirror was it. Now it¡¯s busted. And this prison¡­ is eternal.¡±

    ¡°D-don¡¯t talk like that,¡± Amaris stammered. ¡°I¡¯m sure if we work together we can put aside our differences an¡ª¡°

    ¡°Work together!?¡± The doppelganger snorted. ¡°You¡¯re a na?ve, foolish child.¡± She flopped over into a reclining position, fixing Amaris with a condescending expression. ¡°The only reason I¡¯m not flaying you open right now to satisfy my need for revenge is because it will be much more entertaining to watch you starve to death.¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going to get every ounce of entertainment out of you I can before you die horribly, Amaris.¡±

    ¡°W-why?¡± Amaris stammered.

    ¡°Because you were my one chance at getting out of this prison!¡± The doppelganger shouted with such intensity that Amaris could see the veins in her throat. ¡°We could have swapped places and the rite would have been satisfied! I would have been free! But you stopped that, and you will pay for that.¡±

    Amaris forced herself to swallow. ¡°But wh-what if there is a way out¡­? Maybe we c¡ª¡°

    ¡°I¡¯ve always hated people like you,¡± the doppelganger said, finally spending the effort to rise to her feet. ¡°Arrogant little morons who think they understand how life works¡­¡± She let out a bitter laugh. ¡°Guess what? It¡¯s not what you think it is! It¡¯s cruel, brutal, violent, and will chew you up and spit you out.¡± She pointed an accusatory finger at Amaris. ¡°How¡¯s your boredom level now!?¡±

    Amaris¡¯ couldn¡¯t say anything else. She wiped her eyes.

    Something about seeing the tears twisted something within the doppelganger. ¡°¡­Pathetic.¡±

    Amaris made the attempt not to break down in tears¡ªshe knew this was a dangerous situation, that she needed to stay on her toes. But, as strong and plucky as she was, she was only a kid. Her composure fell and she started bawling. In the process, she lost her footing and fell painfully to the ground.

    The doppelganger scowled. ¡°Shut up.¡±

    To her credit, Amaris did try. She tried to quiet herself and do as the monster standing across from her said. Her attempts, however, were futile.

    ¡°¡­I said shut up!¡± The doppelganger ripped off her reflection of Amaris¡¯ backpack and slammed it into the ground, shattering much of the chrome below. ¡°¡­Shut up or you die early!¡±

    Amaris¡¯ breath caught in her throat. She attempted to hold her breath, but her breathing was too ragged¡ªtoo uncontrolled. All she could do was look up at her counterpart with red, panicked eyes.

    ¡°Die early it is.¡± The reflection picked up a shard of chrome off the ground, gripping it hard enough to draw blood from her hand. With a surprising burst of speed, she slid across the chrome plane like an ice skater, angling right for Amaris.

    Amaris could only move in panic. She jumped up at just the right time to avoid the attack entirely, sheer fortune all that kept her from a stab through the stomach.

    The doppelganger growled¡ªshe had to skate around in a wide arc to go back for another pass at Amaris. By this time, Amaris was already moving away¡ªher instincts from ice skating on the lake back home taking over.

    ¡°Where are you running!?¡±

    Amaris was not in any state to fully consider those words. All she knew was that she had to run. Everything depended on it. She slid forward, placing one foot on the ground at a time, skating through the endless chrome.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing here but you and me!¡± There was a crack in the doppelganger¡¯s voice. ¡°All this running does is give me exercise!¡±

    Amaris looked around frantically for something she could do. But, in her state, all she could take note of were the chrome shapes zipping by and, of course, the creature that looked exactly like her in pursuit. The only differences between them being the busted magic mirror and the backpack.

    The backpack. A spark went off in Amaris¡¯ mind, giving her some control back. The doppelganger was gaining on her because she no longer had the backpack and weighed less. If Amaris dumped it¡ª

    She realized with horror that Pitch had taken refuge inside the backpack. If she discarded it, she would leave him with it.

    I¡¯m not abandoning him.

    With newfound fervor and determination, she whirled around to face the doppelganger. She was still crying and more terrified than she had ever been, but her mind was her own again. As she slid backward, she focused her gaze on her copy.

    ¡°What are you going to do!?¡± the doppelganger shouted as she neared. ¡°Fight me!?¡±

    ¡°S-something like that!¡± Amaris called, somehow managing an awkward smile in the process. This only made the doppelganger angrier.

    With a twist of her waist, the beast hurled herself at Amaris, the chrome spike aimed for her heart.

    Here goes¡­ Amaris swung the magic mirror, hitting the chrome spike dead on. The spike easily thrust through the golden frame, but that wasn¡¯t what Amaris had been concerned about. She¡¯d just wanted to make sure the doppelganger¡¯s blood touched the few remaining slivers of the reflective surface.

    The mirror absorbed the doppelganger¡¯s blood.

    The doppelganger¡¯s face twisted into one of confusion. ¡°Wh¡­ what? What will that do?¡±

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t kn¡ª¡°

    Before Amaris could finish, the chrome beneath her gave out, becoming akin to syrup.

    ¡°No!¡± the doppelganger shouted as the chrome spike was torn out of her grip by the sudden motion. ¡°No!¡± She tried to dive after Amaris¡ªbut Amaris was already through, and the floor became solid once more.

    Amaris made out tears forming within the doppelganger¡¯s eyes before losing sight of her. That haunted, agonized expression stuck in her mind as she fell through the darkness, the kind of face she wouldn¡¯t forget for the rest of her life.

    As she was still reeling from what had happened, Amaris fell out of a mirror onto a hard, wooden floor. The mirror itself was tall, the kind that was set up in a bedroom or dressing room. Given the sheer number of clothing racks around Amaris, it was probably the latter¡ªthough she didn¡¯t care too much about this. All she cared about right now was that it wasn¡¯t the chrome place.

    With haggard breathing, she laid there, motionless. Her chest was pounding like a soldier¡¯s march, and every breath felt like a relief. She couldn¡¯t think, she couldn¡¯t move, she just focused on calming herself down with what little she could scrape together for what felt like an eternity.

    In time, however, she became more and more aware of herself, though it wasn¡¯t until Pitch licked her face that she bothered to sit up and wipe her eyes, holding Pitch close. ¡°We¡¯re¡­ alive.¡±

    Pitch hissed in response, his tiny tongue flicking out to taste the air.

    Carefully, Amaris picked up the magic mirror. There were no shards of the reflective surface left. Now it was just a hunk of gold and gemstones with a hole stabbed through it. Pretty, possibly valuable, but not magic. Amaris let out a sigh of relief¡ªit would no longer be a problem.

    ¡°I¡­ guess it worked backwards with her blood,¡± Amaris said more to herself than to Pitch. ¡°And¡­ no chrome spike. I guess that can¡¯t exist here.¡±

    She turned to stare at the upright mirror they had popped out of. She saw her reflection. It unnerved her, slightly, seeing the red around her eyes and the bloodshot veins around her irises, but she knew it was her. Really her.

    And that was enough for her.

    With that immediate issue sorted and out of the way, she was now able to process the fact that she was in some kind of dressing room and not a house of mirrors. She took in a sharp breath, realizing that she probably wasn¡¯t supposed to be in here. Wherever here was.

    Carefully, she stood up, finding the only exit to the room¡ªa large oak door. With the intent of being as quiet as possible, she lifted up Pitch and placed him back in the backpack, putting the remnants of the magic mirror in there too. Moving on her tiptoes, she approached the door and put her ear to it, intending to listen for anyone on the other side.

    The moment she did so, a key turned in the lock and the door flew open, revealing a fat man in an expensive-looking tuxedo. He looked just as shocked to see her as she was to see him.

    He recovered first. ¡°What are you doing in my closet, urchin!?¡±

    ¡°I came out of the mirror!¡± Her instinct to tell the direct truth in the face of questioning, while admirable, was perhaps not the best option at that juncture.

    With a disgusting scowl, the man grabbed Amaris¡¯ shoulders with his grubby hands. ¡°You¡­ little¡­¡±

    ¡°How about you just throw me out of the house and we can forget this ever happened?¡±

    The man¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I am not one to take lightly to trespassers¡­¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Uh¡­¡± Amaris thought quickly. ¡°Right! How about we call my parents and you can tell them all about how I was locked in this closet bawling my eyes out?¡±

    The man frowned. Without a word, he lifted her up like she weighed nothing.

    ¡°I-is that, uh, a no?¡± Amaris stammered.

    The man said nothing until he took her to the front door. He opened it and threw her out onto the pavement. ¡°I better never see you again!¡± He slammed the door forcefully.

    Amaris stood up; rubbing the scrape on her arm the pavement had given her. ¡°Not planning on sticking around¡­¡± She walked down the driveway, past the rather fancy black car that presumably belonged to the fat man. Taking the sidewalk, she found herself shivering. It sure was chilly out¡­

    With a frown, she looked up. It was still midday¡ªmidday in what should have been in the middle of the summer. Why was it so cold?

    A sinking feeling began to form in her stomach. It became a twisted knot when she found a newspaper sitting in a driveway, wrapped in plastic. The address printed on the plastic called the city she was in Ambivalence.

    She had no idea where that was.

    You¡¯re lost in a city you don¡¯t know. What are you supposed to do? Amaris took in a deep breath and continued walking, looking for someone who looked approachable. Her parents had warned her about strangers, so she made sure to be careful with who she approached. The first man she saw wore a leather jacket and had massive muscles. She made sure to steer clear of him. When she came across a woman in a glittering and gaudy red dress, she decided much the same¡ªrich people were often the craziest.

    However, eventually, she entered an area of town that wasn¡¯t populated by rich people in fancy houses but was instead a more traditional suburb. People looked more approachable here, and there were even a few kids playing ball along the green lawns. But she wanted to be sure. Someone who would help a child in need and know not to ask too many questions.

    At long last, she found an old woman sitting in a rocking chair out on her porch, knitting away while humming a calming tune. Taking a deep breath, Amaris marched up to her.

    ¡°Um, excuse me, could you direct me to the police station?¡±

    ~~~

    The old woman had offered to drive her, but Amaris wasn¡¯t exactly keen on trusting strangers right then¡ªeven if they were seemingly nice old ladies. The woman seemed to understand, so she had given Amaris the directions and told her to be careful.

    Amaris was. She made eye contact with no one and kept herself in open, easily visible spaces the whole time. After about twenty minutes of walking across sidewalks and various crosswalks, she arrived at the police station without incident.

    She walked up to the counter where a large black man sat, reclining in his chair. Piled up on his desk were several boxes of donuts, all with bows on them, and a few with ¡°Happy Birthday!¡± scribbled on the sides. None of the boxes had been touched.

    ¡°What can I do for you?¡± the officer asked, leaning over the counter to get a good look at her.

    ¡°Um, hi.¡± Amaris swallowed. ¡°I¡¯m Amaris Kelvin. My parents are Dimitri Kelvin and Anastasia Kelvin. I¡­ don¡¯t know where I am or how I got here. Can you help?¡±

    The cop¡¯s expression changed from one of laziness to one of determination. ¡°I will do everything I can.¡± He turned to his computer, bringing up a database. ¡°Address?¡±

    ¡°Four-Two-One-Nine West Adderstone Avenue, Nuk, Yeshalo. But we were visiting the Cat-Ival in Junetown.¡±

    The officer frowned. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ an out-of-country address. I won¡¯t be able to look that up easily.¡±

    Amaris blinked. ¡°Out-of-country!? How did I get out-of-country?¡±

    ¡°That is a very good question¡­¡± He scratched his chin. ¡°This might take a while¡­¡± He pulled a donut box off the stack and handed it to her. ¡°Here, have this. Go sit in one of the chairs over there, I¡¯ll let you know if I find anything.¡±

    Amaris nodded, taking the box. ¡°Thank you.¡± She sat down and pulled out a maple bar, biting into it. She made sure to give a crumb to Pitch as he poked his head out of her backpack.

    She watched the officer as he entered query after query into the computer. After that, he pulled out a cell phone and started calling people, asking for more records from other places. Amaris grew especially worried when she overheard him say, ¡°What do you mean, it doesn¡¯t exist?¡±

    Amaris looked down at the box of donuts. She bit her lip.

    ¡°How am I going to get home¡­?¡±

    She looked out the window at the cold day outside. The wind blew through the trees, offering her no help in her plight.

    The longer the officer tried to find her home and her parents, the more Amaris got the unpleasant sense that life was never going to be boring again.

 A Place for Every Child

    Episode II

    A Place for Every Child

    What is your problem, lady?

    Lost kids of all sorts probably get sent there while the adults sort out who they are. This is normal. ¡°Do you know anyone there¡­?¡±

    Joy, other kids¡­ ¡°Sounds¡­ fun. When do we leave?¡±

    definitely couldn¡¯t eat his fair share of the meal. He was a carnivore only here for the syrup, the bread itself just wouldn¡¯t do it for him.

    silent.

    anything.¡±

    No, she told herself. It was time to endure whatever nonsense was in this place.

    were the video games over in the corner there¡­ though nobody was playing them.

    Well, she didn¡¯t try to eat me, she just thinks I¡¯m worthless. Amaris smirked. I¡¯ll show her. I¡¯ll be early!

    instant she sees you.¡±

    I¡¯ll get back to you, I promise.

    Uh-oh! the indicator read.

    I¡¯ll have to fix that, get some green in here.

    Uh-oh!

    Prove her wrong. Be better. Be faster!

    What¡­?

    not to smile¡ªmaybe whatever they had was contagious.

    orientation!¡±

    I swear, if this involves me running through some kind of death gauntlet¡­

    That¡¯s terribly boring, but not a death gauntlet. ¡­Do we never get to use the game consoles or the classroom?

    knew she¡¯d heard her. But, apparently, she just wasn¡¯t allowed to ask questions.

    So I just¡­ sit here for an hour. She glanced around the dining room, finding nothing of interest to examine aside from the children themselves, and at the moment she decided examining them wasn¡¯t good for her mental health. She spent some time studying the grains in the table, becoming lost in potential equations that could be used to describe the whirls and lines dancing along with the wood.

    This simply won¡¯t do. Taking a deep breath, she turned to the person closest to her¡ªa redheaded girl slightly older than she was. ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Amaris!¡±

    What¡­ am I doing?

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    wrong. Everything about this was wrong.

    This is ridiculous, she thought, trying to make light of the situation. She didn¡¯t find her observation funny.

    was the right room. Just without any of her things.

    Snake jump!¡±

    jump.¡±

    one channel. To get nothing at all...

    Of course. They¡¯re just for show, for the people on the outside to see. She grimaced. Or for kids to be lured in. For¡­ what, though?

    also perfectly in line with the others. She needed to look good and obedient for what she was about to do.

    If?¡±

    If.¡± She spoke the word with power, making Amaris shrink back into her chair. ¡°Until then, all such things are effectively contraband. Speaking of that¡­¡± She glanced at the shirt visible through the open zipper on Amaris¡¯ jacket. ¡°What is the symbol on that shirt?¡±

    you.¡±

    It¡¯s like she¡¯s certain I won¡¯t leave¡­

    afterward. What was the plan? Grab her stuff and run off into the woods? Calling Officer Dawson wouldn¡¯t do anything, he¡¯d just think she was crazy. No, she needed a better idea, she¡ª

    That can¡¯t be right, we just had breakfast¡­ She glanced at the clock. It said four o¡¯clock. What!? I can¡¯t have been in here that long!

    feels like nothing.¡± She found herself clenching her fists as she walked back to her room, slamming the door behind her.

    Very tired. But for the life of her, she couldn¡¯t remember much more than the vaguest details. Had she really spent the entire day coming up with¡­ a completely terrible and only half-thought-out plan? She was better than this.

    plink sound on the glass.

    something out. We¡¯ll get our stuff back and¡­ something.¡± She frowned. ¡°All we have to do is¡­ defy Mrs. Ibis.¡±

    defied something an adult said. Complain, whine, perhaps even scream, sure. But adults tended to know better and if they told her to do something it was probably for a good reason. What she was thinking of doing was essentially sneaking into the office, stealing things that Mrs. Ibis thought were hers, and making a break for it.

    angry¡­

    And I¡¯ll have a plan of where to go next!¡±

    something. Got it?¡±

    What a pleasant dream.

    Woah. Freaky.

    Oh, it¡¯s just Pitch. Nothing to be concerned about¡­

    Pitch.

    I didn¡¯t put new batteries in the lamp.

    pulled.

    Ring¡­

    Ring¡­

    Ring¡­

    Click. ¡°Egh¡­ who is this? How did you get my number¡­?¡± Officer Dawson¡¯s voice came from the other end.

    rage.

    We are getting our stuff back.¡±

    easily come up with it before. But she¡¯d needed to leave this accursed place to do it.

    hers, now.

    rest. Mrs. Ibis was the only unknown, and Amaris would know about her soon enough.

    motion. None came. Even the sound of the rain outside began to die away as the storm abated.

    extra sure to clean them. They turned without a hint of squeaking.

    Guess she just couldn¡¯t resist¡­

    Quickly.

    Yeah, it had to be quick. Or else the police forget everything.

    quickly.

    I¡¯m not the only one¡­ She¡¯s probably got this down to a science by now.

    confront her if we went down there.¡±

    Dark eyes that are not mine,

    You look upon this child so fine,

    O you, great treacherous curse,

    Empower my spell through this verse.¡±

    witch at the top of its lungs, Mrs. Ibis herself appeared as she normally did, with her smooth white clothing and aging body.

    ¡°Broken relic from beyond the veil,

    Bring an end to the girl¡¯s tale,

    Give the curse inside to me,

    And truly happy thou shall be.¡±

    just Amaris. Probably trying to condition her like the others.

    something.

    special bliss.¡±

    put in there!?¡±

    Oh. Amaris tried to climb out faster, but she was already scrambling as fast as she could.

    real panic, complete with tears, shouts, shoving, and terror. In other words, expressions all far removed from silent, dead smiles.

    Something about that girl¡­

    May your life be interesting. ¡°We should just¡­ set out, and find things out on our own. I don¡¯t want to be traceable if that witch ever gets her memory back.¡±

 Predateor

    Episode III

    Predateor

    The sun lifted up over the horizon, shining its welcoming beams of life onto the forest below. Baby birds released their morning song onto the world, squirrels poked their heads out of their hidey-holes, and somewhere a deer lazily strolled along a morning walk, munching at the sprouts of green jutting out of the ground; sure signs of winter shifting into spring.

    Resting in a large but not particularly tall tree, however, was something that definitely didn¡¯t belong. From a distance, one could be forgiven for thinking it was a massive egg juxtaposed in the tree¡¯s branches. Anything that got close could easily identify the object wasn¡¯t made of shell, but of blankets and cloth; dirty, scuffed blankets wrapped up into a warm, cozy ball. Every few seconds, the bundle rose and fell with the breath of whatever lay within.

    As the sun hit the bundle directly, it began to stir more and more. Eventually, its occupant let out a yawn and made the attempt to stretch. This motion was just a little too much for the position the egg-like bundle was in, and it flipped off the edge of the branch, unraveling like a rolling carpet.

    Amaris let out a scream of terror as she was twirled around in a cyclonic pattern, unable to make heads or tails of what was happening. Fortunately for her, the previous night¡¯s Amaris had been much more aware of the situation and had tied an end of the sheet to her backpack, just in case something went wrong. Which it had.

    Her scream was cut abruptly short by the sudden upward pull of her backpack on her shoulders, forcing the breath out of her. She could barely wheeze as she hung there, suspended from a tree by her backpack and extended sheet-rope.

    After she regained her breath, she felt kind of silly, hanging there like a pi?ata.

    She was less than a foot from the ground, so she slipped out of the backpack¡¯s straps and dropped to the ground. With a frown, she looked up to assess the situation, already plotting her path to climb back up the tree, dislodge the blanket and sheet, and bundle it all back up nicely.

    Her plan was for naught, for at that moment the branch decided it¡¯d had enough, breaking completely from the strain and dropping the backpack firmly on Amaris¡¯ face. She let out a cry of alarm as she was pushed to the ground, followed by a comical ¡°oof¡± as the branch itself landed on top of the backpack. The blankets and the sheet rope drifted down a few moments later.

    ¡°¡­What a great start to the day,¡± Amaris grumbled, removing the backpack from her face and sitting up. The motion made her wince¡ªher shoulders were sore from taking the brunt of the impact from that fall. It meant little since she was used to a little pain at this point. This was the beginning of day four walking through the forest, after all. While she hadn¡¯t fallen out of the tree on any of the previous nights, it was basically par for the course so far.

    When she found Dad she was going to kill him for saying ¡°and now you¡¯re ready to rough it in the wilderness!¡± at the end of their last camping trip. Basic survival knowledge did not equate to easily trekking through a forest, as Amaris had learned rather quickly.

    Still, she hadn¡¯t frozen to death yet and hadn¡¯t been eaten by anything, so that was something at least.

    With a series of slow breaths to calm and prepare herself, Amaris stood up. She looked terrible. Her jacket and pants were covered in nicks, her face had more than a few scrapes on it, the tangled knots that were her hair desperately needed a comb, and every part of her ached¡ªthough, naturally, her shoulders worst of all.

    And yet, she smiled, feeling more than a little proud that she¡¯d been smart enough to anchor herself to the tree just in case something like this happened.

    Humming to herself, she opened the flap of the backpack. ¡°Good morning, sleepysnake.¡±

    Pitch lazily looked up from his coil in his enclosure.

    ¡°A new day, a new adventure! Maybe we¡¯ll see something other than trees today!¡±

    Pitch stared at her.

    ¡°¡­As long as it isn¡¯t the wolf again, right.¡± With a twist, Amaris set to work picking up camp. The benefit to not traveling with a tent was that it didn¡¯t take long. All she had to do was bundle up the pillow in the blankets and then tie them to the backpack with the sheet, and she was done. Sure, the blankets were getting really dirty at this point, but they retained her body heat, and that was the most important thing.

    The only thing she didn¡¯t attach to her backpack was her stick¡ªa long, narrow pole sharpened to a point at one end. After her encounter with the wolf two days ago she figured it was best to have a weapon, even if she didn¡¯t really know how to use it. Any animal that didn¡¯t buy the ¡°be loud and scary¡± trick might think twice after being thrust at with a weapon.

    Amaris attempted to twirl the spike in her hands, but she lost control and it clattered onto the dirt below. With a sigh, she picked it up, this time holding it tightly in both of her hands.

    She reached into one of the backpack¡¯s outer pockets, taking out the bag of cat-shaped trail mix. It had been a rather large bag, and it was running low, even with the edible greens she¡¯d picked and placed within it. Her other source of food¡ªthe thermos she had filled with the oatmeal paste back at the orphanage¡ªwas doing a little better, but that was only because she found it hard to stomach eating the stuff cold. While she could make a fire, she didn¡¯t exactly have a safe way to heat it up, so she had no other options.

    Plus, she hated making fires without matches. Dumb things were more effort than they were worth, especially since sleeping on the ground was a bad idea given how wet it was. There hadn¡¯t been any deluges since her journey started, but there was enough of a sprinkling that up in a tree was infinitely better than on the muddy ground.

    The fact of the matter was, she was going to run out of food in a day or two, even with her rationing. In theory, a fit human could survive about a month without food, but she wasn¡¯t an adult and she was exerting extreme amounts of energy every day just hiking through the forest.

    Luckily, water wasn¡¯t a problem. Not only was the air humid and dew easily available every morning, but ever since she had abandoned the idea of ¡°going straight¡± on the first day, she¡¯d been following a rather large river downstream. It was a great source of freshwater for whenever she got thirsty. Though, in the back of her mind, she wondered if she was going to contract some kind of water-borne illness if she over-relied on it. Not that she had much choice.

    Amaris marched over to the river, stabbing her stick into the muddy sand at the bank. She used it to support herself as she leaned down to take a drink, wash her hands, and wash her face. A few times she had considered taking a full bath in the river¡ªshe felt filthy¡ªbut even at midday, when the weather was warm, the river itself was still extremely frigid. She had not yet reached the point of willing to subject herself to a freezing bath in order to feel clean.

    She took some of the water to attempt to get her hair to behave, with mixed success. Deciding she¡¯d spent enough time on that, she stepped back onto the bank, picked up her stick, and set off downstream.

    The terrain wasn¡¯t difficult, though it wasn¡¯t even either. Her legs, while strong and used to carrying the load of her backpack everywhere, wasted no time in complaining. She wasn¡¯t taking as many breaks as she did on the first day, but still, she had to sit down and take a breather multiple times an hour.

    More than once, she had told herself it probably would have been better to walk off along a road, or at least have a road within line of sight, just so she had some attachment to civilization. All she had was this river, now, and the hope that some people had decided to place a settlement along it somewhere down the line. Or at least a road.

    Unfortunately, just like all previous days, nothing changed as she moved. The river remained the river, the trees remained the trees, and her legs remained sore. Strangely, she was actually somewhat thankful for the monotony. As pained as she was, at least it was peaceful. The rings of distant birdsong made it to her ears, putting a smile on her face. Fish would jump out of the river every now and then, and she caught sight of more than a few squirrels. Nature was beautiful and consistent.

    The hours of the day wore on. She took regular breaks, though rarely did she do anything other than sit and occasionally talk to Pitch during them. She needed to conserve energy.

    Morning left, and it became afternoon. The day was quite pleasant with a comforting warmness in the air and just the right amount of fluffy clouds in the sky. Amaris would have been tempted to call it idyllic were she in a better situation.

    Suddenly, she got the feeling like she was being watched.

    Had this feeling come to her a week or so ago, she would have dismissed it out of hand as just being paranoid. However, that was before she had been attacked by an evil mirror doppelganger, conditioned by a witch, and spent several days roughing it in a forest.

    Her new response was to stop dead in her tracks and point her stick aggressively forward. She rotated slowly but looked around rapidly. Sensing her tense disposition, Pitch poked his head out of the backpack and used his own eyes to scan the area. Though, in his case, his tongue was doing more ¡°seeing¡± than his eyes actually were.

    As far as Amaris could tell, there was nothing out there, no one watching her at all. But there was also no birdsong. No sounds aside from her breathing and the bubbling of the brook. She didn¡¯t trust any of it.

    However, not able to get even a glimpse of whatever was out there, she had no choice but to continue on. She did this at a considerably slowed pace, angling her stick left and right, trying never to let any direction stay out of her sight for long.

    The feeling didn¡¯t go away. Something was out there. And she wasn¡¯t about to just trust the world not to throw something at her.

    After all, I am cursed.

    There came a rustle to her left. She whirled to face it, but saw nothing aside from a bush. It couldn¡¯t have been the wind rustling through it¡ªthe air was at a dead calm.

    She glared at the bush for several seconds, looking for any sign of something passing through it. But her eyes gave her nothing.

    There has to be something here¡­

    Pitch hissed in alarm. Amaris whirled around, swinging her stick as hard as she could¡ªsmacking a spiked limb made out of pure brass a second before it would have plunged into her chest. Had Pitch not given her that warning, she wouldn¡¯t even have gotten a look at her attacker before it was over.

    Now that she could see the monstrosity, she wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it. The creature had five legs, all made of pure brass, as though it were a twisted horn of some kind. With no hands or feet, each limb ended in a brutally sharp point, so narrow that the holes it made in the ground were nearly impossible to see. Adorning the limbs from the midsection to the beast¡¯s core were a massive number of bones¡ªfemurs, ribcages, and skulls worn as marks of pride on its shimmering body. Most of the skulls were animal, but several were human, and those were the kind of skulls it wore closest to its core. Its head¡ªif it could really be called such a thing¡ªwas a clock face without numbers or hands, adorned with mother-of-pearl-like backing.

    It had to lean down considerably to place its ¡°face¡± close to Amaris, reducing its two-story height to her level. This close, she expected to feel breathing. None came¡ªall she heard was a faint, almost nonexistent ticking coming from the creature.

    It lifted another of its limbs.

    Amaris let out a roar and stabbed the creature in the face. Her stick hit dead in the center¡ªand snapped in two, unable to pierce the glasslike veneer.

    The beast had no such difficulty with Amaris. It thrust forward, and she was easily lifted off the ground like a ragdoll.

    Looking down, she noted that the spike had gone clear through her. Strange, this doesn¡¯t hurt as much as I thought it would¡­

    The pain came when she tried to cough and her entire body seized up. She attempted to scream, but there was nothing left to scream with. All she could do was stare at the empty clock face as the ticking got louder and louder¡­ until it was deafening¡­

    ~~~

    Amaris fell down, clutching her chest¡ªgrabbing at the zipper on her jacket, desperate. She all but tore the zipper apart and looked down her shirt.

    She was fine. There were no scars. No blood. ¡­Come to think of it, her jacket and her shirt didn¡¯t even have holes in them.

    ¡°¡­What¡­?¡± She looked around in disbelief. There was no creature of brass and clocks. She wasn¡¯t even in the same place she had been before. She was just resting at a rock by the edge of the river, heart pounding in her ears.

    ¡°Did¡­ did I fall asleep?¡± she asked, frowning. ¡°I...¡± She held a hand to her head, trying to rub away the headache.

    Pitch slithered out of the backpack and licked Amaris¡¯ cheek.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay¡­¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°I think I just had a nightmare. Or a vision. Or there was some kind of dream demon that wanted my soul or something.¡± She laughed bitterly. ¡°This is my life now, perpetually wondering if my dreams want to kill me¡­¡±

    With a sigh, she stood up¡ªfinding that she felt surprisingly well-rested. Her limbs were still sore, sure, but she felt ready to take on the day.

    So, with more than a little trepidation, she made her way downstream once more. She moved a little slower than she had previously, and she kept a tighter grip on her stick. But, as before, the forest remained idyllic. Happy, even.

    Until she noticed the birdsong sharply cut out.

    ¡°Pitch¡­¡± She tightened the grip on her stick and started moving slower. ¡°Let¡¯s be careful¡­¡±

    She made it maybe ten meters before she had the unmistakable feeling of being watched again.

    Oh no¡­

    Amaris didn¡¯t wait for a rustle or even another sign. She ran. Pushing herself to the limit, she leaped over rocks, roots, and bushes, paying attention not to trip and fall, but not caring in the slightest if she got a few scrapes and cuts from passing branches. She just needed to move.

    With every slam of her foot to the ground, pain shot up her leg, begging her to stop. She ignored it, caring only that she could push further and further, farther away from whatever that creature was. Even though she hadn¡¯t seen it, she was sure it was there. Chasing her. Preying on her.

    Even now, as she was running at full speed, she heard nothing and saw nothing. All she had was that feeling, that utter certainty, that she was being watched. That was enough for her.

    But it was not enough to save her. A flash of golden brass came to the corner of her eye. Turning to the left, she saw it, running along the sides of trees like they were rungs on a ladder. It faced her with its clock, keeping up with her without even touching the ground, its spikes making only the slightest noises as they embedded into the tree trunks to propel it forward.

    It was keeping speed with her easily.

    It swiped out one of its legs, tripping her. She rolled head over heels, falling onto a rock. It hit her directly in the ribs, shooting pain through her entire body. There was no question in her mind that something was broken¡ªthe only question was how many ribs had been hit.

    Amaris couldn¡¯t get enough air to move at full speed anymore, but she tried anyway. She rolled off the rock and into the river, its frigid water scraping like a bed of nails into her body with a rush so intense everything went numb before she could fully process it. Her limbs locked up and she floated downstream¡ªyet, some part of her was thankful for the numbing.

    She was only just conscious enough to avoid taking in breaths of air while her head was below the water, holding everything shut tight as she tumbled under the waves. Even so, some of it got up her nose and into her lungs, prompting every breath to be taken in the midst of sputtering coughs.

    Sensation was slipping away entirely. The border between air and water became fuzzy, and the pain in her lungs began to feel distant. So when the river carried her to a large rock in the midst of its waters, depositing her roughly on top, she didn¡¯t register that she wasn¡¯t drowning anymore. She shivered and twitched, coughing up water involuntarily. Her consciousness returned¡ªand with it a sense of disdain at the rising level of pain. Expending considerable effort, she attempted to move her arm¡ªto no avail. It was like she was only a passenger in her body, unable to do anything but experience the pain. One of her legs was an exception; she felt nothing from there.

    Her eyelids responded to her panic first, fluttering open. The forest was beautiful, and the sun shone exactly as it had when she thought the scene was idyllic. And there, on the bank, was the creature¡ªstanding. Watching.

    It walked into the river, finding the rushing current no obstacle as it leisurely strolled over to her, eventually blocking out the fleeting beauty of the sun. It leaned in, not stopping until its clock face was inches from her face. The ticking was almost unbearable.

    It¡­ it let me get this far.

    It thrust its leg into her stomach. She didn¡¯t consciously feel much of anything, but that didn¡¯t stop her from letting out a piercing cry of agony amidst the infernal ticking¡­

    ~~~

    Amaris jumped off the rock. ¡°Nope. Nope. Nope!¡± She shouted to the sky and then took off in a random direction¡ªaway from the river, that seemed like the best shot.

    Pitch poked his head out and hissed in confusion.

    ¡°Monster!¡± Amaris gasped. ¡°Killing me and resetting me! Thinks this is some game! Well, nope, I¡¯m not falling for it again! We¡¯re going¡­ this way!¡± Already she was fairly sure this wasn¡¯t going to work but she¡¯d already started running, no point in stopping now.

    Frantically, she looked around. Not for the creature¡ªbut something she might be able to use to her advantage. Anything she could defend herself with, hide in, or something.

    But she was in the middle of a forest far from any signs of civilization. Trees weren¡¯t going to help her face this beast, and neither were rocks. It began to dawn on her that she really had nothing besides her body, her wits, and whatever was inside her backpack.

    That¡¯s not enough¡­

    The birds stopped singing. She took note of that as the first event that occurred every loop. Continuing her sprint, she nonetheless kept her eyes and ears peeled. Sure enough, the sense of being watched came over her.

    The only problem was, at this point, her entire body was in agony simply from running. She had covered a lot of distance in a short time, running at absolute top speed. While she may have been fit, she was most certainly not an athlete. She could only run so far before she had to slow, or else her legs were going to give out.

    The moment she slowed, the creature revealed itself to her side, skittering along the trees effortlessly. Already, she could hear the ticking. She let out a haggard scream and pushed herself forward. It tried to swipe her legs out from underneath her again, but she expected this, jumping over it just in time to maintain her speed.

    Using one arm, she flipped the backpack off one shoulder. With the other she swung it around, giving Pitch just enough time to jump onto her arm before she released everything she had as a missile, hitting the creature right in the face. The force of the backpack knocked it out of the trees, and the sudden lightening of Amaris¡¯ load gave her a significant speed boost.

    Amaris¡¯ heart pounded, but the adrenaline from seeing the creature drove her further than she thought possible. She leaped, jumped, and scrambled forward¡ªtearing off her jacket somewhere in the process, leaving her with just her normal outfit and Pitch, running breakneck through the woods.

    Adrenaline can only go so far.

    It wasn¡¯t the pain in the legs that made her slow¡ªshe could work through the pain. Force it into the back of her mind and ignore it if required. No, it was the fact that her legs stopped doing what she asked them to. The left foot slid a little to the left, forcing the right foot to scramble and keep up with it. It was impossible to keep her pace up with such imprecise movements, so she slowed once more.

    Like clockwork, the beast appeared. She knew she had to go faster.

    Her legs could do no such thing. They locked up, and she fell face-first into the dirt, breathing so heavily that she snorted some of it into her lungs. She didn¡¯t care. She was too exhausted to care.

    The ticking was deafening.

    Stop that infernal noise!

    It skewered her through the back of the head¡­

    ~~~

    Amaris stood up from the rock. She didn¡¯t run this time. Instead, she took off her backpack and rooted through the contents. Nothing was any more of a weapon than her pointed stick, and that wasn¡¯t even able to pierce the creature¡¯s ¡°skin.¡± She didn¡¯t find anything that was particularly helpful, though she plucked out the magic mirror. Maybe she could use it to scare the beast off or something? No¡­ that was ridiculous.

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    But she had some time. It was only a few minutes, but it was time. Not enough to build a spike trap, but enough to make use of the nearby trees. She set to work, tearing up the sheet into thin strands of fabric that she used as a rope to tie the tree branches into place, and then adhered all of it to a rock. She smirked¡ªit was going to get a surprise when it showed up. Just in case she needed to be fast, she removed her jacket and the backpack, giving herself all the speed she could manage.

    She looked up. The birds had stopped singing, but she¡¯d been expecting the feeling of being watched sooner. As of yet, it hadn¡¯t come. She just sat there, waiting¡­

    With a sigh, Amaris looked at the sky. The sun was¡­ lower than it should have been. Not by much, but enough that Amaris was sure it had moved. What does that mean¡­?

    Her musings were put to an end by the feeling of being watched coming over her once again. She brandished her stick in her hands and tried to look threatening¡ªready to stand her ground. She hoped the creature thought she was ready for a direct fight.

    She heard the ticking before she saw it, this time. She pointed her stick in the direction it was coming from but saw absolutely no movement or even a glint of brass. Yet, she was absolutely certain it was there.

    What even is that ticking!? It used to be so quiet!

    It revealed itself slowly and in plain view, this time, walking out of nothingness¡ªas though there was a flat portal running perfectly parallel to Amaris¡¯ line of sight. One moment it wasn¡¯t there, and then it was, bearing down upon her slowly.

    She yanked the fabric rope.

    Her construction job was shoddy and only one of the branches successfully flung out and hit the beast, snapping harmlessly on its brass body.

    Amaris went with plan B¡ªthrowing the magic mirror at it. The magic artifact sailed true and struck the creature in the face, to no avail.

    ¡°Guess we try this the hard way¡­¡± Amaris brandished her stick. She knew the pointed end wasn¡¯t worth anything, and if she hit the beast directly it would just shatter. But it wasn¡¯t useless.

    The beast lazily strutted forward and drove a limb toward her. She jumped under it, taking position between all five of its limbs. She drove the flat end of the stick upward, hitting the underside of the creature. Naturally, it was just as hard and resilient as everywhere else on its body, but she hoped that annoyed it. With a jump, she rolled back, avoiding another swipe. Then she whirled around and grabbed hold of one of its legs with a hand.

    It felt exactly like the trumpet in the music room at school. Actual brass.

    She swung herself upward, not entirely sure where she was going with this, but she wasn¡¯t dead yet. Shimmying her way up the leg using the adorned bones as handholds, she came closer to its face.

    One of its free legs ran right through both her hips, skewering her effortlessly.

    This time, her agonized scream came with words. ¡°Again!? What is your deal? I just¡­ can¡¯t¡­ even¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Amaris immediately set to work setting up the traps again, this time paying more attention to the design. She went over the fight she had with the beast in her head¡ªmaybe if she learned enough of its movement patterns, she could take it on directly, outplay it after¡­ what, a thousand deaths?

    As brutal and terrifying as it was, the repetition of the agony was making it bearable. She was starting to fully come to terms with the fact that losing didn¡¯t mean actual death, just pain. And she could deal with pain. With a grin, she cinched a branch back and¡ª

    She was being watched.

    Already? But¡­ I have time! I¡­ She realized with some horror that she hadn¡¯t heard birdsong at all this time.

    How? Why? This breaks the entire pattern, how e¡ª

    She heard ticking.

    Then, and only then, did a full, live, grown deer get thrown from all the way across the river to her feet. She took up a defensive posture with her stick, finding the brass creature already dashing across the water with impressive precision¡ªeach spiked motion not even making a splash.

    But it ignored her this time. It went right for the deer, stabbing it through the heart right in front of her. She couldn¡¯t help but gasp in horror at the gruesome sight¡ªwas that what she had looked like all this time?

    Then the deer was gone, as was the stain it made on the ground and the scuffmark it had made in the dirt. It was reset, just like she had been. Though, unlike her, it hadn¡¯t been sent back very far¡ªsince it came flying through the air again, landing in exactly the same spot it had before.

    Once again, the beast skewered it. And this time it didn¡¯t reset.

    The message was clear.

    I can kill you whenever I want.

    It backed away from her, dragging the deer with it. With one swift motion, it vanished in much the same way it had appeared last time, as though passing through a rift Amaris couldn¡¯t see¡ªtaking the deer with it, no doubt to harvest its bones.

    Amaris¡¯ eyes remained wide, and she continued poking the stick at where the creature had vanished. She still heard ticking¡­ but it got quieter, and quieter, and quieter. Until all that Amaris knew was that she was being watched. And, a minute later, even that went away.

    ¡°It¡­ it¡¯s giving me a chance to run again¡­¡± Amaris swallowed. ¡°To¡­ entertain it¡­¡±

    Pitch poked his head out of the backpack, staring right at her. Amaris could sense the fear coming from him as well.

    ¡°There¡¯s so much going on¡­¡± Amaris furrowed her brow. ¡°Here¡¯s what we learned. One: the creature can reset prey back to the past, possibly however far it wants. Two: it can choose not to do this. If it ever does this, we lose. Three: it seems to enjoy toying with me and letting me learn. Four: It doesn¡¯t actually wind back time. It just resets the prey and anything it interacted with. Five: It has a physical location. It may be able to ¡°teleport¡± me by resetting, but it either can¡¯t or chooses not to do the same for itself. It was so close this time since it killed me here. So¡­ I can lead it off in one direction and¡­ do what? There¡¯s nothing for miles and miles around that could be helpful. All it would get me is more distance to get somewhere. To¡­¡±

    She looked up and across the river. A short ways past the bank was a tree significantly taller than all the others. It would provide an excellent lookout.

    Immediately, she decided to wade across the river. Hefting her backpack over her head, she walked into the waters. The cold that had kept her from taking a bath felt pathetic to what she¡¯d recently been through. Dripping wet and shivering, she made it to the other side¡ªand forged on until she reached the base of the massive elder pine tree. She dropped her backpack on the ground and stretched her arms in preparation. Pulling her hands into her jacket sleeves so she could use them as gloves, she began to climb the tree.

    It was a relatively easy climb once she got past the first few levels of branches, for it was a tall tree with sturdy supports and she had enough clothing on to keep the needles from causing too much damage. She didn¡¯t even try to make it all the way to the top¡ªall she did was go until she could easily see over the tops of most of the other trees.

    No roads, buildings, or signs of civilization revealed themselves to her. There were just trees, trees, trees¡­ and six large rocks that jutted out of the canopy downstream, forming what looked like a perfect hexagon from Amaris¡¯ vantage point.

    There, she thought. Maybe those rocks have something to do with the creature. Its nest, maybe? She started climbing down. Who cares, it¡¯s something to go for. Dropping to the ground, she hefted up her backpack and her stick and broke out into a run, using the river as a guide so she wouldn¡¯t get lost. Focusing on her mental image of the forest from above, she kept a careful eye out for a particular bend in the river.

    Unfortunately, before she found the bend, she felt the watching presence of the creature return. Don¡¯t worry, you still have time. It takes its time to strike. Keep looking, keep looking¡­ She ran forward a little bit until, yes, there it was! The bend in the river! Glancing up and to the left, she was able to make out the six stone pillars. Up this close, they clearly had shallow, worn-out runes carved into them all the way up to the top. Surely, this was worth something.

    Go go go go go!

    Amaris dropped her backpack immediately, taking only the fraction of a second she needed to grab Pitch.

    The instant she started running for the stones, the ticking started¡ªto her left. She tried to jump, anticipating the attack.

    If only it hadn¡¯t flown out of the nothingness like a bullet, attacking with all five of its limbs at once. She dodged one and only one; the other four struck her right through¡­

    ~~~

    Amaris grinned. ¡°It doesn¡¯t want me there.¡±

    Pitch tilted his head in confusion.

    ¡°So, I lead it away, going back up the river, then on reset I make a run for it! ¡­Except¡­¡± She did a quick calculation in her head on her relative speed to how fast the creature seemed able to move. ¡°Yeah, that won¡¯t give me anywhere near enough of a head start to be safe, and it might get bored after chasing me through a full run again¡­¡±

    Pitch shrunk back into his hole in the backpack, only keeping the tip of his head out.

    ¡°Aha! It let me stay alive before to do interesting things¡ªfight back, keep running, try to duck through the river¡­ all I have to do is keep looking interesting. And it¡¯ll let me live until I can fool it!¡± She rubbed her hands together. ¡°Here goes!¡±

    She forged across the river again, a wild smile on her face the entire time. Once on the other side, she didn¡¯t bother with the tree¡ªshe simply rummaged through her backpack and pulled out the sheet, tearing a few strings off of it. She only fast-walked along the river, going downstream, taking a moment every few steps to kneel down to pick up a stick, or a rock, examining it, and then continuing on.

    She wanted to look busy. Like she was making something, something that would help her defeat the creature. She hoped and prayed that it wasn¡¯t very intelligent, or at the very least that it had never seen something like this before. Because, otherwise, it was going to catch on and she would be doomed.

    However, she was confident she could look like she was fighting for her life by digging through random objects and branches. Because, to be perfectly fair, she was. It was just that the tool she was ¡°building¡± to help her win was a mind-game and not any sort of tool.

    That said, she did at least try to make it look like a bow and arrow. She found a suitably curved stick and tied the string to it.

    The moment she felt the presence of the beast watching her, she mimicked a few arrow-shooting motions with the bow and then sat down at the river to pick out the oddest colored rock and sand the edges of the bow away for no reason other than to look busy. Then she continued walking, looking every which way for more ¡°ingredients¡± for her ¡°tool.¡± She jogged forward a significant distance, found an interesting piece of bark, and stuck it to the edge of the bow.

    At one point, she even bothered to take out the magic mirror and her GameBox, turning the latter on and waving both over the bow as if she were performing some kind of magic ritual.

    The sense of being watched did not go away.

    But she didn¡¯t hear any ticking, either.

    It¡¯s buying it. It¡¯s curious to see where this goes.

    And so she continued on at a brisk pace, always on guard, always adding new things. Sanding the side, splashing water on it, even bothering to chase down a frog and feed it to Pitch, harvesting a wart from the amphibian, and placing it on a piece of flint that looked vaguely like an arrowhead.

    Amaris couldn¡¯t help but giggle. ¡°Poison!¡± she declared, knowing full well the frog wasn¡¯t a toxic variety. ¡°Hibbibibbity wibbivissiggy woffleboffity!¡± she added, as though she were making an incantation.

    Still no ticking. The beast was content to watch.

    Amaris made it all the way to the bend in the river. Her heart was pounding¡ªbut she made sure to not even glance at the six stone pillars, even though she knew full well they were there. She carefully plucked a reed from the riverbank and stuck the ¡°arrowhead¡± on the front of it. With her back to the stone pillars and her face to the river, she began to walk backwards¡ªlifting the fake bow and arrow as if she were going to shoot the arrow across the river.

    Let¡¯s see just how dumb you are¡­

    As it turned out, it was fairly stupid. But it wasn¡¯t an absolute moron.

    Tick.

    It had come from behind her. Cover blown! Move! There was no time to ditch anything, there was only time to run. She whirled around, running directly toward the direction the first tick had come from. As expected, the creature leaped out nothing with all five limbs poised to stab her all at once.

    She ducked, skidding along the ground like a master limbo player. It wasn¡¯t quite enough¡ªthe lowest leg caught her face just below her left eye, shooting intense pain through her face while simultaneously taking out half of her vision.

    She wailed and screamed¡ªbut she pressed on, running at breakneck speed for the rocks. With her right eye, she could see the edge of the stones less than ten meters away. She could be there in seconds.

    But so could the creature.

    That is, it could have been, had it not launched itself at full speed in the other direction just moments before. It reached out to use trees to stop its motion, but found none, as it had launched itself all the way to the river. It crashed into the water, taking a few precious seconds to use the rapids and the rocks to slow itself down. It could not roar in anger, but the trembling clatter of its head as it changed direction was the best it could manage.

    Amaris ran, pushing herself as hard if not harder than all the other times the creature had had her pinned. At this point, the pounding adrenaline rush and pain shooting through her face were almost expected.

    But not normal. It could never be normal.

    Letting out one final roar of wailing pain, she jumped.

    The ticking of the creature was right behind her.

    She felt something tap the sole of her shoe.

    And then she crashed into the grassy ground, knocking the wind out of her¡ªbut not breaking anything.

    The creature had it worse. It slammed into an invisible wall at full force, flattening its face and its five brass limbs against it, shattering several of its ornamental bones in the process.

    Shakily, Amaris managed to stumble to her feet and give the creature a one-eyed glare.

    It banged its head against the invisible barrier a few more times before backing off, dragging its legs angrily through the dirt, leaving great gashes within the soil. But it knew that Amaris was now out of reach. There was no further use in staying here.

    ¡°We¡¯re¡­ we¡¯re alive¡­¡± Amaris let out a long, deep breath. ¡°Pitch, we made it!¡±

    Pitch hissed back at her.

    ¡°Yes, you made it! That was a close one!¡±

    For a moment, Amaris thought that Pitch was talking to her in the voice of a sweet, excitable girl. Amaris shook her head and slowly turned around. There, standing before them, was a creature made almost entirely out of leaves, yet nonetheless took the overall shape of a human. She¡ªfor it was clearly a she¡ªwas either wearing a dress and hat made out of wide, green leaves with red veins and pointed tips, or she wasn¡¯t wearing anything and the leaves were effectively replacing any hair she might have otherwise had. Two larger-than-life eyes took up the majority of her face, and the pupils within them were so large one could be forgiven for thinking her eyes were solid black. She was slightly taller than Amaris, and was holding out a four-fingered hand in what Amaris assumed was a friendly gesture.

    ¡°I¡¯m Coleus. Welcome to Glen Vest!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Amaris¡­ and¡­¡± Amaris¡¯ eye rolled back into her skull.

    While the beast¡¯s abilities had reset Amaris¡¯ body back to full health each time, it had made sure she remembered most if not all of what happened. Which meant that, while her physical nature had been getting a recharge, her mental had not.

    Now that she was convinced in her own mind that she was safe, her brain decided it was time to shut down.

    She passed out unceremoniously on the grass of Glen Vest.

    ~~~

    Once again, Amaris found herself waking up in a strange bed¡ªif what she was currently lying in could even be called a bed. It felt slightly spongy under her hands, and somewhat damp. With a deep intake of the clean, fresh air, she opened her eyes¡ªboth of them. Brilliant morning sunlight poured into her sights from between two of the stone pillars. In another time, another place, she would have found the glaring light of the sun an intolerable inconvenience.

    Today, it told her she was alive.

    With little effort, she sat up. There wasn¡¯t a sore muscle in her body. In fact, feeling herself over, there was no sign of hardship. Her skin was clean, her clothes dirtless and mended, and even her hair was combed. Although, tracing her hand under her left eye, she felt some roughness. A scar, most likely.

    Her first instinct was to reach into her backpack and get out the multitool, so she could see her reflection in its metal, but it was at this point she noticed what exactly she¡¯d been sleeping on. A mushroom. A cartoonishly red mushroom with white spots. Around the mushroom bed were flowers of various intense colors adorning a soft carpet of verdant grass among which bees and butterflies lazily danced about. A small, clear pond sat a short distance away, surface glistening like glass that perfectly reflected the boughs of the many twisting, lush trees.

    Amaris would have stared at the vibrant scenery for quite a while longer had her eyes not rested on the leafy, humanoid creature sitting at the base of the mushroom bed, snoring quietly. It was the same one she¡¯d met when she first came in here¡ªColeus, wasn¡¯t it? To her side was Amaris¡¯ backpack, which Pitch was resting on top of. Apparently even he liked to be outside in this place. This Glen.

    Amaris waved her hand in front of the sleeping plant person. Getting no response, she let out a soft cough that startled the poor girl awake.

    ¡°Uwah!¡± The girl waved her hands rapidly. ¡°What¡¯s happening!?¡±

    Amaris waved. ¡°Hi. Awake.¡±

    ¡°Oh, hi Amaris!¡± The girl jumped to her feet with a chipper smile. ¡°Welcome back to the land of the living!¡±

    ¡°¡­I died?¡±

    The girl¡¯s smile immediately vanished. ¡°Oh no no no no! I just¡ªwait, you probably did die several times when facing the Predateor. So, uh, yes! But wait, you weren¡¯t talking about that¡­¡±

    Amaris leaned in, blinking a few times. ¡°¡­Predateor?¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡±

    Amaris couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the name.

    ¡°Oh, you like it? I came up with it myself!¡± She pointed a thumb at her chest in pride. ¡°Everyone else calls it the ¡®Clock-faced Brass Predator¡¯ but that¡¯s just boring. Then I noticed the pun and I was like¡­ gold!¡±

    She talks a lot. ¡°So¡­ uh, Coleus, right?¡±

    Coleus pressed her hands to her cheeks and gasped. ¡°Ohmygreen, you remembered! I thought you wouldn¡¯t remember anything, you passed out so quick!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d be hard to forget you¡­¡±  Amaris looked down at her backpack. ¡°Do you mind? I want to get something.¡±

    ¡°Oh, not at all!¡± Coleus gestured at the backpack. ¡°I, uh, went through it looking for things a while ago. I have no idea what half of the things in there are. Hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Amaris wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled about a hyperactive plant girl going through her things, but at this moment it wasn¡¯t worth making a fuss about. She flipped open the backpack and pulled out the multitool, taking out the tiny, metallic blade that was part of it. Dumb thing was useless as a weapon and terrible at cutting most things, but it was a very reflective surface. Tilting it back, she got a good look at her eye. Sure enough, there was a rather impressive scar running from her cheekbone all the way through her eyebrow.

    ¡°O-oh¡­¡± Coleus looked at the ground and shuffled her feet. ¡°I did what I could, but¡­ natural healing can only go so far, and the others wouldn¡¯t do any of the fancier stuff.¡±

    Amaris nodded like she understood what Coleus said. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She grinned and gestured at her eye. ¡°It¡¯s the mark of a warrior!¡±

    Coleus let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Oh, good. You like it. I think it looks good too.¡±

    With a kick forward, Amaris jumped off the mushroom, landing upright on the ground. She couldn¡¯t help but grin cheesily at it all. ¡°I made it. I¡¯m alive. And I¡¯m talking with a plant girl in the safety of six large rocks.¡± She looked around, finding what she thought was the direction she came in. ¡°You suck, Predateor!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Coleus joined in with a nervous laugh. ¡°You suck!¡±

    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to copy what I do.¡±

    Coelus¡¯ eyes grew wide. ¡°But I want to¡­ You do so many strange things and have so many things that I¡¯ve never seen before¡­¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re made out of leaves.¡±

    Coleus blinked. ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s weird.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a plant girl before.¡± Amaris crossed her arms and corked her cut eyebrow.

    ¡°Well, uh, uh¡­¡± Coleus stammered a few times. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone like you before!¡±

    Amaris blinked. ¡°Really?¡±

    Coleus faltered immediately. ¡°N-no! I know what humans are¡­ sorry¡­¡±

    This girl is full of complexes, oh boy¡­ Amaris forced a smile. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ fine. I just¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Coleus brightened up considerably and started jumping. ¡°I just remembered something, take a look at¡­ this!¡± She reached under her leafy dress¡ªthat may or may not have been part of her¡ªand pulled out a curved wooden bow with a high-quality string and a dozen arrows.

    Amaris stared at it dumbfounded.

    ¡°I noticed your bow was busted, so I had the plants grow a new one for you!¡±

    Amaris carefully grabbed the bow in her hands, running her fingers across the well-fashioned grain. ¡°Woah¡­¡±

    ¡°Is it good? I don¡¯t know what makes bows good; I just made it like the ones I¡¯ve seen before, but smaller, for your hands. I got off a few shots, I think it¡¯s good. You?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea.¡±

    Coleus tilted her head. ¡°Come again?¡±

    ¡°Er¡­¡± Amaris rubbed the back of her head. ¡°I was only pretending to know how to use a bow so the Predateor would find me interesting. I fooled it.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Well then, consider this a gift!¡± She smiled and held out both her hands. ¡°A¡­ Bow-nus!¡±

    Amaris narrowed her eyes. ¡°You really like puns, don¡¯t¡¯cha?¡±

    ¡°Ab-soul-lute-ly!¡± She pulled a flute out of the leafy folds of her ¡°dress¡± and played a tune on it.

    Amaris gasped. ¡°The double pun! Oh no!¡±

    Coleus let out a laugh. ¡°Yes, fear me and my pun-ishable puns! Ahahahaa!¡± She looked from left to right awkwardly. ¡°But, uh, not really, this is just for fun.¡±

    Amaris awkwardly patted her on the back. ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah¡­¡± She glanced at the bow. ¡°I have no idea how to use this.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I do! Sorta.¡± Coleus shrugged. ¡°I, uh, took the bow from one of the travelers the Predator found¡­ boring. I like to think I got pretty good over the years!¡±

    ¡°Years?¡± Amaris tilted her head to the side. ¡°How old¡­ are you?¡±

    ¡°Thirty-six!¡±

    Amaris nodded slowly. ¡°And how long do your¡­ kind usually live?¡±

    For a moment, Coleus¡¯ face twisted into confusion. ¡°What do you¡ªoh, right, you have a limit.¡±

    ¡°Youngest little immortal¡­¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡± Coleus grinned. ¡°The others all call me ¡®the baby¡¯!¡±

    Amaris wasn¡¯t sure if that was meant to be endearing or insulting, but she was fairly sure Coleus didn¡¯t know either way. However, it did lead to some questions. ¡°What¡­ are you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m a dryad. We¡¯re a race of people connected to life itself¡­¡± To demonstrate, she held her hand over the ground, prompting a brand new flower to germinate, grow, and flower into a brilliant purple tulip. ¡°Most of us spend our time as trees, though.¡±

    Amaris glanced at the trees circling the lake again. Now that she was looking closer, she did note what appeared to be armlike protrusions coming out of the trunks, rather than the normal branches, and perhaps even a head here and there. ¡°Do they¡­ do anything?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes. Sometimes. Not very often, and generally only one at a time.¡± Coleus shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not old enough to form bark and put down roots like they can. I have to stay like this and¡­ wander around. But they say I can¡¯t go far from the circles. So that¡¯s what I do.¡±

    ¡°What do they say about me?¡±

    ¡°They think you¡¯re too fast. But they say that about me too, don¡¯t worry.¡± Coleus waved a dismissive hand. ¡°You were a creature in need of our aid. We provide sanctuary to any and all that come within our circles and respect our rules.¡±

    Amaris froze. ¡°You¡­ better tell me the rules.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ don¡¯t harm any of us, don¡¯t harm the stones, and know that once you leave we are not obligated to help you again.¡± She leaned in, loud-whispering into her ear. ¡°Though if it were up to me, you¡¯d always be welcome.¡±

    ¡°Sounds simple enough,¡± Amaris said, relaxing her shoulders. ¡°You hear that Pitch? No biting.¡±

    Pitch let out an indignant hiss and retreated into the backpack.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Amaris looked outside the circle of stones at the chilled evergreen forest beyond. ¡°¡­What¡¯s the deal with the Predateor?¡±

    Coleus sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. None of the others know, either. One day Glen Vest sat in the middle of a vibrant forest full of life¡­ and then it appeared out of nowhere and started playing its games on the poor wildlife. It can¡¯t get past the Glen¡¯s protective enchantments¡ªit only wants to kill, and we can¡¯t have that. We just can¡¯t bear that type of darkness.¡±

    Amaris put a hand to the bridge of her nose. These puns are going to be the death of me.

    ¡°Anyway, it can¡¯t hurt you in here.¡±

    ¡°¡­How am I going to get out, though?¡± Amaris asked. ¡°As far as I know, it¡¯ll be waiting for me when I get back.¡±

    Coleus waved a dismissive hand. ¡°Pff, when you¡¯re ready to leave, I can take you to one of the other Glens. We¡¯re all connected, after all.¡±

    Amaris perked up. ¡°Say¡­ do you know of Nuk?¡±

    The plant girl shook her head, rustling her leaves loudly in the process. ¡°No. What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my hometown.¡± Amaris looked up and into the distance. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ trying to get home. Some freaky mirror tore me away, and I just want to get back.¡±

    Coleus nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I would do if I was separated from the other dryads¡­¡± She stood up tall and put her hands on her hips. ¡°That settles it! I¡¯ll do what I can to help you get home. Most of the Glens are in the middle of wilderness, but there are a few nearer to settlements. Though¡­ I don¡¯t know what the names of any of those are...¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Amaris took a moment to stretch, examining the bow in her hands. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ worry about that later. I haven¡¯t had a break in a while.¡± Been running nonstop for over a week. ¡°I¡¯m ready for a break.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay! In that case¡­¡± Coleus pointed at Amaris¡¯ backpack. ¡°There¡¯s a strange grey box in there. Can I¡­ see what it does?¡±

    ¡°My GameBox? Sure.¡± Amaris took it out and turned it on. ¡°Though I can¡¯t run it very long, it will eventually run out of batteries, and I don¡¯t have an outlet to charge it with¡­¡±

    Coleus nodded as though she understood the words Amaris was saying. Amaris was sure she didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a game. Here, watch, I control this white sheep thing with the buttons¡­¡±

    ¡°You have a pocket slave!?¡±

    ¡°What? No!¡± Amaris let out a laugh. ¡°It¡¯s a game, there¡¯s nothing alive in this.¡±

    Coleus poked it. ¡°Woah¡­ you¡¯re right, I have no power over it! A nonliving thing that can move and change like that¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve never seen a car, have you?¡±

    ¡°A what?¡±

    This girl is hopeless, Amaris thought. However, she couldn¡¯t help but smile at the dryad¡¯s cluelessness. The two girls laughed and talked the rest of the day away easily, all while under the watchful gaze of the elder dryad trees.

    As was to be expected, they found the whole thing rather annoying. But the way of the dryads was the way of the dryads, they couldn¡¯t force Amaris out until she left of her own will.

    And besides¡­ she did seem to make Coleus happy. That meant something.

    ~~~

    The Predateor was a beast, plain and simple. It had no thought of morality, darkness, or even of social structure. It only knew the joy of the hunt¡ªthe kill wasn¡¯t even the point. And yet, the Predateor was such a way that it could never imagine a hunt that didn¡¯t end in death.

    So in the very rare, sparse situations where its prey got away, it had the bestial equivalent of a mental breakdown.

    With no mouth, it could not scream. But it tore through the forest as though it were, taking its wrath out upon the trees, the leaves, river, and boulders. It¡¯s normally quiet and stealthy mode of approach was completely forgotten as it tore a trail of destruction through the trees.

    It wanted her. The girl that got away. The girl that should not have gotten away. The others that got away had shown off strange abilities, endless creativity, or were simply immune to the Predator¡¯s tricks. The girl had not been.

    It was not quite intelligent enough to hold a grudge or fully contemplate the idea of revenge, but its thoughts were constantly occupied by the cocky grin of the girl¡ªfollowed quickly thereafter with images of her being torn limb from limb by its brass spikes.

    It had to have her. It had to have her. And no circle of mystic stones was going to keep it from her!

    The Predateor took off in a run as fast as it could manage, not caring for stealth or precision, only for pure speed. Every ounce of energy it had, it pushed forward. Barreling through the forest like a bullet, it launched itself at the stone circle.

    There, sleeping in the Glen with the dryad girl, was its prey. It jumped forward, driving all five of its legs into the barrier, hitting it with enough force to send a visible green shockwave through the otherwise invisible shield. Focusing its energy forward, it twisted the barriers local perception of time in different directions, attempting to break its cohesion¡­

    A simple tree branch flicked out of the stone circle, smacking the Predateor in the clock face, tearing it away from the Glen¡¯s barrier before even minor damage could be done.

    The tree glared at the Predateor with old, authoritative eyes peeking out of the folds in the bark. The eyes carried with them a message. Don¡¯t make me come out there.

    The Predateor understood none of this. All it understood was that it couldn¡¯t puncture the barrier, not even using all its tricks.

    It cut down a few trees out of rage. It wasn¡¯t the same.

    Amaris slept soundly. She wasn¡¯t aware the Predator had been there until much later when she noticed the felled trees outside.

    Even then, it had not forgotten her.

    It would never forget her.

    It wanted her skull hanging around its neck, more than anything in the world.

 Toads Girls, Part 1

    Episode IV

    Toad''s Girls, Part 1

    Amaris pulled the string back and took a sharp breath, focusing on the tip of her arrow. Carefully, she lifted it a smidge higher than her brain told her too, taking a moment to solidify the angle in her mind. Her lungs remained still, waiting to be given the order to release. Then, in unison, hands and lungs relaxed. The string pushed the arrow forward, sailing true, striking the pumpkin sitting atop a large red mushroom.

    ¡°Go Amaris!¡± Coleus shouted, waving her hands in the air.

    Amaris couldn¡¯t help but grin. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m hitting it almost every time now, huh?¡±

    ¡°Maybe with a bit more practice you¡¯ll actually be able to hit the bullseye reliably!¡±

    Amaris rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Well, uh¡­ pumpkins are awkward shapes and the bullseye is painted in different spots every time, and I haven¡¯t been doing this for that long¡­¡±

    Coleus let out a gasp. ¡°Amaris! Are you¡­ de-fleck-ing?¡±

    Amaris couldn¡¯t help but snort. ¡°That was terrible. There aren¡¯t any flecks here.¡±

    ¡°Psh,¡± Coleus waved a dismissive hand. ¡°I haven¡¯t speck-en a pun in a few hours, it was a-bit time.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, a pun theme, you¡¯re using a little more effort today.¡±

    ¡°To-dot.¡±

    ¡°You missed my emphasis.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t make a pun.¡±

    Amaris stared at her for a few moments before bursting into laughter. ¡°We both suck at this.¡±

    Coleus winked at her. ¡°Speck at this!¡±

    Amaris picked up a chunk of discarded pumpkin from an earlier attempt and threw it at her. ¡°You¡¯ll kill me with all that pun damage!¡±

    ¡°Not if I keep reviving you! The punishment will never end!¡±

    Amaris let out an exasperated gasp. ¡°No! A fate worse than death! Please, spare me¡­¡±

    The dryad put a green finger to her chin, tapping as though in thought. ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯ll take it under advisement. Until then, we¡¯re working on your speck-tacular archery skills!¡±

    ¡°Oh, hey, a proper pun.¡± Amaris stretched her arms. ¡°So, I¡¯m a little sore, why don¡¯t you try?¡±

    Coleus instinctually raised her hands to ease the soreness in Amaris¡¯ arms, but she managed to pick up on the subtext this time. ¡°Oh, right.¡± Instead of using her restorative magic, she pulled her own bow out and generated another pumpkin. With a single swift motion, not unlike plucking an instrument, she fired an arrow directly into the pumpkin¡¯s bullseye.

    Amaris stood back and took a bow. ¡°I still have much to learn, master.¡±

    ¡°Be-leaf me, I¡¯m not a master.¡±

    ¡°Stop it.¡±

    Coleus stuck out a playful tongue. ¡°Make me!¡± She bit her lip, but she managed not to immediately apologize to Amaris.

    Amaris shot her a finger-gun gesture. ¡°You¡¯re doing great. You know, when I first came here, I found you kind of annoying.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve mentioned this,¡± Coleus deadpanned.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡± Amaris rubbed the back of her head. ¡°But you know what, you¡¯re all right.¡±

    ¡°Then why did you shoot me?¡±

    Amaris blinked. ¡°Huh?¡±

    Coleus made the finger-guns gesture at herself and suddenly clutched where her heart would have been if she had such an organ. She fell backwards without really looking where she was going, slamming her head on a rock.

    ¡°¡­You okay?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°Give me¡­ a moment¡­¡± Coleus grumbled, pressing her hand to her head to ease the pain. ¡°Ow¡­¡±

    ¡°You only have yourself to blame.¡±

    ¡°You shot me!¡±

    Amaris rolled her eyes. ¡°Suuuure¡­¡±

    ¡°You did! Bona-fide finger guns! They shoot nails, you know. Nails!¡± She jumped up and waved her arms around wildly.

    Amaris opened her mouth to respond, but frowned. Which nails did she mean there¡­?

    ¡°Are you quite done, children?¡±

    Amaris and Coleus froze immediately, turning to the left to see one of the elder dryads. He still appeared as a rooted tree, but he had stretched his arms out from the trunk and dragged his wooden face some distance away from the lake.

    ¡°Oh, were we bothering you, Tecoma?¡± Coleus smiled awkwardly. ¡°W-we could go to the edge of the Glen if you want¡­¡±

    ¡°What she said,¡± Amaris said. She didn¡¯t like the elder dryads at all. Whenever they spoke to her it was always with disdain or disinterest.

    Tecoma folded his wooden hands together, slowly, over the course of about a minute. Amaris had learned early on not to hurry the elders along. They spent significant effort to move like that, getting told it wasn¡¯t fast enough just made them grumpy. ¡°Children, your game is of little consequence. I refer to the entire ordeal. The human has been here for weeks.¡±

    ¡°Weeks!?¡± Coleus and Amaris shouted at the same time with the same level of shock.

    ¡°Oh no I lost track of time¡­¡± Coleus pressed her hands to her head. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I wasn¡¯t paying attention to time, Amaris! You¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I wasn¡¯t even counting the days¡­¡± Amaris started wringing her hands together. ¡°I¡­ kind of¡­ forgot to.¡±

    ¡°It is a good sign,¡± Tecoma said, leaning back with a slight creak. ¡°Coleus has, historically, found it difficult to let time bleed by. You seem to have assisted her with that, human.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thank you¡­?¡± Amaris tilted her head to the side.

    ¡°However, it will not do to have a permanent resident with us. Is there any reason you cannot go now?¡±

    Amaris glanced to Coleus. ¡°You already figured out where you¡¯re dropping me off, right?¡±

    Coleus nodded. ¡°None of the others know about any of the names you gave, but¡­ well, there¡¯s one Glen really close to a big city, you might be able to learn more there. It¡¯s not the most pleasant looking. But, then again, you humans apparently like removing all the trees from an area and covering it with that conch-rete.¡±

    Amaris legitimately wasn¡¯t sure if Coleus was just having trouble pronouncing concrete or it was just another pun.

    ¡°Good,¡± Tecoma said, getting closer and closer to his resting position by the lake. ¡°Then, if she has business back among her own, why wait?¡±

    Coleus awkwardly glanced at Amaris. ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ well, I¡¯ve kept you longer than I should, and¡­ uh¡­ sorry, sorry¡ª¡°

    Amaris shoved her playfully in the shoulder. ¡°Shut up.¡±

    ¡°Wh¡ª¡°

    Amaris pulled the plant girl into a hug and squeezed her tight. She couldn¡¯t help but let out a tear. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±

    Amaris could feel the smile grow on Coleus¡¯ face. ¡°Y-you¡¯re welcome.¡±

    The two girls released and stared at each other, awkwardly, for a moment.

    ¡°I should get my things,¡± Amaris said, pointing at the open backpack with all its items strewn around.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll make you food for the road! Stuff that won¡¯t spoil, so you¡¯ll never get hungry again!¡± She started growing plants around her immediately.

    ¡°You would be really useful if you came along,¡± Amaris said.

    Coleus sputtered at this. ¡°Uh¡­ Amaris¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, I know, this is your home and your people. Still.¡± Amaris hefted up her backpack, revealing Pitch¡¯s sleeping place. ¡°It¡¯d be nice if you could.¡±

    ¡°And¡­ I¡¯d like it if you could stay.¡± Coleus tapped her fingers together, nervously. ¡°But we know that¡¯s not possible¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, if I ever find another Glen, I¡¯ll be sure to visit.¡±

    Coleus nodded. ¡°Just mention my name to any of the dryads there. They don¡¯t have to help you because of the, y¡¯know, rules, but they should be able to get me a message.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ actually, I¡¯m curious. How do you travel between Glens?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you just ask the Glen to move you. Or, well, we do.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°Seems¡­ too easy.¡±

    Coleus shrugged. ¡°Not everything wants to kill you.¡±

    ¡°It sure feels like the old trees over there do, sometimes.¡±

    Coleus gasped, stifling a giggle. ¡°You can¡¯t say things like that!¡±

    ¡°Oops,¡± Amaris deadpanned.

    Coleus threw a pumpkin at her, and thus erupted another one of their infamous fruit fights.

    ~~~

    One moment Amaris and Coleus were in a verdant Glen in the midst of a chilly evergreen forest, the next they were in another Glen that had just as much life but was significantly darker because it was in the middle of a cave. The six stone pillars rose all the way to the ceiling of blackened stone, protecting the encircled area. While there were plants here given life by the dryads, most of the growing things were glowing blue mushrooms.

    There was no motion. The elder dryads themselves stood around a lake of water formed by moisture dripping from a stalactite.

    Amaris blinked, looking around. ¡°Not even any flashy lights?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Coleus said. ¡°Think of Glen travel as granting a wish!¡±

    ¡°So¡­ the city¡¯s outside the cave?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll show you the way.¡± Coleus unceremoniously walked out of the barrier formed by the pillars.

    Amaris held up a hand. ¡°Woah woah woah, you can just walk out?¡± Pitch seemed to nod in agreement¡ªthis was unusual.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a prisoner.¡± Coleus put her hands on her hips and shook her head. ¡°I just can¡¯t go far. I only never left in the forest because the Predateor is¡­ well, you know.¡±

    Amaris nodded. The less we talk about that the better.

    Coleus gestured for Amaris to hurry up, and she followed. It wasn¡¯t a long trek out of the cave, just a winding one that eventually came out on a barren hill, overlooking¡­ a city of dull, oppressive colors, almost as dark as the obsidian-rich landscape surrounding it. The skyscrapers that dotted the skyline were rectangular and largely muted, with no color to speak of¡ªan image only worsened by the constant smoke churning out of industrial factories dotted around the city. As far as Amaris could tell, there were no trees or greenery whatsoever in the city; the only thing that broke up the dull monotony was the tallest, central skyscraper. Standing apart from the others, it was a pristine white that glinted in the sunlight despite the ever-present smog.

    ¡°I can¡¯t see what your people like about big buildings,¡± Coleus said, shriveling her nose in disgust.

    ¡°To be fair, this is a particularly disgusting-looking city.¡± Amaris shook her head. ¡°The one I lived in had trees living amongst the buildings, like some kind of¡­ truce between nature and industry.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ actually sounds nice.¡± Coleus frowned, unable to take her eyes off the smog-ridden landscape. ¡°Anyway¡­ this is as far as I go.¡±

    Amaris pulled her into one last hug, one she held for almost a minute¡ªthe final embrace between friends who, deep down, would rather it didn¡¯t have to be this way. But, eventually, Amaris felt it was lasting a bit too long and pulled back. ¡°Goodbye, then.¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡± Coleus forced a smile. ¡°Goodbye! Hope you find your family!¡±

    Amaris waved back as she descended the hill. ¡°Hope you have good luck with¡­ turning into a tree, or whatever.¡±

    Coleus gave her a thumbs up and continued waving¡ªat least until Amaris was out of sight.

    Pitch poked his head out and slithered up on Amaris¡¯ shoulder, licking her neck.

    ¡°Just me and you again, buddy¡­¡± Amaris said, scratching his chin. ¡°Here we go again.¡±

    She leisurely made her way down the mountain, finding the journey annoyingly difficult. Since the ground was made largely out of obsidian, it was extremely uneven and rough. Despite being a type of glass, most of the edges had been worn away by the elements¡ªstill, Amaris had to be careful to avoid the few particularly sharp areas there were.

    This would be the perfect place for some black glass creature to come out of nowhere and shank me in the back. Amaris quickly glanced over her shoulder, finding nothing but inert rocks. This did little to alleviate her fears. For all I know, it¡¯s invisible.

    She caught herself reaching back to touch the bow tied to her backpack. It was something, at least. A defense. She wasn¡¯t powerless.

    I won¡¯t come back next time.

    Clenching her jaw, she continued downhill. She eventually came to a black, paved road with green lane markers on either side. Continuing her trek in the breakdown lane, she carefully set one foot in front of the other. Just because she was on flat ground did not mean there wasn¡¯t danger here.

    On her slow march to the city, only one car came along the road¡ªtraveling away from the city. It didn¡¯t even slow when it approached her, a fact she was glad of. She didn¡¯t want to try to explain anything to anyone right now. This time, she was going to investigate on her own terms. No police station, no orphanage, and no running into the forest sure settlement couldn¡¯t be far away.

    That¡­ was really stupid of me. Really, really stupid. In embarrassment at the memory, she smacked her head with her hand. From now on, no more stupid.

    Some part of her knew that little promise to herself was one just begging to be broken.

    Eventually, she came to a street sign. Welcome to Genk. Though the words Welcome to were crossed out by haphazard white spray paint marks. The edges of the sign were rusted, and one of the corners had three holes blown into it.

    Amaris made the solemn vow to spend as little time in Genk as possible.

    There were no walls around the city, but there were no farms either. It was a harsh transition from endless obsidian wasteland to overdeveloped industrial city blocks. The road stopped winding and became gridlocked with Genk¡¯s many square buildings. For all the smog in the air, the city itself wasn¡¯t that dirty¡ªthe people walking around were well-dressed and clean, and there was no litter tumbling in the gutters like Amaris was expecting. Yet, despite being clean, it was ugly¡ªevery structure existed only to function, standing as a bland block set next to another bland block with another bland block stacked on top of both of them. It was clean, orderly, and efficient.

    It was also soul-crushing. The people, while clearly well-fed and largely showing no signs of poverty, moved around in drudgery with their heads looking at the ground, not looking up if they could help it. Frowns and blank looks dominated when faces could be seen. A fair number of people kept their faces hidden under wide-brimmed hats or masks; though the masks themselves never smiled either. All their other clothing was just as dull as the city itself. However, occasionally there was a spark of color¡ªbright, neon hair on a handful of citizens.

    This was not surprising to Amaris, hair colors were known to vary extensively. However, what did shock her was the evidence that a large number of these bright-colored people weren¡¯t human at all. There were creatures with pale white skin and colored growths on their limbs, a few small unicorns with brilliantly hued coats, a reptilian woman¡ªAmaris assumed it was a woman, given the pale dress¡ªwalked with a mask resting on top of her flat head like a hat of its own, and most shocking of all was a floating jellyfish creature with an eyeball the size of Amaris¡¯ head within the bulb. However, even this creature wore a drab hat.

    A city filled with such fantastical people had no business being this dreary. The dissonance wasn¡¯t quite as unnerving as the conditioned children back at the orphanage, but it still had Amaris even more on edge than she¡¯d been when she first entered the city.

    Get in, get info, get out.

    She walked up to a large sign with a city map on it, with various points of interest marked out. She traced her finger around it until she found the word Library.

    Bingo.

    It was a simple matter to find the Library¡ªGenk was laid out with a numerical grid pattern Amaris was able to easily figure out and memorize. As she made her journey, however, she noticed that the roads were largely bare. Only the occasional car drove by¡ªbut the sidewalks were utterly crowded with the people walking around seemingly without purpose.

    Amaris realized she stood out more than a little bit. It wasn¡¯t that there were no children or that no one else had backpacks. It was the simple fact that her jacket was blue.

    What if color is illegal here!?

    She didn¡¯t really have any options to remedy that. Her jacket was blue, her shirt was periwinkle, and there weren¡¯t really other options unless she wanted to walk around in a sheet or, worse, nothing at all. No one seemed to be paying her any mind, so at the very least it wasn¡¯t immediately jarring to the citizens.

    Get in, get info, get out.

    The steps of the library were carved out of pure obsidian but had no decoration to them whatsoever. They served a practical purpose to lift visitors to the door and nothing else. With a deep breath, Amaris marched up the stairs and opened the door.

    There was only one person in the building, an old librarian with massive round glasses. All she did was glance up at Amaris when she entered before returning to her book: How to Take Advantage of the Scientific Literature Market.

    Amaris¡¯ curiosity threatened to ask a question about that book, but she shoved it into the back of her mind as she moved deeper into the library. She wasn¡¯t all that surprised to find that there was no fiction section whatsoever, but that wasn¡¯t what she was looking for to begin with. The numbering system was efficient and got her to her goal right away: Atlas of the Known World.

    Amaris opened the atlas up and frowned. Looking at the entire known world, she saw nothing familiar. And this map was extensive¡ªit had seventeen continents and numerous oceans, including one landlocked between a ring of five continents. The edges of the map all faded into nebulous nothing labeled with ¡°not enough survey data.¡±

    She¡¯d known the world was larger than any cartographer had ever reached, but since she saw nothing familiar¡­ the sheer scope of it boggled her mind.

    Quickly, she searched through the atlas to figure out where she was now. It took some time, but she eventually located Genk: the westernmost large city, near the very edge of the world map¡¯s definition. Beyond it, there were just ¡°Obsidian Wastes.¡±

    ¡°Great¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°I¡¯m not even close¡­¡± She flipped to a map that showed the local area Genk occupied, flipping back and forth between several pages. To the south, there was an ocean that flipped around a peninsula shaped like a triangle attached to the mainland by only a single point.

    Wait¡­ She tore out her notebook and tried to draw what she remembered of world maps from school. Near the southwestern edge¡­ a vaguely defined lump that might, might have been half of the triangle peninsula. Then again, it could have just been another section of land jutting out into an ocean¡­

    It was a goal. A reason to leave the city.

    She took out her notebook and copied some of the maps to it, planning a trek south, away from the Obsidian Wastes and to the ocean itself. It was an undefined, largely unmapped area, but it was her only shot. She was forced to admit she wasn¡¯t going to go that way if there were truly no roads, but help for crossing wilderness wasn¡¯t going to come from this city.

    Before she left, she made sure to read up on the local culture within the atlas. It didn¡¯t have much about any place that wasn¡¯t Genk¡ªand checking with other atlases on the same shelf revealed nothing new. She read a bit about Genk itself: a frontier town turned industrial powerhouse by a ruler addressed only by his title of Chairman. The city imported virtually everything it needed and exported manufactured goods in vast quantities. It was praised as a land of efficient industry.

    In other words, a place Amaris had heard enough about and was ready to leave.

    She placed the books back on the shelf and put her notebook away, taking a moment to pat Pitch on the head as she stood back up. Without a word to the librarian, she left, marching back onto Genk¡¯s streets. She retraced her steps with ease. Almost there, just a bit further.

    She was almost out of the city when a large bell rang out from somewhere in the city¡ªat first, she thought it came from the central skyscraper, but after hearing it ring a few times, she realized it had to be coming from somewhere else, but none of the other tall buildings were in quite the right direction.

    The bell must have meant something because the moment it rang the previously empty streets became utterly full of cars. Unlike traffic back home, which was a mess of stopping, starting, honking, and crashes, the cars zipped past each other like butter. Multiple cars would enter an intersection at the same time on a sure collision course, but would somehow weave in and out in such a way as to flawlessly reach the other side unscathed.

    Fortunately, there were still lots of pedestrians, and they quickly showed Amaris how to use the crosswalks. By pressing a button on a pole, the dark traffic lights would suddenly shine bright white signals onto the road, stopping the cars long enough for the pedestrian to cross.

    Amaris was forced to press these buttons frantically¡ªthere was no way to cross the roads otherwise as there were just too many cars zipping around with insane precision and bullet-like speeds.

    By the time she made it to the last crosswalk before the edge of Genk, there were suddenly no more cars and the streets were abandoned again.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Amaris said, taking a moment to steady her breathing. ¡°Weird¡­¡±

    Pitch hissed in agreement.

    ¡°Well, time to leave.¡± Gripping her backpack¡¯s straps tightly, she ran for the edge of the city. She stopped only when her shoes were firmly planted in undeveloped obsidian, free of the oppressive metropolis. She took a deep breath¡ªdeciding immediately that this was a mistake since the smog was not limited to the city limits.

    ¡°Hey, kid!¡±

    No. Amaris whirled around, loading her bow and pointing it at the person who had just spoken¡ªa woman with reddish hair and a smiling mask on her face. That had to be a bad sign. She wasn¡¯t alone, either; she was accompanied by a maskless nonhuman creature with chalk-white skin and neon green hair that glistened as though it were made of plastic. As far as Amaris knew, it was plastic.

    Amaris quickly switched her bow¡¯s target to the nonhuman.

    ¡°Woah, woah, woah,¡± he said, lifting up his hands¡ªrevealing that they were the same green color as his hair, and they had the same plastic sheen to them as well. ¡°Chill, kid. It¡¯s like you¡¯ve never seen a gari before.¡±

    ¡°Not really, no,¡± she said. Had I seen some of them before coming here? I¡­ don¡¯t think so?

    ¡°Just take it easy,¡± the woman said, raising up her hands in a calming motion. ¡°We¡¯re just here to make sure everything¡¯s okay with you.¡±

    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine,¡± Amaris said, taking a few steps back. ¡°I was just leaving.¡±

    ¡°A kid like you, out on the road in the Obsidian Wastes all alone?¡± the gari said, shrugging. ¡°We can¡¯t, in good conscience, just let you go unprepared.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m prepared enough.¡± Pitch poked his head out and hissed in agreement. ¡°See? What do you think this backpack is for?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just a kid, we can¡¯t ju¡ª¡°

    ¡°You totally can!¡± Amaris interrupted with a sarcastic smile. ¡°If I starve it¡¯s my fault, not yours! A¡ª¡°

    ¡°This is going nowhere,¡± the gari said, dropping his smile instantly. He jumped forward. With a scream of panic, Amaris let the arrow fly. The point hit him right in the forearm. However, it didn¡¯t sink into flesh¡ªit cut through his sleeves and bounced right off the green, plastic-like covering that went all the way from the tips of his fingers to his elbows, ending in a point.

    Amaris scrambled to load another arrow, but he was already in her face, using the plastic ¡°gauntlet¡± to tear the bow out of her hands with a quick swipe. With a growl, she tried to kick him, but he sidestepped her easily.

    Something sharp punctured her in the side of the neck. Straining her eyes, she could barely make out the feathers of a dart¡ªand the form of the woman pointing a dart gun at her.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Amaris managed, shakily stumbling toward the woman. ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s not fair¡­¡±

    She slumped forward, vaguely aware of the gari catching her before she lost consciousness entirely.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ~~~

    Amaris woke up in a lavish, albeit small, bedroom. The bedding was made of finely embroidered silk and the walls were lit by electric lamps flickering to emulate the feel of natural fire. The walls were a deep, dark oak, bare of any decoration aside from the chocolaty grain that weaved in and out of the planks. Aside from the bed, there was a nightstand, a large wardrobe, a standing mirror, a desk with a padded rolling chair, and a single door leading out. There were no windows.

    Amaris jumped out of the bed. Her plan was to enter a fighting stance, but her feet caught on her backpack and she fell face-first to the ground.

    ¡°Ow¡­¡± she groaned, slowly getting up and shaking her head. ¡°Need to get better at that¡­¡±

    Pitch hissed in affirmation from the backpack. Or was it annoyance at having his home get knocked over? Amaris wasn¡¯t sure, and all things considered, Pitch¡¯s level of annoyance was rather low on her list of considerations at the moment. First and foremost, she needed to figure out where she was. A room with, so far as she could tell, no immediate danger. It was just slightly cramped.

    Her second concern was herself, and that was significantly more alarming. Of her previous outfit, only her shoes remained¡ªall other articles of clothing had been removed and replaced with a smooth, rubbery suit that went from her ankles to her wrists and neck, fitting almost exactly to her form the entire length of her body. The outfit was bright pink and glittered in the light, as though it were made of sequins, though as she ran her hand across her arms she found the material far too smooth for that. Despite being form-fitting and a bit too tight, when she bent her arms or legs, no wrinkles formed in the suit; it was somehow adjusting to her shape in real-time.

    The closest thing she had ever seen to it had been a gymnastic outfit, designed for maximum range of motion and clear visibility of all limbs while also being flashy for the sake of spectacle.

    Amaris didn¡¯t like it at all. Starting at her waist, she tried to pry it off. The moment she attempted to do so, it gave her a mild shock, as though she had just stuck a battery to her tongue. With a frown, she tried to peel the outfit off of her slowly, but the more strain she put on it, the stronger the current became¡ªuntil she was forced to let out a cry of pain and stop trying to remove it.

    ¡°Why?¡± she asked, examining the suit closely, finding no indication of a zipper or anything that could remove it. ¡°Who would do this? And why so tight? Gah!¡± She threw her hands up in the air and started taking stock of the room. Throwing open the wardrobe she found her old clothes neatly ironed and hung up, as well as her bow and arrows¡ªuntouched, so far as she could tell. Checking her backpack, it had clearly been rummaged through, but nothing had been taken. Even the magic mirror remained, along with all her food stores from Coleus.

    It quickly became apparent that she¡¯d soon have to check the door.

    Not like this. She returned to the wardrobe, taking out her clothes. The jacket and pants weren¡¯t going to be very comfortable over the suit, so she slipped her shirt on over the pink glitter, stuffing the other articles of clothing into the sheet bundle hanging from the backpack. She twirled around, slinging all of her belongings onto her back, afterward readying the bow.

    I¡¯m as prepared as I¡¯m going to be for this...

    Carefully, she placed her hand on the doorknob. It wasn¡¯t locked. She turned it¡­ and then kicked the door open, bowstring drawn.

    The room on the other side appeared to be a living room, complete with a large curved couch, a fireplace, widescreen TV, a table, and several gadgets. It was lit in much the same way as the bedroom, with those fake-fire lights. In the corner, there was a large pot with several plants growing out of it.

    There was, however, only one person in the room. An older girl, one wearing the exact same pink-glittering outfit as Amaris. However, that was where the similarities ended¡ªfor this girl wasn¡¯t human at all, but a gari, like the one that had attacked Amaris.

    Amaris narrowed her eyes, aiming the bow right at her.

    The gari held up her hands. ¡°Wait, no, I¡¯m just like you! Taken and forced into this! Don¡¯t shoot!¡±

    Amaris held the bow steady for a few moments but decided to lower it. ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡±

    The gari stood up, revealing herself to be quite a bit taller than Amaris¡ªeasily the size of some adults, but clearly not one herself. Like the other gari Amaris had seen, the girl had chalk-white skin and plastic-like hair, though hers had a soft blue coloration to it. Without folds of clothing or hats to get in the way, Amaris was able to make out a few more distinct features of the race: the complete lack of a nose, ears with two points on the tips, and, most striking of all, the plastic-like growths on her forearms and lower legs that matched the color of her hair. These pieces of natural armor ended in spikes around her elbows and knees.

    Sensing Amaris¡¯ trepidation, the gari stopped moving closer. ¡°Hey, hey¡­ it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not going to hurt you.¡± She extended her hand. ¡°I¡¯m Sarah.¡±

    All the fear vanished from Amaris in an instant. ¡°¡­What? Sarah?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Sarah glanced to the left and right awkwardly. ¡°Yes? That¡¯s¡­ my name?¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s¡­ such a normal-sounding name!¡±

    Sarah¡¯s face twisted into one of bafflement. ¡°Um, yes. It is common. It¡¯s why I have it.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ but that¡¯s a human name and you¡¯re no¡ª¡°

    ¡°Oh!¡± Sarah put on a dumb smile and thrust her hands onto her hips, their plastic coating making a remarkably loud snap sound on contact. ¡°You think names belong to humans, do you?¡±

    Amaris didn¡¯t like where this was going. ¡°W-well, I was only, uh¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your name then, huh?¡±

    ¡°Amaris.¡±

    Sarah stared at her. ¡°¡­I have never heard a name even remotely like that in my entire life.¡± She snapped her fingers¡ªagain, making a remarkably loud noise with the motion that made Amaris step back. ¡°Ah, I know! We should switch names! I¡¯ll be Amaris, you can be Sarah! It¡¯ll only fit, you know, since I¡¯m the strange nonhum¡ª¡°

    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Amaris said, flushing. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean¡­ any of that.¡±

    ¡°You probably did and just don¡¯t realize it,¡± Sarah said, leaning on the back of the couch. ¡°But¡­ ugh, I shouldn¡¯t have snapped at you, your life is going to be hard enough without me giving you a hard time.¡±

    Amaris¡¯ stomach sank. ¡°¡­Joy. What is it this time? Wraiths? Zombies? A robot that thinks it needs to exterminate all life?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ no. It¡¯s just Toad.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°How do you not know who Toad is?¡±

    Amaris waved her hands in exasperation. ¡°I only arrived in Genk today! ¡­Or yesterday, if I was out for a while.¡±

    Sarah stared at her in disbelief before casually pointing at her and letting out a low whistle. ¡°You have terrible luck.¡±

    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Amaris grumbled. ¡°So what kinds of torture does Toad put us through?¡±

    ¡°We have to wear garish outfits that are way too tight and perform complex acrobatic dances for the masses every couple of days.¡±

    Amaris tried to process this. ¡°Excuse me, what?¡±

    Sarah sighed. ¡°You have been ¡®selected¡¯ for the ¡®grand opportunity¡¯ to be a part of Toad¡¯s Girls! A wondrous display of ¡®art¡¯ and the ¡®prowess of youth¡¯ to ¡®invigorate the masses¡¯ that totally isn¡¯t creepy, emotionally bankrupt, slimy, ethically dubious, and probably a breach of several child labor laws in international treaty. A perfectly legitimate business that doesn¡¯t kidnap girls off the street.¡±

    Amaris glanced to Pitch. ¡°I think she likes being sarcastic.¡±

    Sarah¡¯s hold on the couch faltered, making her scramble to regain her footing. ¡°You¡­ that¡¯s what you choose to comment on?¡±

    Amaris leaned back and shrugged, saying nothing.

    Sarah held up an accusatory finger, appearing as though she were about to launch into a rant. Instead, she dropped the finger and burst into laughter.

    Now it was Amaris¡¯ turn to be shocked. ¡°You okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m literally dying over here!¡± She flopped over the couch still giggling. ¡°Quick, resuscitate me! Kiss of life! Clear!¡± Sarah flipped herself off the couch, landing on top of the table with just the tip of her toe, twirling around in a pirouette before landing gracefully inches in front of Amaris.

    ¡°¡­Woah,¡± Amaris breathed.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be doing crazier stuff soon enough in the shows.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not that flexible!¡±

    Sarah¡¯s big grin vanished as her entire body sagged with a sigh. ¡°The suit will make you, one way or another¡­¡±

    Amaris swallowed hard. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a problem.¡±

    Sarah looked Amaris right in the eyes. ¡°You know what I was laughing at earlier? You. You were making me upset¡­ by taking all of this in stride. Everyone else I¡¯ve seen walks out of their door crying, angry, ready to murder, or hopelessly depressed. You did the unexpected. And I almost blew up at you for it.¡± She rested her hand on Amaris¡¯ shoulder¡ªthe plastic hand was cold to the touch and felt more than a little strange, but Amaris didn¡¯t refuse the gesture. ¡°Glad to have you here, Amaris. ...I mean, as glad as I can be that another one has been taken into slavery.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll find a way out,¡± Amaris smirked, hefting her backpack higher on her shoulders. ¡°Watch me.¡±

    ¡°¡­We¡¯ve all tried. And those who came before us.¡± Sarah shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ I¡¯ll explain why it¡¯s not a good idea later, when we have time. We don¡¯t have much right now. Toad will want to see you soon, and he won¡¯t like it if you come to him looking like that.¡±

    Amaris looked down at her shirt. ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°He wants his ¡®merchandise¡¯ to be ¡®pure and symbolic.¡¯ Yes, it¡¯s stupid, but if you wear anything but the suit in front of him he¡¯s likely to rip it off of you at some point.¡±

    Amaris shivered at the thought. Part of her wanted to be defiant¡ªbut she rather liked this shirt and her backpack, so in the interests of keeping them around she removed them, standing in just the suit and her shoes. It didn¡¯t feel like enough.

    Pitch slithered out of the backpack and coiled around Amaris¡¯ leg, slithering up. She leaned down and set him on her shoulder. ¡°Pitch stays.¡±

    ¡°¡­Woah. You brought a pet with you. I don¡¯t¡­ think anyone¡¯s done that before.¡± Sarah tapped Pitch lightly on the nose, breaking into a grin. ¡°The other girls are going to love him.¡±

    ¡°Where are the other girls, anyway?¡±

    ¡°I told them to wait by Toad¡¯s door while I spoke to you alone. Historically¡­ it¡¯s best if all of us don¡¯t overwhelm newcomers at once.¡± Sarah frowned. ¡°When I first came here, I got overwhelmed. I was a lot older than you and the others all wanted to play with me¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°But that¡¯s behind us! We just need to prepare for Toad¡¯s ca¡ª¡°

    There was a soft whistling noise that came from through one of the room¡¯s many doors.

    Sarah blanked. ¡°Well, looks like we don¡¯t have time!¡± She grabbed Amaris¡¯ wrist. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Just¡­ try not to scream or look distressed. He doesn¡¯t like that.¡±

    ¡°I can do a malevolent grin,¡± Amaris said, a sneer crawling up her face as they ran through the door into a long hallway that led to a massive set of double doors lined with gold. There were three other figures in front of them, but Amaris didn¡¯t get a good look at them because they opened the doors and were engulfed by the brilliant light coming from the room on the other side.

    There was so much gold. Piles upon piles of gold, creating a massive hill that rose to the center of the expansive, stage-like room. Large chunks of green crystal sat interspersed among the gold, as well as a handful of ornate carvings, precious jewelry, and even a solid gold grandfather clock. It was, quite simply, a horde.

    Sitting atop the horde was Toad. He was a green-yellow toad the size of a large car, with eyes easily dwarfing Amaris¡¯ head in size. He sat, almost motionless, but he was of such a girth and size that every breath shifted the gold he sat on. Amaris was under no illusion that this monster was immobile, however¡ªfor his hind legs were not only massive but also muscular, evidently being used regularly. His front legs were much spindlier and had digits with more range of motion, easily able to pick up and sort through gold as though he had proper hands.

    As the girls approached his throat sac expanded and a great ribbit filled the whole room, shaking the horde enough to cause mini-avalanches of gold to cascade down to the edge of the pile. When he spoke, his massive mouth flapped with such a large range of motion that spit went flying¡ªand yet, somehow, none of it landed on Amaris or any of the others.

    ¡°Good morning, my dears!¡± His voice was disgusting and rippled with a deep tone, as though he had something in the back of his throat. Which was to say, exactly how Amaris would have expected a several-ton frog to sound. ¡°You have a new member with you today¡ªsay hello to Amaris Kelvin!¡±

    Suddenly, a spotlight came on from the ceiling, shining down directly on Amaris. She held up a hand to shield Pitch¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°She comes to us from a very far away land even I haven¡¯t heard of! I¡¯m sure she has many stories to tell¡­¡±

    Not to you, wannabe dragon.

    ¡°But that will be for another time.¡± He let out a deep croak, though this one was mild enough not to send a cascading rumble through his hoard. ¡°Right now, I want to welcome you, Amaris, to your new home among my Girls! I¡¯m sure Sarah filled you in somewhat, but she has such a¡­ colorful way of describing things. You are to become the face of hope for the people of Genk! Their very lives will be invigorated by the show you star in! You have become an instant celebrity. Do not worry, you don¡¯t have to do anything¡ªyour uniform will do it all for you, just go with the flow and it will be an amazing experience.¡± His eyes swiveled down to glare intently at her.

    Amaris simply kept the sneer on her face, saying nothing.

    ¡°Naturally, if you want anything, just ask. Though I will naturally refuse any request that involves you leaving the compound, involves you interacting with anyone outside the compound, or removing your uniform. But you can have any food, item, or luxury brought to you, limited only by shipping time. You will be treated like a princess, both in and out of show.¡±

    Amaris got the feeling he really wanted her to respond. So she didn¡¯t. She just kept giving him her smug sneer.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Toad narrowed his eyes at her. Pitch hissed at him. He ignored the snake.

    With a gurgling cough, Toad continued on. ¡°Anyway, you already know Sarah, brave leader of you Girls; a face of maturity, wit, and far too much sarcasm for what is healthy.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing,¡± Sarah whispered into Amaris¡¯ ear. She had no idea if the gari was being sarcastic or not, and she suspected that might have been the point.

    ¡°Up next, Petra!¡± The spotlight shifted to a girl about Amaris¡¯ age; human, with dark skin and extremely dark green hair. She had an innocent smile about her, but her eyes were pale and hollow. ¡°She may lack the gift of sight, but that only makes her technical expertise and reflexes all the more impressive.¡±

    ¡°Sorry you have to suffer with us,¡± Petra said, smiling sadly.

    ¡°Petra, dear¡­¡± Toad cooed, a sound that made Amaris shiver involuntarily. ¡°Get more into the spirit of things. This is hardly suffering, now is it?¡±

    Petra held up a hand and tilted it back and forth.

    Toad decided to move on. ¡°Our youngest member, Kiri, is right over here!¡± The spotlight swiveled to a girl much younger than Amaris with pigtails and a big, honest smile. ¡°This girl has a strange innocent spunk to her, and a love for that which is rare in Genk¡ªgreenery!¡±

    ¡°Do you have plants I can borrow?¡± Kiri asked Amaris. ¡°Oh, wait, right, I¡¯ll ask later. Sorry!¡± She did a polite little half-bow.

    ¡°You could stand to be more like her, Petra,¡± Toad commented. He didn¡¯t wait for a response, instead, he shone the light on the last girl. ¡°And here we have our problem child, Suuk.¡± At first glance, Suuk appeared as a human slightly younger than Amaris with white hair and a foul expression. However, Amaris quickly picked up the cat ears poking out of her head and the tail jutting out the rear of the pink suit.

    Amaris took a step back. She recognized Suuk¡¯s species. Neko. Halfbreed. Thieves, robbers, and kidnappers. Neither human nor cat, they were their own thing¡­ one that had no place in either race¡¯s home. They lived in their close-knit family tribes, plotting¡­

    Suuk only glared at Amaris, saying nothing.

    ¡°As you can tell,¡± Toad continued. ¡°Suuk is our resident edgy teenager. Which is surprising since she¡¯s not even a teenager yet.¡±

    Suuk flicked her tail aggressively at Toad. ¡°You could stand to shut up.¡±

    Toad sighed. ¡°Suuk, we talked about this. Smile.¡±

    Amaris hears a soft zapping sound come from Suuk¡¯s suit, prompting the girl¡¯s face to unnaturally contort into a ¡°smile¡± that did nothing but make Amaris uneasy and afraid.

    ¡°Screw¡­ you¡­¡± Suuk managed through the forced smile and gritted teeth.

    Toad drummed his front toes against his hoard. ¡°I sometimes wonder if you¡¯re more trouble than you are worth¡­ no matter. You should all get a chance to know one another. Next show is in two days, be ready. You are dismissed. But before you go, remember this¡ªevery last one of you is beautiful.¡± He swept his amphibious eyes over all five of them. ¡°And that beauty inherent in your physical forms, that is what gives you power. That is what makes you special.¡±

    Amaris couldn¡¯t walk out of the presence of Toad fast enough.

    ~~~

    ¡°Sooooo¡­¡± Petra said, munching on the meat of a lobster tail like it was nothing more than a piece of fried chicken. ¡°How¡¯d you like the boss?¡±

    The girls were back in the common room, sitting on the curved couch at a table eating dinner which, true to form, included anything the girls had asked for. Petra had gotten lobster, Kiri had gotten strawberry sorbet ice cream, Suuk had gotten an entire tuna, and Sarah had gotten¡­ a simple BLT sandwich.

    Amaris was currently ignoring her seafood bake chowder and staring right at Petra. ¡°Do you even need to ask?¡±

    ¡°Not really, but I have to start conversation somehow, don¡¯t I?¡±

    Amaris sat back, frowning. ¡°I considered ordering a fried platter of him for dinner.¡±

    Suuk let out a malevolent snicker, flicking her tail uncomfortably close to Amaris¡¯ nose. ¡°She knows what¡¯s up.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not that bad¡­¡± Kiri mumbled, stabbing her spoon into the ice cream and eating it grumpily.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive Kiri,¡± Sarah said, speaking up before Amaris could blurt out anything. ¡°She was brought here at such a young age she doesn¡¯t remember anything else.¡±

    Kiri looked up at Sarah with pouting eyes. ¡°Come on, Sarah! I can talk for myself! Hmph!¡±

    ¡°True.¡± Suuk kicked her feet up on the table and smirked. ¡°But you¡¯d make a mess of it.¡±

    Kiri threw her spoon at Suuk, hitting the neko in the head. She either didn¡¯t register the pain or ignored it through force of will.

    ¡°He¡¯s clearly evil,¡± Amaris said, folding her arms. ¡°So, why haven¡¯t you all tried to break free yet?¡±

    ¡°We have,¡± Petra said with a sigh. ¡°All of us, multiple times. Suuk most of all.¡±

    Suuk grimaced, revealing her predatory fangs. ¡°That lard-legged overgrown amphibian still thinks he can hold me¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been here longer than any of us,¡± Petra pointed out. ¡°I¡¯d say he¡¯s succeeded in keeping you corralled.¡±

    ¡°Just you wait!¡± Suuk jumped up onto her chair, clapping her hands together. ¡°I¡¯ll think of something new any day now!¡±

    Petra shook her head sadly. ¡°Of course you will¡­¡±

    Amaris tapped her fingers on the table. ¡°What kinds of things have you tried?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Sarah said. ¡°The suits are keyed to this location. If we leave the compound, they lock up. If you try to take them off, they shock you and send an alert to the system.¡±

    ¡°And trust me,¡± Petra said, eyes narrowing. ¡°Hacking the system isn¡¯t an option.¡±

    Sarah nodded. ¡°Suuk actually did manage to get her suit off, once. But it¡¯s designed to incur a paralyzing shock when the last part is removed.¡±

    Suuk slammed her fist on the table. ¡°I could have made it!¡±

    ¡°Suuk¡­¡± Sarah put a hand to the bridge of her nose and sighed. ¡°You couldn¡¯t move under your own power for a solid five minutes after you were brought back.¡±

    Petra turned to Amaris. ¡°Point is, we¡¯ve tried it all before. We¡¯re stuck.¡±

    ¡°So we should make the best of it and stop being so grumpy!¡± Kiri declared, grinning widely at Amaris.

    ¡°We understand it will take you a while to adjust,¡± Sarah said. ¡°And¡­ that you may never adjust. But I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t experience any unnecessary pain.¡±

    Amaris glanced between the four girls in disbelief. Three of them had completely lost hope, and the only one with any spark left was the neko. Unlike Toad himself, however, she knew they meant well. Kiri really was just trying to make the best of it¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m not giving up yet,¡± Amaris said. ¡°I don¡¯t have any ideas on what to do¡­ yet. But I¡¯ll come up with something.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Suuk seemed excited. ¡°We¡¯ll be the breakout duo.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sure,¡± Amaris said, tentatively.

    ¡°Let¡¯s worry about that later,¡± Sarah said, placing a calming hand on Suuk¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Today, let¡¯s get settled in and get to know each other. Unless everyone wants to organize a breakout on Amaris¡¯ first day and end up paralyzed and convulsing on the ground. I understand it¡¯s a very difficult decision.¡±

    ¡°Har-de-har,¡± Suuk grumbled, crossing her arms. ¡°¡­Fine. I¡¯ll take it easy. Amaris?¡±

    Amaris glanced down at the steaming chowder in front of her. She stuck her spoon in and took a bite. It did taste really good. Really really good.

    ¡°So¡­ Amaris,¡± Sarah began, taking a moment to stretch. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell us about Pitch?¡±

    ¡°Oh, this little guy?¡± Amaris lifted Pitch off her shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s my pet.¡±

    Kiri gasped. ¡°Oh my gosh! That¡¯s a real snake!? Amazing!¡±

    ¡°She has a snake!?¡± Petra shouted, jumping bolt upright. ¡°Why didn¡¯t anyone tell me?¡±

    ¡°It is kind of obvious,¡± Suuk said.

    Petra waved a hand in front of her dead, colorless eyes. ¡°Hello? Blind as a bat?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Petra, we totally expected you to see the snake,¡± Sarah deadpanned.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you full of yourself today.¡±

    At this point, Kiri had climbed up onto the table and crawled over to Pitch, booping him on the nose. He licked her finger. ¡°Aww, he¡¯s so cute!¡±

    Petra remembered she was sitting down at the same table as these freaks and vaulted herself over the back of the couch. ¡°I¡¯m not letting that reptile near me.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s harmless,¡± Amaris promised. ¡°Not venomous!¡±

    ¡°I bet he still has teeth.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± Sarah said. ¡°Big scary ones that could rip your eyeballs out.¡±

    Petra backed away from the rest of them. ¡°I don¡¯t care what kind of game you¡¯re playing, I¡¯m going to go tinker with my gadgets.¡±

    ¡°Gadgets?¡± Amaris brightened up. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve got a useless gadget in my backpack¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you trying to bribe me to come back?¡±

    Amaris reached into her pack and pulled out the dead GameBox¡ªshe and Coleus had played one too many games on it, emptying the battery. Amaris shook it like a dog treat.

    ¡°I can¡¯t see whatever it is you¡¯re holding, but I hear something¡­¡± Petra cartwheeled over the back of the couch and landed behind Amaris¡¯ seat. ¡°Lemme see.¡±

    Amaris tossed it over her shoulders. Petra, while very used to her disability and very agile, was not able to catch a flying object. It hit her in the face before falling into her hands. ¡°Ow.¡±

    ¡°S-sorry!¡± Amaris stammered. ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking abou¡ª¡°

    ¡°You are forgiven, this box is payment enough¡­¡± Already Petra was turning the handheld over and over in her hands. It was strange to see how she analyzed it without once turning her face to look at it¡ªshe stared into nothing, using only her fingers to work it. She removed and replaced the game cartridge several times, as well as running her fingertips across the seams to find the hidden screws holding the device together.. ¡°¡­Hmmm¡­¡±

    ¡°Oooh, ooh, do you have any plants in there?¡± Kiri asked.

    ¡°I have¡­ food,¡± Amaris said, shaking her head. ¡°But I know someone who can make plants grow just by waving her hands.¡±

    Kiri let out another gasp of delight. ¡°No! ¡­Really? That¡¯s impossible¡­ right?¡±

    Something about the tiny child¡¯s sense of wonder brought a smile to Amaris¡¯ face. ¡°I would have said the same thing a few weeks ago. But, well¡­ a lot has happened, and it¡¯s a long story.¡±

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you tell it, Amaris?¡± Sarah smiled warmly. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve had new stories told around this table.¡±

    Amaris glanced, uncertain, at the brooding Suuk, but decided to push that aside. She told her tale. She spoke of the man with the six-eyed mask, the land of mirrors, the witch of the orphanage, and the Predateor, embellishing everything she could with dramatic gestures, silly anecdotes, and occasionally relying on Pitch to hiss dramatically at the right moment. It only worked about half the time, but it was definitely worth it. She even brought out the mirror as a prop and drew some of the other things she¡¯d encountered in her notebook¡ªthe drawings weren¡¯t the best, but they got the point across.

    ¡°And then¡­ my curse led me here. To you and Toad.¡± Amaris¡¯ grin turned into a grimace. ¡°I¡¯m honestly not surprised at this point.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Kiri said, speechless.

    ¡°So, curious¡­¡± Petra poked her head over the back of the couch so the others could see her. ¡°Do you like your new, interesting life?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ huh?¡± Amaris cocked her head.

    ¡°The curse you mentioned, way back at the beginning. ¡®May your life be interesting¡¯ or something. Sounds like you got exactly what it said on the tin.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Amaris frowned. She¡¯d spent a lot of time fearing for her life and running from terrible creatures. But, then again, she¡¯d spent weeks in an amazing grove with a friend she never would have considered making back home. And, she had to admit, there were moments in running from the Predator that were exhilarating¡­ and it felt really good to blow up that witch¡¯s cauldron. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She sighed, pulling her knees to her chest. ¡°I do know I want to get home. To Mom and Dad.¡±

    An awkward silence fell over the five girls eating a lavish dinner in the midst of a prison.

    ¡°W-we all would,¡± Sarah said, eventually, struggling to keep her composure. ¡°No matter how much we may try to take what comes¡­ this place can never be home. Not even to Kiri.¡± She stood up, holding a hand to her head. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m tired, I need to rest. Petra, you¡¯re in charge.¡± The gari half-stumbled to her room, closing the door behind her.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting to her¡­¡± Petra said with a sigh.

    ¡°How can it not be?¡± Amaris asked. ¡°This is prison!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± Suuk said, ears angling toward Sarah¡¯s room, listening to something Amaris couldn¡¯t make out. ¡°Sarah¡¯s getting too old.¡±

    ¡°Too¡­ old?¡±

    ¡°Suuk¡­¡± Petra warned.

    Suuk ignored her. ¡°Fifteen. There has never been a member of Toad¡¯s Girls older than that. They just¡­ stop.¡±

    ¡°So what, they¡¯re chopped up into mincemeat and fed to the populace?¡± Amaris asked.

    Kiri stared at Amaris in disbelief. ¡°Wh¡­ what is wrong with you?¡±

    It was at that moment Amaris admitted to herself that being mangled a half-dozen times by a brass monster might not have been good for her permanent mental health. ¡°¡­Probably more than I realize.¡±

    Suuk shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s as good of a guess as any what happens to them, really. They just vanish, never to be seen or heard from again. Probably dead, but how is anyone¡¯s gue¡ª¡°

    ¡°Hey, guess what!¡± Petra interrupted, throwing the GameBox at Amaris. ¡°I got your box plugged into the outlet, charged and ready! Won¡¯t that be fun?¡± She glared menacingly at Suuk¡ªdespite being blind, she had a clear grasp on how much others relied on sight to communicate.

    Suuk threw her hands in the air. ¡°All right, all right, guess I¡¯ll turn in too.¡± She jumped up, using her tail to spring off the couch cushions and toward her door. ¡°Just¡­ word to the wise, Amaris.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°I tried to kill him my first week. Drove a spike right into his eye and plucked it out.¡± She shook her head. ¡°It regrew in an instant. So just¡­ don¡¯t try that one. He lets just about everything slide, but¡­ not that.¡± With a visible shudder, she scratched her shoulders and entered her room.

    Suddenly Amaris felt like the GameBox was a good idea. ¡°Hey, Kiri! Want to think so hard your brain explodes?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Apparently, the little girl was just as eager to distract herself as Amaris was.

    ~~~

    And so two days passed. Amaris went through the motions. Unlike her time in the orphanage, which drained the very life from her just by existing, everything in Toad¡¯s little compound was designed to keep her engaged and wanting for nothing. Food, games, television, and even the company of the other girls were never far away. Along with all these joys, however, there was subtle oppression. There were no windows, no exits. The only person she saw other than the girls was Toad himself, and she wanted to see him as little as possible.

    Her opinions of the other girls shifted quite a bit over just a few days. Sarah was a good leader, but even Amaris could tell that she was scared. Very scared of what was coming for her¡ªbut she refused to talk about it, hiding her fear behind walls of sarcasm and evident concern for the girls she considered her responsibility. Amaris felt great pity for her and wanted nothing more than to find a way out before she was taken away. But nothing presented itself.

    Petra, while blind, was somehow the most observant of all the girls. Beyond that, she was a technology tinkerer, able to do amazing things with wires, lights, and computer chips. It was amazing to see her work, running her fingers over a device and taking it apart bit by bit, only to put it back together again, sometimes working better than before. She was a bit more skittish than the others, but also more honest. Even though she was clearly in line to be Sarah¡¯s replacement, she made no attempts to seem like she was in control of the situation¡ªshe was just as trapped as the others.

    Kiri liked plants. Had liked plants for as long as she could remember. She grew them in pots with special lights. The other girls joked that she had the only garden in all of Genk in those pots of hers. As far as Amaris knew, they were right. Poor girl had never known anything but the walls of the compound. To her, it was life, and life was there to enjoy, no matter what it threw at her.

    Amaris still didn¡¯t trust Suuk. They rarely talked, but Amaris had heard enough from her to know she wasn¡¯t just a brooding thief. The girl was clever and exceptionally observant, with a fire of survival that wouldn¡¯t go out, despite everything. She was still clearly a neko, however, and that would never change.

    However, it couldn¡¯t stay like that forever. Toad¡¯s Girls existed for a purpose, and that purpose was to put on a show¡ªthe only show in all of Genk. They were the only splash of color in the land of efficiency. They were the dancers.

    The stage they performed on was huge and covered in tightropes, trapezes, and a stage set up like a dance floor. There was some kind of invisible barrier between the stage and the audience, likely to protect both parties from each other, and the spotlights made it impossible to see more than vague shapes beyond the stage. However, it was clear that the theater was packed.

    ¡°All right¡­¡± Sarah said from backstage. ¡°In five minutes, our suits are going to take over and control our movements. All we do is smile, look around; maybe wink at the audience a few times if you want to do what Toad wants. If you don¡¯t at least smile, the suit will use electrical signals to take over your face.¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°Got it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky¡ªI was very unfit when I got here. You¡¯ve been exercising and training for weeks, your body won¡¯t be pushed as hard as mine was.¡± Sarah smiled sadly, placing a hand on Amaris¡¯ shoulder. ¡°But it¡¯s still going to hurt.¡±

    ¡°I can take it.¡±

    ¡°And some of the tricks we do are going to be¡­ creepy. Uncomfortable.¡±

    ¡°We are on display!¡± Suuk sang. ¡°Behold, the perfect female form in action!¡± She laughed bitterly.

    Amaris looked down at little Kiri performing a few stretches and dances, as though she were preparing for it. She felt like vomiting.

    Sarah noticed her queasy expression. ¡°And the suit will stop that too. Painfully.¡± Sarah shook her head. ¡°Look, yes, it¡¯s messed up on so many levels. It¡¯ll last about an hour. Just¡­ remember that it will be over, eventually.¡±

    Amaris clenched her jaw and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be strong.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Sarah said, giving her a light kiss on the head. ¡°¡­Showtime in one minute.¡±

    Amaris set Pitch down backstage in a small, clear box that wasn¡¯t his usual enclosure¡ªshe couldn¡¯t have him trying to rush out and rescue her, at least not yet. ¡°Now, be a good boy, Pitch. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    He hissed forlornly at her.

    She nodded back in understanding. Then, without another word, she turned to the stage. She walked onto it with all four of the others. She wasn¡¯t sure exactly when the suit took over¡ªbut when she started, she was in control, and in the end, the suit was making every step for her.

    All five of the girls bowed in perfect unison to the audience and received immense applause.

    With no warning, the show began. Amaris found herself jumping back, landing on the palms of her hands, then her feet, then her hands again. Sure, it made her muscles sore, but it was nothing compared to her trek through the forest. Normally, she lacked the coordination to do something like this, but the suit made up all the difference.

    She performed a series of pirouettes in the center of the other four, all of whom were dancing around her, drawing attention to her. Amaris was the newest member, after all, and this was her debut.

    Then the suit had her do a split. She winced as her hamstrings were strained to the point of burning, but she maintained her smile. It¡¯s just pain. It¡¯ll stretch out.

    However, the suit wasn¡¯t even close to done. It forced her to jump to her tiptoes and lift her other leg as far into the air as possible, functionally doing another split with only one leg on the ground. And then, with just one foot, she rotated herself around like a doll on display.

    The other four took up their roles, running their hands over her body, drawing attention to her legs, arms, abdomen¡ªeverything. She was little more than a rotating object to be admired, and the smooth motion of the hands all over her just made it worse.

    And then the introduction was over. Amaris was allowed the relief of lowering her leg to the ground. In the middle of letting out her sigh of relief, her hands shot into the air and she grabbed a flying trapeze handhold. Sarah grabbed onto her feet, followed by all the others in a massive chain that swung so hard they approached the top of the building, at which point Suuk used her tail to latch them to the ceiling. Then all five of them released the living chain at once, cannonballing to the ground. Somehow, the suits pushed them into a rolling landing that didn¡¯t break any of their bones. Amaris caught Kiri managing to wink at the audience at the end of her roll.

    How can she just be¡­ fine with all this? Amaris felt as though a rope tightened around her midsection and she was dragged, cartwheeling, over to a circular pedestal rising out of the ground. The five of them engaged in a complex choreographed dance that involved a lot of shaking, jumping, and a move remarkably like a jumping jack.

    It was about this point where Amaris stopped trying to pay attention to the others, focusing only on herself, trying to grin through the pain. Every sharp arm pump, leg raise, or hip shake pushed her body to the limits of its flexibility, sending fire through her ligaments. There was nothing she could do about it, no matter how wrong it all felt.

    It was more than just the pain. It was demeaning, vile, and simply disgusting. How could all those people out in the audience watch this and not think something was wrong? How could they let Toad do this?

    Soon, though, questions faded into the background, and the strain in her muscles became the only thing in her mind. She wasn¡¯t aware when she stopped trying to smile and the suit had to take over that, but she didn¡¯t particularly care at that point. She just wanted it to be over.

    Soon, she would tell herself. Soon, it will be done. This has to be it, we just wrapped up a section¡­ and then the stage opened up and they had a swimming segment that made Amaris feel like she was going to drown.

    Surely, soon¡­ soon¡­ soon¡­

    When it did end, she didn¡¯t even realize it. She felt like she was still dancing the dance of evil for eternity, fire under her feet and ice on her hands, dragging her down a path of torture. All she could do was cry, not even aware enough to register that¡¯s what she was doing at first.

    She was vaguely aware of being carried away by Sarah¡ªit had to be Sarah, everything was so blue. At some point, Pitch was given to her and she held him tight; a point of stability. He was her anchor to reality, her memory of the life she was trying to get back to.

    He couldn¡¯t stop her tears, but he gave her enough. Enough to realize that, for sure, it was over.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry¡­¡±

    She heard words spoken to her, but she had no idea what they meant. She didn¡¯t care¡ªshe wasn¡¯t addressing any of the other girls.

    Through the blur, she saw gold appear. She realized with panic where she was being taken. ¡°N¡­ no!¡± But she was in no shape to resist. She was gently set down at the foot of Toad¡¯s hoard. She refused to look at him. It didn¡¯t have the effect she wanted; she was still bawling. No bawling child can be ominously defiant.

    ¡°How did you enjoy your first show?¡±

    The audacity of those deep, rippling words were enough to make Amaris shoot to her feet, ready to do¡­ anything. Maybe climb the golden hill and punch him in the face. But one step later and her legs gave out, dropping her flat to the ground.

    ¡°Amazing. You¡¯re acclimating faster than most. It usually takes a few days for new hires to get on their feet after a show¡­¡±

    Amaris seethed. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re evil¡­¡±

    Toad let out a deep ribbit. ¡°That may or may not be true, I do not care. But I see that you were a good choice. You will learn to appreciate the opportunity to display your beauty¡­ in time. Do not feel the need to rush. I am quite patient.¡±

    Amaris couldn¡¯t believe this. What kind of creature was this that could so brazenly¡ª

    ¡°Go. Rest. Your next show is in a week.¡±

    At the words ¡°next show,¡± Amaris¡¯ mind broke, losing cohesion once again. Her hope drained like bathwater, gurgling down the drain until there was nothing left. The other girls had to carry her back to her bed and lay her there.

    She must have slept, for she woke up in the middle of the night with a pounding headache.

    ¡°No,¡± she said. She grabbed the neck of her suit and drove her fingernails into the rubbery material. With a strength she shouldn¡¯t have had in her small, weakened body, she tore at it, freeing her neck and much of her chest from the offending garment.

    She powered through the shock, freeing more and more of herself¡­ but she didn¡¯t even make it to her stomach before the electricity overloaded her nervous system. With an agonized screech she passed out onto the bed, unconscious, but eyes wide open¡ªterrified.

    The suit slowly repaired itself, undoing whatever damage she had done to it in the night.

    It was not going to let her go.

    He was not going to let her go.

    To be continued¡­

 Toads Girls, Part 2

    Episode V

    Toad¡¯s Girls, Part 2

    It¡¯s amazing what you can learn to live with when you have no choice.

    Amaris¡¯ life became a reflection of this adage. She knew, in her core, that she couldn¡¯t survive another show. That it would break her. But the show came, the agony tore her body and her dignity apart, and¡­ she was still there. It didn¡¯t even hurt as much as the first time. A few minutes afterward, she was able to stand on her own and hold a shaky conversation¡ªstill filled with tears and shame, but it was a conversation nonetheless. Sarah said she was adjusting remarkably quickly.

    The pain was constant, however. She spent virtually every moment between shows resting her exhausted muscles with little energy to spare for much else. Her constant state of exhaustion turned those days into a blur. Only bits and pieces of her conversations with the other girls cropped to the forefront of her memory, the rest becoming like dreams.

    This was fortunate, in a way¡ªthe days she dreaded, the shows themselves, became little more than shadows in her memory. She could remember moments of extreme discomfort, but not the order in which they came, the ordeals blending into one another like mud. The first show would always remain the strongest in her mind. All others paled in comparison to it.

    She didn¡¯t realize it at first, but with every show, Amaris slowly grew stronger. Her flexibility increased at an alarming rate, as did her tolerance for pain. What was once the fat and limited muscle of a young girl soon became toned and taut, though they weren¡¯t easy to notice under the sparkling exterior of the suit. Every time her new strength was tested, she endured, and she developed even more.

    As she became able to handle the rigor of the shows, her exhaustion began to abate, and her waking moments became clearer. The first day she¡¯d been able to walk herself back to Toad¡¯s hoard after a show had been a proud moment for her¡ªutterly ruined by Toad¡¯s subsequent comment. ¡°You¡¯ve finally grown into your beauty.¡±

    She imagined skewering his skull with one of the Predateor¡¯s legs, and then briefly wondered where she¡¯d gotten such a violent fantasy. She even felt slightly guilty about it.

    Not that it changed her feelings on the matter, though.

    With her exhausted delirium behind her, she was able to actively socialize with the other girls again. She and Sarah developed a habit of playing video games with each other, forming a fierce competitive spirit. It was quite fun to figure out who could get the biggest score, the fastest time, or simply who could snipe the other in the head from across a canyon the fastest. The older girl also went out of her way to show Amaris tips and tricks on how to keep herself in shape and prepare for the next show.

    ¡°Remember, if you can forget about everything and retreat into your mind, the shows become trivial,¡± Sarah told her. ¡°The best way to do that is through prior meditation.¡±

    Amaris pursed her lips. ¡°Isn¡¯t that kind of¡­ giving in?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Sarah said. ¡°Suuk would disagree, but¡­ well, Suuk is Suuk. Here, just sit, cross your legs, and focus on your breathing¡­¡±

    Petra and Kiri, despite their differences, developed similar relationships to Amaris¡ªthey both wanted to hear her stories. Neither had seen much of the outside world, and one had not seen much of the inside world either. Petra knew braille, but even with her curious technical know-how, converting text to braille was a slow process. It was much better to get stories out of Amaris¡¯ mouth. When Amaris ran out of real stories, she told them of the many fairy tales and legends she¡¯d grown up with. One of the fortunate side-effects of being from somewhere so far away was that her stories were brand new.

    ¡°And then¡­ the neko struck!¡± Amaris held up a hand to her throat as if choking herself. ¡°The poor princess was inches away from death¡ªthe hissing beast needed only to bite down, and she was finished! But¡­ our hero, brilliant man that he was, knew there was one thing that the feline couldn¡¯t resist. He grabbed a fish out of the market stall and threw it with all his might!¡± She mimicked throwing the fish. ¡°The neko sensed something was up and turned to look, only to get a fish slap to the face!¡±

    Kiri burst into laughter while Petra cracked a smile.

    ¡°And that wasn¡¯t all. The neko recovered quickly but forgot entirely about the princess! There was a delicious fish in his mouth¡ªhe had to stop and eat, for his stomach was bottomless!¡±

    Kiri¡¯s laughter only increased in volume. However, before Amaris could finish the story, Suuk interrupted by loudly closing the covers of her book. ¡°And what happened to the neko after that, hmm?¡±

    Amaris obliged hesitantly, continuing, ¡°His head gets cut off and put on a pole, and¡­ the end.¡±

    ¡°What a story to tell children.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a silly story,¡± Amaris huffed.

    ¡°Mmmm¡­¡± Suuk lazily returned to her book.

    Amaris didn¡¯t like Suuk. The neko couldn¡¯t be understood. One moment she did exactly what Amaris expected¡ªbe defiant, sneaky, and violent. But the next she was sitting quietly, observing, peeking over the covers of her book with sad eyes. Then there were the topics she read about¡­ never had Amaris seen her with a book of fiction. Always the pages made up textbooks, scientific literature, and other complex topics. Petra may have been a tech genius, but Amaris suspected Suuk could actually explain why the devices worked if anyone bothered to ask her.

    The entire situation was unnatural to Amaris.

    Of course, the shows continued. Amaris eventually mastered Sarah¡¯s pre-show meditation, effectively blocking everything that occurred in the disgusting dance, reducing the only consequence of the shows to the soreness in her body. Even that was becoming more and more bearable week by week.

    Naturally, Amaris looked for ways to escape. But Toad¡¯s suits made that impossible, as she had been warned from the start. She couldn¡¯t take it off, even with her increased pain tolerance¡ªthe shocks it produced were scaled to her perception of the pain, not the actual voltage. No matter how strong or disciplined she became, the suit would scale to shock her.

    She never managed what Suuk did, to get it off entirely. She passed out after getting just one arm free.

    Since the suit couldn¡¯t be removed, that meant any escape would have to be performed with it on. The only issue with this was that the suit would shock her if she ever left the designated areas of Toad¡¯s compound, and whatever devices were responsible for maintaining the commands on the suits were outside those boundaries.

    ¡°What if we tried to work together? Get someone out of their suit, and then the rest of us find some way to¡­¡±

    Petra, Suuk, and Sarah all looked away from Amaris with shame.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Jane,¡± Sarah said, forcing herself to look Amaris in the eye. ¡°Petra was new, and Suuk had finally constructed her master plan. Jane and I¡­ we agreed to try it with her. We got Jane all the way out of her suit, and tried to throw her across the boundary, get her outside¡­ then all our suits gave us a paralyzing shock.¡±

    ¡°The suits send updates to wherever the central computer is,¡± Petra said. ¡°I¡¯m certain they¡¯re not being watched 24/7, but if a suit is removed¡­ there¡¯s an alarm. The response to immobilize the others may even be an automatic response in certain situations, I don¡¯t know.¡± She shook her head. ¡°We haven¡¯t investigated it much. Fully removing a suit is¡­ debilitating.¡±

    Amaris swallowed. ¡°How¡­ so?¡±

    Sarah answered this time. ¡°It shocks you until you go down. Jane was out for multiple days. She was forced to perform a show unconscious. She was never quite the same after that.¡±

    Amaris could only stare blankly ahead, dumbfounded. There had to be a way out of this, there had to. Life couldn¡¯t go on like this, not forever.

    But go on it did. Show after show. They became inconsequential. Just another part of the week. She hated them with every fiber of her being, but they were what they were.

    One day, Amaris noticed that she was doing splits just because she was bored. Pursing her lips, she pushed the couch out of the way, clearing space for movement in the living room. She tried to perform every choreographed motion from the shows she could remember in that space. There were a few there simply wasn¡¯t enough space for, but she adjusted on the fly, doing smaller but no less demanding motions.

    With every jump, twirl, twist, and cartwheel, the darker her expression became. Muscle memory took over, performing every action flawlessly, not missing a single beat. She twirled, danced, and scraped the ceiling in the midst of a triple backflip, and landed in a sudden split that would have sent her into tears before all of this had happened.

    Slowly, she stood up, hands shaking.

    She didn¡¯t even need the suit to control her anymore. If she wanted, she could perform the entire show. It wouldn¡¯t even hurt that much, not anymore.

    Looking up, she saw Sarah standing there, hands covering her face.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Amaris stammered. ¡°I¡¯ve become¡­ his little puppet¡­¡± She burst into tears and collapsed¡ªbut not from exhaustion.

    Sarah caught her in her arms, pulling her into a tight, gripping hug. Slowly, she stroked Amaris¡¯ hair, saying only two words. ¡°I know¡­ I know¡­¡± She buried her own head in Amaris¡¯ shoulder. ¡°I know¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Girls, I¡¯ve got something special for you today,¡± Toad announced.

    Your head on a platter? Amaris thought. Hmm¡­ the size of the platter might be an issue. I¡¯ll just take your head in the interests of not straining your finances. She glared angrily at the gold the amphibian sat on. Wouldn¡¯t want any of this to go, would we?

    ¡°Are none of you the least bit curious?¡± Toad looked down at Kiri. ¡°Not even the little one?¡±

    Kiri glanced at Amaris sadly. She refused to look at Toad.

    ¡°Suck it, warty,¡± Suuk said. ¡°Not even the innocent naive one could be swayed to you. I bet you thought¡ª¡°

    ¡°What I think and what you think are irrelevant,¡± Toad interrupted. ¡°What matters is that the situation is going to change soon.¡±

    Sarah visibly tensed. Amaris looked to her nervously¡ªshe¡¯d been really twitchy the last few days. The gari composed herself quickly, however. ¡°What kind of change?¡±

    ¡°Mister Richard Eddington has requested your presence at a party he is throwing in the Ivory Tower to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the founding of Genk by his ancestor. I normally refuse such requests, however¡ª¡°

    ¡°He¡¯s the only one with enough gold to get you to reconsider,¡± Suuk deadpanned.

    Toad let out a noncommittal croak. ¡°He insisted on it, even after I informed him of your¡­ rebellious streaks. So, for the first time, you will all be performing outside your normal venue. You are to leave tomorrow morning, Friday, and remain until Sunday¡ªto encompass all the festivities.¡±

    Amaris was already considering potential ways this could be twisted to their advantage. The location restriction would have to be turned off, and maybe she could run to Coleus before anybody got any wiser¡­

    ¡°Do not get any ideas,¡± Toad said, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Your uniforms will restrict you to the ground of the Ivory Tower¡¯s upper floors. Mister Eddington will have the same admin controls over you as I do, and have multiple backups. I have instructed him not to damage you, but otherwise, you are to listen to him as you would listen to me. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Toad,¡± Sarah answered for them.

    ¡°Good. Get your things ready for tomorrow.¡±

    As the five of them shuffled out of the room, Amaris slid up to Sarah. ¡°This could be an opportunity.¡±

    Sarah frowned, face straining. ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°This will never happen again.¡± Amaris grabbed Sarah by the neck of her suit. ¡°You and I both know if we don¡¯t try something, we¡¯ll regret it the rest of our lives.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Suuk said.

    Petra and Kiri didn¡¯t say anything one way or the other, but they looked to Sarah expectantly.

    ¡°¡­All right. We can try.¡± Sarah frowned. ¡°But we¡¯ll need a plan.¡±

    ~~~

    For the first time since Amaris had arrived, she was allowed outside the compound. She followed Sarah through the doors they¡¯d been instructed to go through, stepping into the sunlight. Even though the sky was ridden with smog, masking the sun, Amaris was infinitely grateful just to feel it on her skin once more.

    She was not grateful for the view of Genk¡¯s ugly, block-dominated skyline. Even after being locked up for what felt like an eternity, it was still ugly, plain and simple. However, after seeing the city once more, she noted that the compound itself wasn¡¯t a block: it was rounded, like a dome, unlike any of the other buildings in Genk. The one place allowed to look artistic in the city of efficiency.

    There was a limousine waiting for them at the edge of the compound. The door had slid open, and a fat masked butler in a black suit was gesturing for the five of them to enter.

    Back in the planning meeting, there had been talk of trying to break free and run at this point, before they got in the car¡ªbut Toad would catch on way too quickly if it was done here. They needed to wait.

    So, instead, they¡¯d all made sure to pack and dress like they were planning on staying a while. For the first time in ages, Amaris had her backpack on her shoulders. She¡¯d even put her shirt on again¡ªthough it was a little small, now that she had grown and gained so much muscle. Suuk wore a long leather jacket over her suit, Sarah wore a large fur coat that covered as much of her body as possible, Petra had a ton of belts and buckles with gadgets attached to her, and Kiri wore nothing aside from a leafy necklace and her suit. She, in the end, was the only one really comfortable wearing it.

    Amaris had never noticed before, but Sarah was clearly the least comfortable, even more so than Amaris. That fur coat was excessive, covering everything except the tips of Sarah¡¯s feet and her eyes. How hard it must have been for her at the start.

    They shuffled into the limo, making sure to stick close together¡ªthough Amaris made certain she was on the opposite side of the group from Suuk. The seats were comfortable, and refreshments were provided in the form of a cylinder filled with ice and soda. Suuk had no qualms partaking of what was offered, while the others refrained, instead focusing their attention on their new ¡°boss.¡± He was an elderly gari man with the same blue coloration as Sarah. Like all the other inhabitants of Genk, his outfit was made entirely out of monochrome items, though they were clearly of a very fine make, and the ornate ¡°I¡± symbol on his coat marked him as a man of the Ivory Tower¡ªa man of high stature.

    ¡°It¡¯s such a pleasure to finally meet you all,¡± he said, extending a hand. ¡°You have no clue the hoops I¡¯ve had to go through to get you all here. That Toad really doesn¡¯t want to let you go¡ªhe even threatened to kill me if anything were to happen to you girls! What a strange creature he is¡­¡± Although he was smiling, Amaris clearly heard venom in those words. This man hated Toad¡¯s very being. A good sign.

    ¡°Anyway, where are my manners?¡± He extended his hand. ¡°I am Chairman Richard Eddington. For better or for worse, I run this city.¡±

    Petra shook his hand first. ¡°¡­Hello, Mister Eddington.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Petra. You are truly amazing to watch up there. I only wish you could see for yourself.¡±

    Petra kept her face level, making no further response. None of the others extended their hands to meet his.

    ¡°Well, I suppose I was warned about this¡­¡± He rubbed the back of his head, awkwardly. ¡°Ah well, such attitudes are only to be expected.¡±

    Kiri looked up at him with big, wide eyes¡ªproducing a tear at just the right moment to catch his attention. Exactly as planned.

    The Chairman sighed. ¡°My dear¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you going to be nice to us?¡± She sniffed. ¡°Are you¡­ are you going to make us go b¡ª¡°

    The Chairman whipped out a rectangular controller colored with the same pink glitter as their suits and pressed a button. Kiri was frozen in place, unable to move or speak.

    ¡°I misjudged you¡­¡± he said, smile vanishing. ¡°I have no sympathy for ungrateful brats. You are the most powerful and influential faces in the entire city and you live lives of luxury. You provide a vital service that keeps the very gears of this metropolis turning. And you dare complain? Dare think of escape?¡± He pressed his hands together aggressively. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how Toad doesn¡¯t whip you all into shape. You don¡¯t deserve the position you have.¡±

    Amaris couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. What kind of backwards thinking is this?

    ¡°Of course, you should have known this already.¡± He turned to Sarah. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Sarah?¡±

    Sarah looked away from him, shutting her eyes tightly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you look away from me, young lady.¡±

    Sarah shook her head back and forth, refusing to open her eyes.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to tell your parents how much of a disappointment you are¡­¡±

    Sarah¡¯s pained eyes went from despondent to livid in a fraction of a second. She jumped out of her seat, hands aiming for the Chairman¡¯s throat. He pressed a button on the controller, freezing her fur-covered body in place.

    ¡°You were chosen for the highest honor in the city,¡± the Chairman spat in her face. ¡°No one else got the privilege you had. And you trample on it like it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m ashamed you are my granddaughter. You were better than this.¡±

    Amaris, Petra, and Kiri stared at the frozen Sarah in shock. This hadn¡¯t come up at all during the meeting¡ªand it really should have.

    The Chairman pressed a button on the remote, releasing the hold on Sarah. She didn¡¯t attack him¡ªbut the fury in her eyes didn¡¯t die down.

    ¡°Have anything to say?¡± he asked her.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t choose me for a high honor. You sold me into slavery.¡±

    ¡°You ungrateful little¡­¡± He leaned his head back. ¡°Take off that ridiculous coat of yours, let¡¯s see you.¡±

    ¡°You will have to make me.¡±

    Without hesitation, he did. With a graceful burst of motion, she tore the fur coat off and stood there, suit sparkling in the dim light of the limo.

    ¡°Look at you!¡± the Chairman declared. ¡°An absolutely perfect specimen of gari physiology, of beauty, squandered by a sour soul.¡± He released her from the control. She immediately sat down, Amaris and Petra wrapping her in the fur coat shreds.

    ¡°You¡¯ve contaminated them.¡± The Chairman shook his head. ¡°You were raised better than this.¡±

    Sarah said nothing. Amaris couldn¡¯t be sure, but she thought she was crying under the fur wrappings.

    ¡°And as for the rest of you¡­¡± The Chairman leaned in. ¡°You clearly planned for Kiri to try to work me over. No doubt you have other plans. For instance, whatever that device is that Petra is tapping with her fingers¡ªa device that will no doubt activate if I ever freeze her with this remote.¡±

    Petra managed to keep her face level at this remark. Kiri did not, staring at the Chairman with wide eyes like he was some kind of psychic.

    ¡°As I said, Toad warned me. Your device is already neutralized, EM interference is being played through this car.¡±

    Petra stopped tapping the buttons. Nothing happened¡ªno minor explosion, like had been planned. Amaris ground her teeth. This wasn¡¯t going at all well.

    ¡°And let¡¯s see, what else do you have¡­¡± The Chairman pointed at Suuk. ¡°You have knives that you¡¯ve, at great cost to yourself, managed to place under your uniform, ready for use. You¡¯ll find that trying to use them will result in an immediate debilitating shock. And...¡± he turned to Amaris. ¡°You. That snake of yours is really clever.¡± He quickly grabbed Pitch off of the cushion next to him¡ªlifting him into the air next to the controller. ¡°I wonder, was he even capable of grabbing the controller?¡±

    ¡°Cameras,¡± Petra said. ¡°Toad had to have been watching us, or¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, no.¡± The Chairman leaned in, grinning. ¡°He just knows you all so well he guessed what your plan would be. So, let me make this clear.¡± He tossed Pitch back to Amaris and then pressed the freeze button when he was in her hands, making it so the snake couldn¡¯t go anywhere. Then he froze the rest of the girls as well. ¡°Since Toad won¡¯t get you in the right, I¡¯ll make an attempt to do so myself.¡±

    He tapped a button, making the windows roll down so they could see Genk whizzing by outside. ¡°This is Genk. City of industry, of power, and of efficiency. My grandfather founded Genk with his own hard work, blood, sweat, and tears. But the Obsidian Wastes are a hard place to live, no matter how rich in minerals the ground is. Plants do not grow except with excessive effort, and the atmosphere is simply oppressive to the spirit. Everyone worked their very hardest, but it wasn¡¯t enough to survive. It was going to die.

    ¡°Then the first of Toad¡¯s Girls were chosen. Beautiful, young vixens, handpicked from the streets to be exactly what the populace needed. They danced, filling the hole in desire itself. No more did the people yearn for rest, for leisure, for a break. They only yearned to see the Girls one more time, and the Girls always delivered, leaving them full. That is what you do when you dance on that stage. You fill their desires completely. And they need nothing else until the next show.

    ¡°Now that Genk is established, you are what gives us our glory. You give them the energy to work harder than any people anywhere in the world! We are the most productive city in existence! And you¡ªyou¡ªhave the privilege to make that happen! Don¡¯t you see that you are this city?¡± He looked at them as though expecting a response. Then he remembered he¡¯d frozen them; he quickly let them all move as they wished.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense,¡± Amaris said. ¡°How can a dance drive people to do¡­ anything?¡±

    The Chairman fixed her with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s Toad¡¯s dirty little secret. Those uniforms do more than give you the ability to perform the dance. They project it.¡± He clasped his hands together. ¡°Desire is a powerful thing, and you are used to fill every aspect of it. They want nothing but to see you again. I want nothing but to see you again.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like Toad has this entire city addicted,¡± Suuk said with a nasty grin. ¡°He doesn¡¯t just have us trapped, does he? He has all of you as well. This is rich. You¡¯re not in control at al¡ª¡± Immobilized mid-speech, she could only watch as the rest were frozen in quick succession.

    The Chairman said nothing the rest of the car ride.

    ~~~

    The girls were not left alone to discuss anything the rest of the day. They arrived at the Ivory tower, were handed off to a squad of five butlers¡ªtwo of which were given controller duplicates¡ªand then herded into an elevator. The butlers had no desire to talk to them or discuss anything aside from business. The instructions were relatively simple: when not performing they were to be parading around the banquet hall with refreshments for all the partygoers. All things considered, the refreshments were rather boring: nothing alcoholic; mostly fruity soft drinks with minimal coloration. While the inhabitants of the Ivory Tower were permitted leisure unlike the rest of the city, that didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t still part of the same gray, bleak city. This was not going to be a very festive party.

    That is, except for the girls themselves.

    Since the suits were programmed with complex gymnastic motions and not much else, the butlers spent the day training the five of them in the proper way to hold trays filled with dozens of drinks or little edibles, and specifically how to do it without spilling everything. The five of them learned exceptionally quickly, the dexterity required already inherent in their bodies. Suuk even felt the need to show off a bit, able to carry a tray stacked twice as tall as it should be while performing twists in the air. Despite herself, Amaris got in on the action as well, prompting a complex and spontaneous juggling routine between her, Suuk, and Kiri.

    This ended when Sarah refused to take part in it. Her gaze had been vacant ever since they arrived. Amaris couldn¡¯t blame her¡ªbut she did want to talk to her. No opportunity had presented itself, since the butlers were always there, watching and instructing.

    The banquet hall had a stage, yes, but it was significantly smaller than the one they usually performed on and there was no mysterious barrier keeping their audience separated from them. In fact, it would be rather easy to see the patrons dining at their various tables when the celebration began.

    ¡°Ten minutes until the banquet,¡± the head butler informed the girls. ¡°You may want to get ready.¡±

    ¡°Right, right¡­¡± Suuk grumbled, taking off her jacket and setting it down. Amaris followed suit, setting her backpack down and removing her shirt.

    Sarah was the last one to remove the fur surrounding her. Having gotten somewhat used to seeing her completely covered, the sudden sparkle of her suit made them all stare.

    Amaris quickly looked down. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m getting too old,¡± Sarah said, vacantly. ¡°Let¡¯s just¡­ get through this.¡± She jumped onto the stage.

    ¡°If I can, I¡¯ll try to cover drinks for you,¡± Petra said. ¡°Keep you on the stage, rather than¡­ down here.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Amaris walked to their leader. ¡°Sarah¡­¡±

    Sarah glanced warily at the butlers rummaging around the banquet hall¡ªnow was not the time. Amaris forced the words back down her throat and turned away.

    Shortly thereafter, the guests started to arrive. Every last one of them wore the same gray, drab outfits as everyone else in Genk, only the quality of the garments indicating their status as the wealthy elite. There were a mixture of humans and gari, but no other species made an appearance. The Chairman sat down at the seat furthest from the stage, but directly facing it. He was flanked by a younger gari couple; the woman had blue hair while the man was pink. His hair was ridiculous too, shaped into three spikes that protruded behind his head.

    ¡°How does he get his hair to do that¡­?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°Oooh!¡± Kiri ran to Amaris. ¡°Gari hair is moldable! I once saw Sarah change her hairstyle by taking a blowtorch to her head! It was amazing.¡±

    Amaris didn¡¯t have a response for this other than ¡°huh.¡±

    The Chairman stood up and gave a boring speech about ¡°stock dividends¡± and ¡°manufacturing density¡± and ¡°exceeded expectations¡± and many other things that Amaris didn¡¯t care enough about to pay attention to¡ªthat is, until the end.

    ¡°And here, today, the glittering jewels of Genk itself¡­ the Girls!¡± He gestured at the stage, where all of them but Petra were standing¡ªshe was moving about the tables, holding out the platters for the guests. They didn¡¯t appear to register the fact that she was blind. ¡°Our success is of such a degree that we can ask for them. I tell you, who else in the city has that kind of profit? I¡¯ll tell you¡­ none but ourselves! This is our city, and we shall reap the spoils!¡± He pulled the controller out and activated the four of them on the stage.

    Amaris made sure not to check out¡ªshe wanted to look for every opportunity she could. This wasn¡¯t difficult in the slightest, her body had fully adjusted to the routines at this point and the agony of the first show was effectively a distant memory.

    However, a new horror revealed itself in this setting. Before, it had been impossible to see the audience¡¯s response to their performance beyond the cheers and applause. Here, she could study their faces. The majority entered a sort of dreamlike trance, a smile of utter contentment on their faces¡ªchecking out of reality so effectively that they no longer touched their food. The rest, though¡­ men drooled, stared transfixed, and some grinned as though they wanted to jump on stage and rip the flesh right off the Girls¡¯ bones. The women¡¯s expressions became smug, proud, and studious.

    The Chairman was the worst. He had his hands folded beneath his chin, providing a throne for his malevolent grin. He didn¡¯t look at the girls like a show, nor did he get whatever it was the rest of the room was getting. When he looked at them, he saw property. He saw money.

    Everything about the situation was disgusting, and Amaris wanted to see it burn to the ground. This city was broken and evil to the core. The five of them were being used to perpetuate it through vile, reprehensible means.

    It has to stop.

    The suit stopped controlling Amaris, and she realized she was trading with Petra for serving the patrons. For a moment, she hesitated¡ªconsidered trying to throw the room into chaos, maybe choke a few people.

    But what good would that do? Nothing. And if she did something like that with no purpose, she would become the monster.

    Amaris wouldn¡¯t let herself be the monster. She took the tray from Petra and started moving around, handing out drinks. The majority of guests were still in the stupor and didn¡¯t bother her, but those that weren¡¯t ogled her with wild eyes. One man in particular with an eye patch and a wiry beard grabbed her wrist hard as she walked by.

    ¡°George!¡± The Chairman shouted. ¡°Toad will kill you.¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ observing¡­¡± The man cackled, releasing her to continue her rounds. Amaris had to take a minute to regain the bravery to get back to work, but she did¡ªif for no other reason than to get as much information as she could.

    ¡°The Chairman¡¯s really outdone himself¡­¡±

    ¡°This had to cost much more than the budget allowed.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s never led us astray before.¡±

    ¡°True. Honestly, I wish he didn¡¯t have to work around Toad all the time. That fat lard-leg claims to be all about efficiency, and yet he limits the shows, keeps them from interacting with us behind those walls! So much more could be given if we did this more often¡­¡±

    ¡°Think of the efficiency increase!¡±

    We really are nothing more than tools to them, Amaris thought, shaking her head. They either talk like I¡¯m not even here¡­ or like I am theirs to do with as they please. She shuddered. There¡¯s clearly a reason Toad keeps us separate¡­

    She eventually came to the Chairman¡¯s table, where she overheard an interesting sentence come from the gari woman at his side.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to dance with her, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    The Chairman scratched his chin. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    Amaris came in between them and set down a glass. ¡°The suits aren¡¯t programmed for dances not involving another one of us, and they¡¯re all specifically keyed to our body types.¡±

    The Chairman looked at her like she was an insult to his very being. ¡°I¡¯m sure Sarah can improvise, she¡¯s been at this long enough.¡± He whipped out the controller and stopped the dance Sarah was in the middle of¡ªcausing Suuk to fall to the ground with a comical ¡°oof.¡± Most of the guests who weren¡¯t lethargic let out delighted hoots of laughter.

    Sarah tentatively looked around until she locked eyes with the Chairman, and the woman standing up next to him. She understood without any words being spoken and, with a strange determination to her steps, she jumped off the stage and performed a twirling front flip over the banquet table, landing right next to the woman with an extended hand. The woman took it, and the two of them twirled around the room. Sarah led¡ªtwisting and twirling the much taller woman around like she was nothing, and yet doing it with such grace and precision that the woman was never even strained. She was along for the ride.

    Eventually, Sarah led her to the stage, at which point the other girls all got off and congregated over to the side. They all watched in silence as Sarah carefully threw the woman into the air, caught her by the hips, and then twirled her over her head like a crown before setting her down gently. The two separated for a moment, holding motionless for a beat, before rushing into a complex swirling motion that ended with both of them in a tight embrace, where they stopped.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Applause erupted. Amaris couldn¡¯t help but clap herself.

    ¡°¡­I think that¡¯s her mother,¡± Suuk said.

    Amaris stopped clapping, snapping out of it. ¡°Wh¡­ what?¡±

    ¡°Her position, the family resemblance, Sarah just going along with it¡­ it has to be.¡±

    Kiri frowned. ¡°At least she got something good¡­¡±

    Amaris looked up at the stage, where the woman was now stepping down. Sarah was still up there, her back turned to the woman, unmoving.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it was good,¡± Amaris said with a sigh. ¡°Come on, someone get up there and distract her with a dance or something. Kiri?¡±

    Kiri saluted Amaris and jumped onto the stage, landing in Sarah¡¯s arms with a delighted squeal. The controller activated again and the two of them started another choreographed series.

    It went on like this for hours. Since the girls swapped in and out on delivering drinks and walking among the guests, they got regular breaks, and no one came even close to being exhausted. Still, it was unlike any show they had ever done. It kept going, they didn¡¯t have many moments to talk to one another, and the interaction of the audience was a constant pain.

    But still, even this had to end, as all things do. The guests needed to go to sleep, to prepare for another round of festivities tomorrow. And so, at long last, they started to file out of the banquet hall. One of the last guests to leave was the wiry-bearded man who had grabbed Amaris. ¡°Good party, Richard, but if these girls are only going to do the same ol¡¯ stuff we see at Toad¡¯s little tent¡­¡±

    ¡°You are impossible to please,¡± the Chairman grunted, saying nothing further on the matter.

    Soon afterward, he was the only one in the room with the girls, all of whom were busy eating the leftover food.

    ¡°You are restricted to this building,¡± the Chairman said, folding his arms. ¡°The suits will lock up if you try to leave or tamper with any of the windows. Your rooms are down the hall, third door on the left. You are free to wander, socialize, or do whatever you wish until the next round of festivities tomorrow evening. Toad insisted that ¡®leisure¡¯ be on your repertoire, so you will have access to our facilities.¡± He glared at Sarah. ¡°¡­I am not ready to say you deserve it, but you made a good showing today.¡±

    And with that, he was gone.

    ¡°Finally!¡± Petra shouted.

    ¡°I thought we¡¯d never be left alone!¡± Amaris groaned, smacking her face into the table. She got cake all over her face for the effort, but she didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but I miss the old stage¡­¡± Petra shivered.

    ¡°Did you overhear anything we might be able to use, Petra?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± Petra shook her head. ¡°But, some of them might be convinced to assist us. T¡ª¡°

    ¡°None of them will,¡± Sarah said, staring off in the distance, forlorn.

    ¡°How do you know?¡± Suuk asked, crossing her arms. ¡°You¡¯re the one stuck in the middle of family drama. Th¡ª¡°

    ¡°If anyone was going to help us, it would have been Mother,¡± Sarah said, voice cracking on the last syllable.

    Amaris felt like her heart had been stabbed¡ªno mother should refuse her child. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s like the Chairman, thinks it¡¯s a great honor and¡­¡±

    ¡°I turned fifteen today,¡± Sarah said. ¡°If we were at the compound, I would be gone now.¡± She turned to Amaris with wet, bloodshot eyes. ¡°I told her as much. She said it was where I was supposed to go.¡±

    There was silence among the five of them.

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Amaris pressed her hands together. ¡°Then¡­ we need a new plan. We¡ª¡°

    ¡°I need rest,¡± Sarah interrupted. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t do this right now.¡± Shakily, she stumbled out the door, heading directly for their rooms.

    Amaris sighed. She took a moment to lift Pitch onto her shoulder and stare into his eyes. ¡°I would say this is a messed up situation, but those words don¡¯t feel like they carry meaning anymore.¡±

    Petra laughed bitterly. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think we¡¯re getting any planning done tonight.¡±

    Amaris closed her eyes and tilted her head back, letting out a tense breath of air. ¡°I hate to say it, but I think you¡¯re right.¡±

    Kiri let out a big yawn. ¡°I am a little tired¡­¡±

    ¡°Fine. Sleep, if you want.¡± Suuk threw up her hands. ¡°Throw away our only shot to save Sarah. Fine by me!¡±

    ¡°You can shut up,¡± Amaris growled.

    ¡°Make me.¡±

    Amaris ground her teeth. ¡°We have enough drama as it is. We don¡¯t need you screwing things up even more, halfbreed.¡±

    Suuk stared at her with an unreadable expression. Slowly, she stood up and walked away.

    ¡°Come on girls¡­¡± Amaris told the other two, getting up herself. ¡°Let¡¯s go to bed¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Perhaps unsurprisingly, Amaris couldn¡¯t sleep. She tossed and turned this way and that but the clutches of the night never came. Deciding it was futile, she got out of the bed and looked out the window.

    Their rooms were near the very top of the Ivory Tower, looking out over all of Genk. For a city, it was remarkably dark at night¡ªthere were still lights and signs of work down there, but only the areas that needed light were active, turning on and off as required. Not that the lower light levels made the stars any easier to see, given the eternal smog.

    The window looked rather weak. Amaris figured if she hit it with her entire body she could shatter it, and her momentum would carry her forward no matter what the suit did¡­

    I need to get away from this window.

    Doing a full one-eighty, she left her room. She didn¡¯t know where she was going, but it was somewhere else. She left everything behind¡ªbackpack, shirt, bow, Pitch¡ªeverything, and just started walking randomly through the Ivory Tower. It was remarkably abandoned at this time of night, with everyone either sleeping or in their personal apartments dotted across the entire skyscraper.

    Amaris eventually found herself in the recreation room, which almost took up an entire floor. She played some pool with herself, but soon grew tired of this and continued her walk, passing by the bowling alley without giving it another thought.

    After a few more flights of stairs, an elevator ride where she pushed a random button, and several ornate doors, she was officially lost. Which, she supposed, was essentially what she¡¯d set out to do, so¡­ yay?

    As she was walking down a hallway with a particularly expensive feeling carpet¡ªit was gray, of course¡ªshe noticed that a large set of double doors had light coming out from under the cracks in it. She heard voices inside. With a noncommittal shrug, she decided she had nothing better to do than to listen in. Pressing her ear to the door, she heard the voice of the Chairman and the man who had grabbed her¡ªGeorge.

    ¡°You sure it¡¯s going to work?¡± George asked.

    ¡°Toad may have a plethora of Green at his disposal, but that can only get him so far.¡± The Chairman let out a soft chuckle. ¡°He won¡¯t be able to do anything as we burn that den of his to ashes. He¡¯ll be sitting there, waiting for them to return¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a madman, you know that?¡± It sounded like George took a drink of something. ¡°But exactly what we need.¡±

    ¡°Naturally.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ll change the rules of what the girls can do, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course. Only the best for Genk, my friend. And Toad¡­ does not have the best in mind for Genk at all.¡±

    ¡°Reptile thought he could control us¡­¡±

    ¡°Amphibian, George.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Toads are amphibians.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care a bit!¡± George stammered. ¡°He¡¯s a dumb¡­ stupid¡­ arrogant¡­ reptile!¡±

    ¡°Sure, George. Sure. ¡­We should get you back to your room.¡±

    Amaris¡¯s eyes widened. They were going to leave and she would be right there. She needed to go, now. She took off as fast as she could manage without making noise¡ªsince she was barefoot and wearing nothing but the suit, this was a decently high speed. But the hallway was long, and all the doors on either side were locked.

    She heard the doors behind her start to creak. She wasn¡¯t going to make it, they were going to see her a¡ª

    A pair of hands with sharp nails descended from the ceiling, one grabbing Amaris by the suit¡¯s neck, the other clamping over her mouth to keep her quiet. In one swift motion, Amaris was dragged into the ventilation system.

    Eyes wide, she turned to glance at Suuk. Is she going to kill me?

    Suuk was too shrouded in darkness for Amaris to see anything aside from her brilliantly reflective eyes. The two sat there in utter silence, a slight breeze wafting through the ventilation shaft. The Chairman and George soon passed underneath them, the latter letting out a continual stream of nonsensical blabbering while the other all but carried him down the hall. There was no chance the Chairman was going to sense two silent girls in the ceiling with that distraction.

    Still, the girls waited several long, agonizing minutes before daring to move.

    They dropped down to the hallway below in unison. Amaris glanced to Suuk in fear. ¡°What are y¡ª¡°

    ¡°Shut up,¡± Suuk interrupted. ¡°What did you hear?¡±

    ¡°¡­They¡¯re going to take out Toad.¡±

    Suuk let out a sharp word Amaris didn¡¯t recognize. ¡°This is either really good or really bad.¡±

    ¡°Suuk, I¡ª¡°

    ¡°I said shut up,¡± Suuk interrupted again. ¡°You and me? We¡¯re not going to have any more drama. Okay?¡±

    ¡°O¡­ kay.¡± Amaris did not know what to make of this.

    ¡°I¡¯m a little upset that you found the secret by wandering aimlessly while I¡¯ve been scouring this place everywhere I shouldn¡¯t be¡­ but that¡¯s also pointlessly unimportant. We need to tell the others.¡±

    Amaris held up a hand. ¡°Later. They need sleep. They won¡¯t be able to sleep after¡­¡±

    ¡°Fine. But when they first wake up. Be there.¡± She jumped back into the ventilation shaft.

    ¡°Suuk!¡± Amaris whisper-shouted up at her.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°First of all, uh¡­ thanks for saving me.¡±

    Suuk let out an exasperated groan and turned to leave.

    ¡°Second! I don¡¯t know how to get ba¡ª¡°

    Suuk grabbed Amaris by the suit collar and dragged her through the ventilation shaft. ¡°Right this way, passenger¡­¡± Amaris heard Suuk chuckle at herself. Chuckle like there wasn¡¯t anything wrong between them.

    ¡­Was everything really fine between them? Even after¡­

    Amaris decided not to question it. Suuk had saved her life, so she shut up the rest of the way. She owed her that much.

    ~~~

    ¡°¡­and then Suuk dragged me back and we waited for you all to wake up,¡± Amaris finished.

    The five of them were gathered in Sarah¡¯s room, seated on the floor while Sarah herself sat cross-legged on the bed, her eyes closed, a deeply unpleasant frown on her face. Kiri kept crossing her legs over each other like she couldn¡¯t decide which one should be on top. Petra sat in deep contemplation¡ªeven so, she was the one who spoke first.

    ¡°This is good, right?¡± Petra asked. ¡°Toad¡¯s going to be gone, we won¡¯t have to deal with him anymore.¡±

    ¡°He had a lot in place to protect us, is the problem,¡± Amaris said. ¡°You saw how the Chairman and the others look at us. What do you think they¡¯ll do to us if Toad¡¯s not around to threaten them?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not all bad¡­¡± Kiri whispered.

    Amaris wanted to shout at her, but she forced her words to come out at a reasonable volume. ¡°I did not say that. He just¡­ might be better than our alternative here. Gah, that¡¯s absolutely utterly terrible, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m in a situation where that might even possibly make sense!¡± This isn¡¯t right. Nothing¡¯s been right for a while, but this is on a whole other level.

    ¡°What about Sarah?¡± Petra asked. ¡°If we go back to Toad¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°If we let this happen, she¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°But suffering,¡± Kiri grumbled.

    ¡°We¡¯re already suffering,¡± Petra pointed out.

    Sarah held up a hand, speaking for the first time. ¡°We have a choice to make, girls. We can try to warn Toad¡ªwon¡¯t be that hard to get access to send a message to him. Or we can let this happen, and work for the Chairman in a new way. There are pros and cons to both sides, an¡ª¡°

    ¡°Screw that,¡± Suuk said, standing up and slamming her foot into the ground. ¡°We don¡¯t want either of them. We shouldn¡¯t have to choose between slavery and slavery! We¡¯ve lived under the thumb of this city for long enough¡ªit¡¯s time to tear the entire thing down.¡± She punched the palm of her opposite hand and grinned mischievously. ¡°I¡¯m going to take the third option. The one where we have our cake and eat it too. No more Toad, no more feeding the desires of Genk. We can end it here.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Sarah asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Suuk admitted with a nonchalant shrug. ¡°What I do know is that I am not going to let us make a compromising choice. We either get out of this mess, or we die trying. We don¡¯t sit and take it.¡±

    Kiri blinked a few times. ¡°But¡­ we can¡¯t be free.¡±

    ¡°Yes we can!¡± Suuk shouted. ¡°All we need¡­ is a plan.¡± She turned to Sarah. ¡°And between the five of us, I¡¯m sure we can come up with something. I¡¯ve basically memorized the layout of this entire building, you have connections to the people here, Kiri is amazingly small and spunky, Petra can make devices, and Amaris¡­¡± Suuk flashed Amaris a smirk. ¡°Amaris is the only one of you washouts who has enough soul left in her to pull this off.¡±

    Amaris stood up, grinning. ¡°I like where this is going!¡± How did things change so quickly?

    Suuk met Amaris¡¯ hand with her own. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah!¡±

    Sarah coughed. ¡°Ahem.¡±

    Suuk and Amaris turned to stare blankly at her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly when you two stopped secretly hating each other, and I don¡¯t want to know. But a decision has not been made.¡±

    ¡°You seriously gonna tell us we can¡¯t?¡± Suuk asked, crossing her arms.

    ¡°Yes. Absolutely. I¡¯m going to make you all sit here and take punishment like a tyrant.¡± She stared deadpan at Suuk.

    ¡°Ooh, sarcasm, good sign,¡± Amaris said, winking.

    ¡°It appears that my mental health is being measured by my level of sarcasm,¡± Sarah observed. ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s healthy.¡±

    ¡°You hear that, girls?¡± Amaris asked. ¡°That¡¯s the sound of hope.¡±

    Sarah rolled her eyes, stepping off the bed and dramatically brushing her hair back. ¡°Hope or not, we¡¯re going to need a plan¡ªand it has to be a good one. No half-baked, predictable nonsense¡­¡±

    Amaris let out a soft little gasp. ¡°I¡­ I think I might have something.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Amaris turned to Petra. ¡°What do you think you can do if we got you one of those controllers?¡±

    Petra thought about this for a while. The more she thought, the bigger her smile got. ¡°Without Toad¡­ oh, the things I could do¡­¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s where we start.¡± Amaris clapped her hands together. ¡°If the conversation is anything to go by, the Chairman will act Sunday morning, around when we¡¯re supposed to be shipped back. We have until then to execute our plan. No pressure!¡±

    Sarah held up a hand. ¡°First thing¡¯s first¡­¡± She kneeled down to Kiri¡¯s level. ¡°Kiri¡­ I know you¡¯ve known nothing but Toad your whole life.¡±

    Kiri nodded. ¡°I¡­ I know what he does. I¡­ I¡¯ll miss him. But you can count me in.¡±

    Sarah tousled her hair. ¡°Good. Now, I have a suggestion for how we¡¯re going to obtain one of those controllers without triggering a billion alarms.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Grandfather?¡± Sarah asked, walking up to him just before the party started, wearing nothing but her suit.

    ¡°Hmm? Yes, what is it?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but overhear that the patrons were complaining that we only did the same tricks we¡¯ve always done. If you wish, we can try some new material that we made ourselves¡ªwe spent most of the day rehearsing the new choreography.¡±

    The Chairman looked at her with steely eyes for a moment before breaking out into a grin. ¡°Ah, finally growing into it, I see. Of course, of course, dazzle the crowd with your new material. Glad to see you take the initiative, Sarah.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Sarah said with a slight bow, backing away from the Chairman quickly so her face wouldn¡¯t betray her excitement. She walked back to the stage, giving Amaris a thumbs up; the signal for everything being ready.

    Amaris took a deep breath. ¡°Okay. Here goes¡­ ready Pitch?¡±

    From his position on her shoulder, the reptile let out a hiss.

    ¡°So, try not to mess this up, I¡¯d like my first actual show to be a good one, okay?¡±

    Pitch licked her nose, prompting Amaris to nuzzle him back with a soft giggle.

    ¡°Gag me with a spoon,¡± Suuk grunted as she set the refreshments up on the platter.

    ¡°You never complained about me and Pitch before,¡± Amaris observed.

    ¡°Been biting my tongue,¡± Suuk retorted, throwing the platter into the air and catching it flawlessly on her other hand. ¡°Ready?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Good luck.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who relies on luck. I rely on pure skill.¡±

    ¡°Suuuuure.¡±

    The night¡¯s festivities began again soon after. The Chairman gave another speech Amaris couldn¡¯t pay attention to, ending with. ¡°And now, a treat. I turn it over to Toad¡¯s Girls.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, grandfather,¡± Sarah said, taking the microphone out of his hand and strolling around the room. ¡°Now, I know all of you aren¡¯t used to hearing us talk or even thinking we can talk. But we heard a few of you wondering why we didn¡¯t have any new material and, well, we took that to heart.¡± She jumped on top of an empty chair, looming over the guests with a cheery smile. ¡°We have a unique opportunity here to try out something that¡¯s never been done before. A show that¡¯s a bit more¡­ interactive.¡±

    This had the attention of everyone in the room in an instant.

    With a sharp jab of her arm, Sarah gestured at the stage, which currently held Amaris, Petra, and Kiri. Amaris held her hand up high, putting Pitch on display.

    ¡°This legendary snake is our pet,¡± Sarah explained. ¡°His name is Pitch and, since he has no uniform that sparkles, he has been left out of our many shows¡ªa tragedy we have been unable to rectify because of Toad¡¯s regulations. But now¡­ Amaris, if you will?¡±

    Amaris winked at Pitch. She threw him into the air while performing a backflip. Behind her, Petra threw Kiri upward, and she caught Pitch with the tip of her fingers. While this occurred, Petra entered a split on the ground, catching Amaris¡¯ hands in her own mid backflip. Kiri landed gracefully on Amaris¡¯ feet, creating a tower of three people. Pitch rapidly slid down Kiri, then Amaris, then Petra before coming to a rest on the stage. He let out a hiss.

    Petra twisted around, throwing Amaris into the air¡ªboth she and Kiri landed flat on their feet and bowed.

    Already half the audience was in their lulled, mindless state¡ªbut the rest didn¡¯t look as impressed.

    ¡°Oh, you think that was it?¡± Sarah asked, twirling the microphone in her hand as she let out a series of ¡°tut tut¡± noises. ¡°That was just a demonstration to show that we can incorporate others into our routines. Now¡­ we use you.¡± She gestured sharply to one of the butlers running around. ¡°You!¡±

    Before the butler knew what was happening, Kiri had picked him up and placed him on the stage, where Amaris and Petra caught him with their feet, holding him in the air like a large beachball. He let out a few cries of alarm¡ªbut none of pain, not even as they lightly tossed him back and forth. Each of their motions were calculated, precise, and as elegant as ever.

    Toad really did train us effectively, Amaris noted. She was straining herself to pull this off without harming the butler in any way, but the motions themselves were completely effortless. No matter how unpredictably the butler squirmed, they kept him in the routine¡ªuntil they ended by sliding off the stage and depositing him in a chair provided at the perfect time by Kiri.

    This time when the girls bowed, they got applause¡ªshouts, cheers, and more than a few disgusting looks.

    Enjoy it while you can! Amaris winked at the guests, even going so far as to blow them a kiss. This¡¯ll be the last time¡­

    The Chairman got up from his seat and went to the butler who had been part of the act. Amaris switched into a rigid, angular dance with Petra so they could watch what transpired without worrying about audience participation. The butler took out his controller and showed it to the Chairman. He used it to send a simple command to Kiri, making her jump onto the stage.

    The Chairman¡¯s face gained a pleasant smile. They¡¯d gained his trust.

    Too bad that butler had never been the target.

    Suuk jumped onto the stage, trading off with Kiri for serving drinks. The only indication she gave that her mission was a success was a quick wink.

    The plan had been simple. Use the butler in the show as bait, make everyone look, make the Chairman concerned they might be trying something. However, he would keep his controller, despite how easy it would have been to take it. While all this was happening, Suuk was prowling around. Her tail did all the work, taking the controller of a different butler and replacing it with their handy-dandy fake.

    The only way anyone would notice it was fake was if they busted it open, or tried to issue a command with it. Petra sure was a miracle worker.

    And the girls had no intention of getting issued commands tonight. They would give the audience the party of their life, filled with material never before seen that changed on the spot. There were close, energetic dances. Complex interlocking movements that were more angular and shocking than the gracefulness Toad¡¯s shows had. They even went so far as to start throwing glasses around in a sort of war between the five of them, with the audience being in the line of fire¡ªbut never hit.

    Amaris took out her bow at one point. Suuk kicked a roasted chicken into the air, and Amaris sniped it while it flew, skewering it into a wall.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Amaris cheered. ¡°You know everyone, before Toad got me I wasn¡¯t really that good at archery. Now I could snipe any of your heads off before you could even blink!¡± She let out a hearty laugh¡ªand the guests laughed with her.

    They have no idea... The thought only made Amaris laugh harder.

    She couldn¡¯t believe it; she was actually having fun with this show. She still hated what it stood for¡ªhated the suits, hated the slavery, hated what it allowed the city of Genk to do. But despite all this, now that she was on this stage with the hope of being free not that long from now¡­ she could enjoy herself.

    So went the night. Dances and laughter. Sarah even seemed to be enjoying her part as announcer¡ªa voice to be heard by all and listened to. Respected. Amaris noticed that slowly, over the course of the night, Sarah stopped being just an object in the minds of everyone there. She was the leader of Toad¡¯s Girls, and that was to be respected. She was responsible for all this.

    And yet they refuse to help her. Amaris shook her head in disgust. They brought this on themselves. Still¡­ I hope they can learn, afterward. For reasons she wasn¡¯t fully capable of understanding, these thoughts made her think of Suuk.

    The party went much further into the night than the previous one¡ªbut all good things had to come to an end, and the Chairman recognized it. He told everyone it was tomorrow already and they really all should head home. ¡°Here¡¯s to another century of productivity!¡±

    ¡°Hear, hear!¡± the guests cheered¡ªand Sarah, too. After the Chairman stepped down, she stepped up.

    ¡°Before you go, I just want to thank you all for such an¡­ interesting night. Maybe in the future, it can happen again. Whatever happens, I want you to remember this, remember me, remember us. Maybe we¡¯ll be able to do more things like this. But, even if not, I¡¯m sure this night will go down in history as something to be remembered.¡± She fixed the audience with a smug grin. ¡°I look forward to the future.¡±

    ¡°Hear, hear!¡±

    Sarah bowed, and then led her girls out of the banquet hall to their rooms. The five of them stumbled into Sarah¡¯s room, laughing.

    ¡°Oh, they have no idea!¡± Amaris slapped her thigh. ¡°They¡¯re not going to believe what¡¯s about to go down.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll remember,¡± Sarah said. ¡°I may have overdone it¡ªthe Chairman gave me a look when I was done talking. But he thinks I¡¯m trying to ¡®make things right¡¯ with the family before Toad takes care of me.¡± She struck a pose. ¡°I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t be cursing himself for trusting us tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°It is tomorrow,¡± Petra said, catching the controller that Suuk had just slid to her.

    ¡°We should still get some sleep,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Though we will need to keep watch, make sure no one catches sight of the controller.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be the one working on it,¡± Petra said. ¡°I¡¯ll be ¡®watching.¡¯ ¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll work, right?¡± Kiri asked.

    Petra nodded. ¡°It¡¯ll be a simple matter to rig up a button pusher attached to a transceiver. It¡¯ll detect whenever a command is issued and then immediately hit the ¡®release all¡¯ button. I won¡¯t be testing it out, of course, since that could raise alarms.¡±

    ¡°A little risky¡­¡± Sarah noted. ¡°But we know you can do it Petra.¡±

    ¡°I could do this in my sleep,¡± Petra said as she started rummaging through her belongings. ¡°¡­Not that I¡¯ll be sleeping, mind you. The rest of you should, though.¡±

    ¡°Before you do¡­¡± Sarah turned to Suuk. ¡°Find me a metal pipe somewhere in the building. I have some¡­ frustration I¡¯ll need to get out tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Can-do, boss.¡± Suuk jumped into the ventilation system, disappearing.

    ¡°It¡¯s really happening¡­¡± Kiri said, staring off into space. ¡°We¡¯re gonna do it¡­¡±

    ¡°You bet it is!¡± Amaris rubbed her hands together.

    ¡°Kiri, remember,¡± Sarah said, leaning down. ¡°You¡¯re plan B. If something goes wrong, you¡¯re going to run to the dryad Glen and ask for Coleus and the protection of the dryads. Got it?¡±

    Kiri nodded. ¡°Got it!¡±

    ¡°Remember how to get there?¡±

    ¡°Left, right, straight, right, then straight until I get out of the city, then up the obsidian hill and in the cave.¡±

    Amaris danced around the room, doing a few nervous cartwheels. ¡°There is no way I¡¯m going to be able to sleep tonight.¡±

    ¡°Try anyway,¡± Sarah said, crawling into her bed. ¡°¡­Amaris?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Thanks for¡­ being you. And having that crazy hope of yours.¡±

    Amaris couldn¡¯t help but flush. ¡°R-right¡­ you¡¯re welcome.¡±

    ¡°Now get some sleep. The world will end if you don¡¯t.¡±

    Amaris rolled her eyes. ¡°If the world is so fragile it depends upon me sleeping tonight to exist, it doesn¡¯t deserve to continue.¡±

    ¡°Amaris. Stop bantering. Go to bed.¡±

    ¡°All right, all right¡­¡±

    ~~~

    The Chairman gave the girls a glare¡ªdisapproving of the fact that they all showed up wrapped in their extra clothes. But he didn¡¯t comment on it, though his eyes did linger longer on Sarah¡¯s overdone fur coat than the others.

    They had been called into his office on the highest floor of the building. It was a rather massive room that took up a fourth of the floor, with his chair and desk next to two walls of solid glass that overlooked the city of Genk.

    ¡°I suppose you all think I called you here to wish you well on your journey back to the compound.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Suuk said. ¡°You would have met us at the ground floor for that, clearly, this is something else.¡±

    Amaris couldn¡¯t stop grinning. Here it comes¡­

    ¡°Clever¡­¡± the Chairman nodded in Suuk¡¯s direction. ¡°Well, I¡¯m here to inform you that there¡¯s been a change of plans. You see, I¡¯ve been in¡­ negotiations with Toad. Negotiations that are in your best interests, I might add. You would be able to give shows like the one you gave last night¡­ all the time.¡±

    ¡°I will staple more chickens to the wall with arrows,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Just¡­ putting that out there.¡±

    The Chairman ignored her comment, turning to Sarah. ¡°And, naturally, there will no longer be a need to keep the members below a certain age, a fact I¡¯m sure you and your parents will be delighted to hear.¡±

    As only Sarah¡¯s eyes were visible, it was impossible to read her expression.

    ¡°All that remains is to close the deal. Come, watch with me.¡± He gestured for them to come to the window. Following his finger, they easily made out the round shape of Toad¡¯s compound. ¡°Say goodbye, girls.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Goodbye, old frog.¡±

    Immediately, there was an explosion that engulfed the entire complex. Amaris let out a little cheer as the building was reduced to ashes¡ªthere, it was over. Toad was no more. They were free¡­

    The shockwave of the explosion continued out, shattering several dozen buildings around the complex, turning the entire area into a smoldering crater of rubble.

    Amaris¡¯ smile vanished. ¡°All those people¡­¡±

    ¡°It was the only way to be sure,¡± the Chairman said, pressing his hands together. ¡°It was deemed the necessary yield to overcome his power. It is, however, a small price to pay for liberation from his tyranny.¡±

    ¡°¡­I disagree,¡± Amaris growled.

    He smirked. ¡°Well, fortunately for me, I don¡¯t need to listen to your opinions. I j¡ª¡°

    Sarah pulled a metal pipe out of her fur coat and smacked the Chairman upside the head with it, dropping him to the ground. Discarding the coat, she put her free hand on her hip and struck a defiant pose with the pipe slung over her shoulders. ¡°How¡¯s it feel to be on the receiving end?¡±

    Without a word, the Chairman took out the controller and pressed the freeze button. For a moment, the suits tightened up¡­ but then they released, counteracted by Petra¡¯s controller.

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    Sarah smacked the Chairman with the pipe again, twisting him onto his back. ¡°Amaris overheard you preparing to take out Toad. So we planned accordingly.¡± She lifted the pipe again.

    Amaris held up a hand. ¡°Sarah...¡±

    Sarah twitched, looking at Amaris with rage.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be him.¡±

    Sarah¡¯s features melted immediately. She lowered her arms, dropping the pipe to the ground. ¡°Suuk, tie him up.¡±

    Suuk pulled out some wiring she¡¯d pilfered and tied the Chairman¡¯s hands and feet up in it. ¡°There we go!¡±

    The Chairman growled. ¡°What exactly is your plan here? Even without the controller, I own this city. You¡¯ll never get out with your lives!¡±

    ¡°You are going to let us go,¡± Suuk whispered harshly into his ear. ¡°We have an¡­ escape route you won¡¯t be able to follow us through. Or, alternatively, we can have Amaris shoot an arrow into your brain and we¡¯ll deal with your daughter instead. And if she won¡¯t cooperate¡­ well¡­¡± She gestured at Sarah. ¡°Sarah¡¯d make a good Chairman, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Y¡ªyou can¡¯t do this!¡± the Chairman stammered. ¡°We¡¯ve provided everything for you! And I¡ª¡°

    ¡°Those people out there were going to do unspeakable things to us!¡± Sarah shouted, whirling on him with such fury that spittle flew all over his face. ¡°I know you know what they want from us. ¡®Their desire completely filled¡¯¡ªhogwash! I see those looks. I know what they mean.¡±

    The Chairman made no response.

    ¡°So, are you going t¡ª¡°

    ¡°Guys?¡± Kiri called from the window. ¡°You might wanna¡­¡±

    Amaris looked where Kiri was looking, and saw something flying outisde¡ªno, it was jumping. It was a round, silhouetted shape, bouncing through Genk with enough power that it cleared entire skyscrapers in a single bound. Up, down, up, down¡ªbut always forward.

    Coming right for them.

    ¡°No¡­¡± Suuk said, all color draining from her face.

    Sarah whirled to the Chairman and picked him up by his collar. ¡°I thought you killed all those other people just to be sure!?¡±

    ¡°We¡­ did¡­¡±

    ¡°Then why is there a massive toad jumping at us right n¡ª¡°

    It was too late. Both windows shattered into a rain of glass shards. Without the corner support, a section of the ceiling collapsed, falling directly onto the back of Toad. The rubble and wiring, despite weighing several tons, slid off his back, falling to the city streets below. Bits of glass and rubble cut and scraped Toad¡¯s skin, drawing out green ooze¡ªbut he cared little for this. His eyes burned with an unnatural blue fire, focusing with intense, seething hatred upon the man who just launched a tactical missile at him: Chairman Richard Eddington.

    The fire vanished the instant Toad saw the Chairman bound and under the foot of Sarah, with the other girls standing around him. A light flickered on somewhere inside of Toad and he let out a deep, croaking laugh that shook the ground beneath them, all the while high-speed winds blew in from the now exposed exterior.

    ¡°Chairman¡­¡± Toad managed through his deep, reverberating chortles. ¡°It appears you have been played by the very things you sought to acquire¡­¡±

    ¡°H-how!?¡± the Chairman stammered. ¡°That was enough t¡ª¡°

    ¡°I have my ways. In truth, I had hoped you¡¯d do this one day.¡± Toad began to slowly move forward, tongue momentarily sticking out to clean his eyeball of the green ooze. ¡°Now I have an excuse to take complete control¡­ All those riches you¡¯ve been hiding¡­ they will be mine!¡±

    The Chairman sneered. ¡°I have s¡ª¡°

    Toad, finding his squabbling noises annoying, decided enough was enough. He shot out his tongue, grabbing hold of the Chairman by the chest. With a sickly gurgle, the tongue retracted, pulling a screaming Chairman into Toad¡¯s maw, never to escape.

    Kiri broke out into a run, gunning for the stairwell.

    Toad let out a sigh. ¡°You are still one of mine, Kiri¡­¡± He tilted his head sharply to the side, activating something.

    Nothing happened. Kiri made it to the stairwell and jumped down the rectangular spiral, vanishing out of the sight of the others.

    ¡°¡­What have you done?¡± Toad asked, both of his eyes lazily drifting toward Petra.

    Petra shrugged. ¡°Something.¡±

    ¡°She won¡¯t get far,¡± Toad said. ¡°I had hope she would stay voluntarily¡­ shame.¡± He slowly rotated himself to face the other four girls. ¡°You may run as well. I suspect you have about two to three hours before I restore the mainframe and issue the command to return to me. One that cannot be refused.¡±

    Sarah walked to the front of the group, staring defiantly at him. ¡°Sure. You go do that.¡±

    Toad narrowed his eyes. ¡°...You have a backup plan I am not aware of.¡± This seemed more curious to him than anything. ¡°I wonder what it is¡­¡±

    ¡°Who cares?¡± Suuk said, picking up a long and pointed shard of glass from the ground. ¡°You¡¯re going to have other problems in about two seconds.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°You know how I took out your eye alllll those years ago?¡± Suuk threw the glass¡ªmissing Toad¡¯s eye, but skewering him right in the cheek, prompting more goo to pour forth. ¡°Huh. Looks like you can¡¯t regenerate without that hoard of yours.¡±

    Toad nonchalantly plucked the glass out of his skin and tossed it away. ¡°Clever and observant, but pointless. I a¡ª¡°

    Amaris didn¡¯t miss his eye. The arrow sailed true and perfect. Amaris only felt excited for a moment¡ªit was quickly followed by disgust. Disgust quickly turned to fear.

    ¡°You seek my death!¡± Toad shot out his tongue, hitting all four of them with it and slamming them into the far wall. Amaris could only let out a haggard breath of disgust as the thick, sticky saliva coated her entire upper body.

    Despite his tongue¡¯s extended position, he still spoke clearly. ¡°You will find no such thing! I am Toad, and there is nothing your little toys can do to save you! You are mine, and you will always be mine. I allow you to keep your delusions of hope and freedom as a courtesy. A privilege. I had hoped your experience with Richard would have changed you¡­ but no, defiance reigns, a¡ª¡°

    Pitch bit Toad¡¯s tongue. The tiny snake biting down on his extended, slimy limb made Toad pause¡ªthere was no major injury, but it was hard to ignore.

    However, it gave Suuk an idea. She bared her feline teeth and bit down on the tongue as well. This was enough to make Toad reflexively retract his tongue¡ªdragging all four of them with it.

    ¡°SUUK!¡± Amaris shouted at the top of her lungs.

    Suuk was in no position to respond to her complaint because she was busy gagging on the taste of Toad¡¯s saliva.

    Toad¡¯s mouth closed. Amaris¡¯ first instinct was to grab tightly onto Pitch. She held onto the sensation, using it to get her through the horrors of being inside his mouth. The stench was nowhere near as bad as she expected¡ªin fact, it was slightly minty¡ªbut the thick slime was now all over her, hindering her movement. There was air, but it was hot, humid, and depleted.

    Something splashed. There was a burning sensation on her hands. She refused to let go of Pitch.

    The next thing she knew she was lying on the ground in a puddle of spit next to Petra, Suuk, and Sarah. Pitch was still in her hands, though he wasn¡¯t very active.

    Amaris rose to her feet, finding that her bow was still on her person. She took it out and shakily aimed for Toad.

    Toad, despite having just coughed up four girls, saw her do this and slapped the weapon away with one of his legs. ¡°Perhaps I should invest in mind as well as bodily control¡­ It was not feasible when I began, but this¡­ this is not a worthwhile risk.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Suuk shouted, taking up another shard of glass in her hand. ¡°Fight like you mean it!¡±

    ¡°My dear, if I fought like I meant it, you would all be dead.¡±

    ¡°How unfortunate for us,¡± Sarah said with a venomous, hateful tone. ¡°Not getting a fair fight.¡±

    Toad¡¯s eye widened when he realized where her voice was coming from¡ªupward. Somehow, in the midst of being regurgitated, she had grabbed onto the collapsing ceiling. Now, she released her hold and drove her elbow downward. Had she been human, this would have done nothing.

    But she was gari. And the plastic ended in very sharp points at the elbows.

    Toad was down both his eyes, and he wasn¡¯t regenerating.

    Amaris finally heard a change in Toad¡¯s tone. Gone was the deep, confident, almost bored drawl. In its place was a shrill squeal coming from somewhere in the back of his throat. Fear.

    ¡°How¡¯s it feel?¡± Petra asked. Toad kicked wildly, but Petra twisted herself over the limb with ease, landing near the broken windows. ¡°It¡¯s impossible, isn¡¯t it? You couldn¡¯t fight even if you wanted to.¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± Toad growled. ¡°You are mine.¡±

    Petra tilted her head to the side. ¡°Toad, surrender. Now.¡±

    ¡°I will not be robbed by my own possessions!¡± Toad jumped at Petra.

    She ducked. He flew right over her and out the windows he had crashed open mere minutes ago. Without his eyes, he had no way to get his bearings¡ªno way to land on his feet or know what he was falling onto. He let out a scream not of rage, but of terror. It was a scream that bellowed through the entire city.

    He was made of such hardy stuff that an uncontrolled fall, even from that height, would not have ended him. But he had the extreme misfortune of hitting the corner of one of Genk¡¯s many cuboid buildings.

    The result wasn¡¯t pretty. Even from her distant vantage point, Amaris felt like puking.

    ¡°Holy obsidian shingles¡­¡± Suuk said, in awe. ¡°Petra¡­ you did it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Petra said, emotionless.

    Suuk tilted her head to the side in bafflement. ¡°Why the long face? We¡¯re free! We should be celebrating!¡±

    ¡°I just killed someone,¡± Petra deadpanned. ¡°That may not be new to you, but it¡¯s new to me.¡±

    Suuk immediately fell silent.

    Amaris walked up to Petra and put an arm around her, gently leading her away from the edge of the building. As she did so, she looked to Sarah. ¡°So¡­ that¡­¡±

    Sarah frowned. ¡°¡­No more Toad, no more Chairman¡­¡± She crossed her arms and closed her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s left for us to run away from?¡±

    At this, Sarah¡¯s mother made it up the stairs and took in the carnage. The green goo, the saliva¡­ ¡°What¡­ happened here?¡±

    Sarah put on a stern face. She kicked the pipe off the ground and into her hands, pointing it aggressively at her mother. ¡°Grandfather tried to take out Toad. Toad objected, ate him. We threw Toad off the building.¡± At these words Petra audibly winced, but Sarah didn¡¯t falter.

    Sarah¡¯s mother put her hands to her mouth. ¡°O-oh no¡­ He¡­ he assured me it¡­¡±

    ¡°He made a mistake. One of many.¡± Sarah narrowed her eyes. ¡°You refused to help me before. You¡¯re going to want to, now.¡±

    ¡°W-what can I do? I¡¯m just¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the new Chairman. You¡­ you can use the savings and inheritance to turn this city around. It¡¯s going to need everything you can give it since there will be no more shows.¡±

    Her mother gasped. ¡°Y-you can¡¯t just¡­ abandon us! The city will collapse! People will go hungry!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ know.¡± Sarah smiled softly. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m not abandoning you.¡±

    Suuk let out a spit take. ¡°W-what!? Have you gone mental!?¡±

    ¡°There will be no more shows,¡± Sarah said. ¡°But I am not leaving. I¡¯m a face they recognize, and¡­ I can help rebuild this city. Maybe Genk won¡¯t be powerful or even have anything special about it when I¡¯m done. And maybe I¡¯ll fail completely. But I¡¯m sure we can work something out, mother. Where nobody tries to recreate these suits.¡± She lowered the lead pipe. ¡°Are you going to help me now?¡±

    Ashamed, her mother hung her head¡ªbut nodded slowly.

    ¡°¡­Thank you, Mother,¡± Sarah breathed. ¡°Now¡­ first order of business, we need to make sure Kiri doesn¡¯t summon the legions of nature on this city.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Amaris blinked. ¡°She was getting Coleus, wasn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Mother, we need a helicopter. Now.¡±

    ~~~

    Kiri had already made it into the Glen by the time they caught up to her. The dryads had healed her right up¡ªremoving the suit was of no consequence to them, and Coleus even grew her a dress made out of grass, which was the best thing Kiri had ever received.

    Coleus had apparently thrown a huge tantrum at the dryad elders who told her she couldn¡¯t go and save Amaris, no matter what Kiri said. Amaris would have paid to see the dryad fight, but she only got secondhand information about it from Kiri¡ªColeus had refused to comment. Luckily, before Coleus had actually tried to go help anyway in defiance of the elder dryads, Amaris and the others met up with her.

    In the dim lights of the cavern between the Glen and the outside world, Coleus pulled Amaris into a hug. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re okay! I¡­ you feel disgusting.¡±

    ¡°Got eaten by a frog,¡± Amaris said. ¡°¡­Toad. Wait, was he a toad, or was that just his name?¡±

    Everyone shrugged noncommittally. Petra still had a hollow look on her face.

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Amaris turned to Kiri. ¡°Wow. You¡¯re¡­ out.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s it feel?¡± Suuk asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m wearing grass.¡± Kiri walked up to Suuk with big eyes. ¡±This is the best day of my life.¡±

    Suuk awkwardly patted her on the head. ¡°Okaaaay, plant girl¡­¡±

    ¡°I can remove yours too,¡± Coleus said, growing a massive thorn out of the ground. ¡°It¡­ it is going to hurt, but I can keep it from knocking you unconscious.¡±

    Amaris took off her shirt and spread her arms to her sides. ¡°Tear it off.¡±

    ¡°All right¡­¡± Coleus placed her free hand on Amaris¡¯ neck, flooding her with healing energies¡­ and then she plunged the thorn into the suit, tearing a line through the front of it.

    It hurt. It definitely hurt. Electric surges coursed through Amaris¡¯ body, making her twitch involuntarily.

    The pain was nothing whatsoever compared to what she felt the night of the first show. It was almost¡­ pathetic, really.

    She remained standing when it was off, breathing¡ªshe could feel the air filling her lungs so much easier. She was free.

    Sarah took off her fur coat and put it on Amaris.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Amaris suddenly flushed beet red. ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Sarah said. ¡°Coleus, is there a side passage she can use to put on her clothes?¡±

    Coleus pointed, and Amaris scrambled in that direction. She tore her clothes out of her backpack¡ªmiraculously not covered in saliva¡ªand put them on. Unfortunately, her shirt was soaking wet, so when she put it on she was reminded that the protective layer of the suit wasn¡¯t all bad.

    She came back out, handing the fur coat back to Sarah. While Coleus did the others, Amaris took stock of herself. She had grown considerably since the last time she wore this outfit. Her pants were a little tight¡ªthough not as tight as the suit was¡ªand her entire body had gotten significantly broader and toned. In short, she had grown¡­ and her parents hadn¡¯t been there to see it.

    How long had she been trapped in there? It was several months at least. Had she missed her birthday? Did she care if she had? ¡­Her parents would. They had probably given up looking for her by now¡­

    It all rushed on her at once. She dropped to her knees and pressed her hands together, heaving with great sobs.

    ¡°Amaris!¡± Coleus shouted. ¡°Are y¡ª¡°

    ¡°Mom¡­ Dad¡­ I just want to go home¡­¡± Amaris wailed. ¡°I¡¯m still here¡­ I¡¯m trying¡­¡±

    Coleus wisely decided to stop talking and take a step back. Sarah was the one who stepped forward. Freshly out of her suit and wrapped up in soft, fuzzy fabric, she placed a hand on Amaris¡¯ shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you everything I can to help you get home,¡± Sarah said. ¡°I think I have a private jet now, if that¡¯ll help. Supplies, money¡­¡±

    Amaris grabbed Sarah¡¯s hand tightly, not caring in the slightest that it felt like the hand of an action figure. ¡°¡­But¡­ the rest of you are staying, I know you are. You¡¯re going to fix Genk¡­ I¡­¡±

    ¡°Go,¡± Sarah said. ¡°We are children of Genk, one way or another. You¡­ you were stolen on your way to where you belong.¡± She helped Amaris up and looked her in the eyes. ¡°You need to get home.¡±

    Amaris sniffed¡ªbut nodded with resolution.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Coleus stepped in. ¡°So¡­ I¡¯d offer to take you somewhere else, but I still have no idea where your home is, and I think the elders are really mad at me.¡±

    ¡°You think?¡± Sarah asked, corking a brow.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t see anything!¡±

    ¡°I can guess.¡± Sarah sighed. ¡°Tell your elders that we won¡¯t be bothering them again, they can rest easy.¡±

    ¡°Unless there¡¯s an emergency,¡± Suuk said.

    Coleus grinned nervously. ¡°They don¡¯t like your definition of emergency¡­¡±

    Sarah sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ tell you what, once I¡¯ve got things settled in Genk, I¡¯ll meet with your elders and they can tell me how they want me to deal with this. I¡¯ll respect their wishes, whatever it is.¡±

    Coleus nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll let them know. ¡­Don¡¯t go telling people about us, okay? Dryads can do¡­ bad things when not secluded.¡±

    ¡°Something tells me I don¡¯t want to figure out what that means,¡± Suuk observed.

    Coleus stared off into space, a dark look crossing over her. ¡°You really don¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°We should go,¡± Sarah said. ¡°Make plans for the future and send Amaris on her way. A new future for Genk¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°I¡¯ve gone and done it.¡±

    Kiri raised a hand. ¡°Um¡­ what have you done?¡±

    ¡°Took control of the city of Genk.¡±

    Kiri blinked a few times. ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ wow,¡± Petra managed.

    ¡°Petra¡­ you okay?¡±

    Petra visibly grimaced and hung her head. ¡°Kiri¡­¡± Without another word, she pulled the small chlid into her arms and started sobbing.

    ¡°P-petra, wh¡ª¡±

    Petra could only hold tighter onto Kiri.

    Amaris felt her stomach tie in a knot. She wiped her eyes. Who am I to be bawling? Most of their lives have been this. I have no right. She forced herself to stand tall. She opened her mouth to speak¡ªbut croaked on the words. She couldn¡¯t do it¡ªshe couldn¡¯t be confident, not right now.

    It was fortunate that Sarah could. She wordlessly nudged Coleus in Amaris¡¯ direction, where the dryad embraced the crying, cursed girl.

    Amaris had missed her leafy presence far more than she had realized.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m free,¡± she managed.

    ¡°Yes, Amaris,¡± Coleus said. ¡°You¡¯re free.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re free,¡± Suuk said, extending a hand to both of them. ¡°And we¡¯ve got to use that freedom.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ strong.¡± Amaris grabbed Suuk¡¯s hand, allowing the neko to pull her up with coleus.

    ¡°I had an interesting life before this,¡± Suuk said. ¡°I know a thing or two.¡±

    Amaris looked down at the ground, ashamed. ¡°You¡­ knew the best.¡±

    Suuk didn¡¯t let out a witty comment or even exaggerate her own praise. All she did was nod in recognition and walk with Amaris and the others out of the cavern. Walking away.

    Walking free.

 Star Buddy

    Episode VI

    Star Buddy

    After being attacked by her reflection, roughing it through a forest, and getting enslaved, Amaris had to admit: flying on a private jet was a welcome change of pace. The clouds whizzed by out the window as she reclined in a leather seat with far too much stuffing in it, a fizzing blue drink in her hand. She just felt so fancy she had to extend her pinky while holding the glass, even though it was just blue raspberry soda.

    With her other hand, she was lazily doodling in her notebook. Pictures of the mirror, the bottle of shadow, the dryads, the Predateor, and even Toad himself. There was something cathartic about drawing the monstrous and mysterious. Here, on the page, they were under her control. She knew what they were.

    She took a sip of her drink, contemplating the most recent picture she¡¯d drawn¡ªa sketch of the suit that had been forced upon her. Most looking at her illustration wouldn¡¯t have called it art¡ªthere were too many geometric shapes and mathematical constructions for that. Her work would more accurately be called a diagram. Despite having devoted much of her time with the girls to drawing pictures relating to her adventures, Amaris still wasn¡¯t satisfied with her skill. She wanted accurate representations, not this cross-hatch nonsense.

    If only the suit had forced me to get better at drawing, she thought, snorting to herself.

    There was a soft bing-bong tone that let Amaris know the pilot wanted to talk to her. She lazily set her drink down and pressed a button on the armrest. ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Miss Kelvin, we will be landing in Adderfield in a few minutes. Prepare to disembark.¡±

    ¡°Understood. Connect me to Genk, if you can, please.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Miss Kelvin¡­¡± Immediately, the clear, distinct sound was replaced with a ton of static that made Amaris wince slightly. However, despite the horrible quality of sound, a voice came through.

    ¡°Amaris? Is that you?¡±

    Amaris¡¯ smile brightened. ¡°Hey, Suuk! Yes, it¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°Your voice sounds like it¡¯s being run through a garbage disposal¡­¡±

    ¡°We are near the edge of Genk¡¯s transmission towers,¡± Amaris said as she packed all her things back up into her backpack¡ªtaking a moment to feed Pitch a snack. ¡°I¡¯ll be landing in Adderfield in a few minutes, actually.¡±

    ¡°Sarah wanted me to apologize that we couldn¡¯t send you further south. I¡¯m not going to.¡± Amaris could easily imagine her smug, toothy grin. ¡°It¡¯s not our fault there¡¯s no airports further south.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what I get for wanting to go off the edge of the map,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°Your plan still the same?¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Get to the bottom of the triangle peninsula, see if I can get any information on what lies to the far east. Hopefully that¡¯s where home is.¡±

    ¡°Still say you should have taken a car.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t drive,¡± Amaris deadpanned.

    Suuk chuckled. ¡°So you keep saying¡­¡± She fell silent.

    ¡°You still there, Suuk?¡±

    ¡°This¡¯ll be the last time we talk, is all,¡± Suuk said.

    ¡°¡­Yeah¡­¡± Amaris sagged a little. ¡°¡­How are things going on your end?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely terribly, people are yelling, industry has ground to a halt, and we¡¯re burning through money like hot cakes. But¡­ people seem to be listening to Sarah, and she thinks it¡¯ll turn around later.¡± Amaris heard Suuk tap her nails on the table through the static. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us, you have your own problems.¡±

    Amaris glanced out the window, noticing that the private jet was angling downward, aiming for a runway. ¡°I wonder what ¡®interesting¡¯ thing life will throw at me next.¡±

    ¡°Hey, do me a favor, when you get settled in and grow up or whatever, find a way to get back to us and tell us all the crap your ¡®curse¡¯ put you through.¡±

    Amaris winked at the speaker even though Suuk couldn¡¯t see her. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best!¡±

    ¡°Later, then.¡± Suuk cut the transmission.

    For some reason, Amaris couldn¡¯t help but smile. She focused more intently out the window, watching carefully as they set down on the runway. It wasn¡¯t a full fledged airport, more like just a tiny strip on a fringe town. Adderfield wasn¡¯t even a proper city: it consisted mostly of farmland sprawling out over great green rolling hills, dotted with fantastical trees in every color of the rainbow. Amaris made it a goal to collect a leaf of every color before she left this area of the world.

    The private jet landed and the door slid open, allowing Amaris to walk down the stairs and onto the ground below. Since this wasn¡¯t a proper airport, there were no terminals or baggage claims and there were only a couple other planes around. Genk had been an industrial metropolis; Adderfield looked tiny by comparison.

    However, Amaris didn¡¯t care. There was life here. Sparsely populated though it was, the fields of gold and green filled her with delight. This was no desolate wasteland, this was a land of plenty. Not to mention the sun - something she was still appreciating, now that she was free of Toad¡¯s control.

    Gripping the straps of her backpack, she pushed on. Although she knew inwardly how strong she¡¯d become, the ease with which she carried all that stuff still surprised her. She almost didn¡¯t even feel the weight!

    As she left the ¡°airport¡± she found herself walking down what a nearby street sign told her was Main Street, one of the few properly paved roads in the entire settlement. The sun was high in the sky and more than a little hot, so she took her jacket off, hanging it off the same strap as her bow.

    Pitch poked his head out of the pack and licked the air. Seemingly satisfied, he took up residence on Amaris¡¯ head and coiled up to take a nap.

    ¡°I swear, you do nothing but sleep,¡± Amaris said with a roll of her eyes.

    Pitch let out an indignant hiss.

    ¡°I did all those shows, you only got thrown around that one time. Seems like a lot of sleeping to me.¡±

    Her first goal was the library. It was a very small building, but it had an atlas she could look at¡ªnot that it gave her any new information. There was a larger city further down the peninsula, Irest, but that had been out of the Genk¡¯s transmitter range. With luck, Amaris could find more information there. It would still be a long journey through old, worn roads, but she was prepared for it.

    Amaris didn¡¯t leave Adderfield right away, though. She checked into an inn, paying in gold coins. This got her odd looks, but nothing more¡ªessentially, what she¡¯d expected. After all, outside Genk, Genk credits didn¡¯t mean anything, so Amaris had been provided with some rare but more universal metal coinage. Hopefully everywhere she went would have some use for it, whenever she needed to buy things.

    She was also aware it might put a target on her back, but being a child out alone had a similar effect. She decided she¡¯d rather have money than not. Or, at least, that¡¯s what Petra eventually convinced her to do.

    If I get mugged, it¡¯s on you, Petra.

    She paused as her thoughts turned to the blind girl.

    I hope you¡¯re doing better...

    Amaris went to her hotel room and broke out some snacks. At first she tried to eat the Genk patented nutri-bars, but she wasn¡¯t anywhere near hungry enough for that so she returned to the old stores of food Coleus had made her¡ªwhich were still good. The dryad really had tried her best to make nonperishables. She munched on some dried fruits, and in the process found the old wind-up cat from the Cat-Ival. With a shrug, she twirled its key, getting its paw to wave and a new message to appear. ¡°Friend!¡±

    Amaris felt a small pang of sadness poke at her. Her friends were back in Genk. Here she was, out on her own again¡­

    Pushing the thought out of her mind, she returned to her notebook, this time attempting to solve some mathematical brainteasers¡ªeventually settling on the ¡°four fours¡± game, where she attempted to count using only four number fours and arithmetic operators. She did this until she fell asleep, face in her notebook.

    She awoke the next day without much fanfare, took a shower, got dressed, and marched out of the inn, stopping only to take a single pancake from the complimentary breakfast. Like that, she was off¡ªheading directly south at a brisk pace. The road quickly became one of gravel, but she didn¡¯t mind, she liked the sound of its crunch beneath her shoes.

    The trees were an amazing deciduous variety that came in every color of the rainbow. Amaris stopped her trek every now and then to pick a leaf of a particularly interesting color and press it into the pages of her notebook. More progress on that promise!

    This was how she spent the entire day. Walking, picking leaves, and walking. The trees never cluttered in a particularly dense formation and since she stuck to the road she never got lost.

    About halfway through the day she passed through a small, cozy little town named Faifield. She bought a blue apple from a kind-looking old vendor and ate it on the road, the flavor somehow similar to blueberries.

    At this point, she didn¡¯t expect to make it to the next town, but that wasn¡¯t an issue for her, not anymore. As night started to fall she turned off the main road and found a flat, grassy area where she set up the simple one-person tent she¡¯d been sent with. It was a small thing, but it was designed for an adult, so it was spacious enough for her. She unrolled a sleeping bag and pillow she¡¯d gotten to replace the tattered items from the orphanage and laid down, a smile on her face.

    ¡°Today was a good day, Pitch,¡± she said, stroking him with a finger. ¡°Much better than trekking through the forest. ¡­Or maybe it¡¯s the same and I¡¯m just stronger.¡± She yawned and stretched, putting her hands behind her head. Looking up through the see-through screen topping the tent, she calmly observed as the stars came out, winking into a dark sky one by one.

    Take that, curse. Nothing happened today. Her eyelids drooped as the embrace of sleep took hold of her. Even though she was more than capable of the hike she¡¯d just performed, she did expend considerable amounts of energy and was ready for sleep.

    However, reality had other plans.

    Just before her eyes would have closed for the last time, something caught Amaris¡¯ attention in the sky: one of the stars had grown brighter. Now that she was aware of it, her curious mind tore her from the desire to dream, focusing on the star. In a few seconds, it was clearly even brighter. The longer she watched it, the brighter it became, until she was able to notice a faint trail it was leaving in the sky.

    She knew what a meteor was, and given her luck, it wasn¡¯t all that unreasonable to assume it was going to flatten her. So she jumped up and ran out of the tent, rudely awakening Pitch in the process. She ran around the tent in semi-cartwheel fashion, elegantly removing the four stakes keeping the tent pinned to the ground. The whole tent was heavy, but she had carried everything within it on her back all day: all she had to do was grab it and scramble away.

    Amaris made it quite a long way away, all things considered. Her only issue was that the meteor was never going to crash into her tent, and she was in fact running toward the place it was hurtling at.

    Luckily, she wasn¡¯t that fast, and the impact occurred a fair distance in front of her. Blinding light flashed through the trees. For a moment, Amaris was blinded, and then some earthy projectile smacked her forehead, giving her a splitting headache.

    Amaris prepared to make a run for it: meteors lit on fire when going through the atmosphere, and that impact was likely going to initiate the equivalent of a forest fire. Holding up her hands to block out the now-fading light, she began to turn to make her way out¡ªbut, glancing at the now-visible blast site, she belatedly realized there was a severe absence of fire or smoke.

    At this point, her curiosity got the better of her. Leaving the tent behind and on its side, she walked toward the impact site¡ªwalking slowly, so Pitch could catch up to her, only increasing speed when he was resting neatly on her shoulder.

    The crash was not hard to find. After all, it was a bright yellow glowing five-pointed star the size of a truck, with one of its rounded points embedded in the ground. It was fuzzy around the edges, all-in-all looking like it had come right from the pages of a young-reader¡¯s picture book.

    Amaris blinked. ¡°What.¡±

    The tip of the star that was closest to the ground popped open, revealing an interior dancing with electronic beeps, spring noises, and what Amaris swore was the meow of a kitten.

    ¡°A spaceship¡­?¡± Amaris tilted her head in confusion. Who designed their spaceship to look like a cartoony star?

    Her answer was evident when the occupant of the ship popped out. The clear alien glowed a soft yellow and had five limbs arranged in such a way that, from the back, it looked exactly like its ship, albeit only the size of Amaris¡¯ head.

    It turned around to face Amaris. A big smile took up most of its lower body, and two massive eyes with brilliant orange irises and enlarged pupils stared up at her. When it opened its mouth, it didn¡¯t speak words, but rather let out a soft chirping sound that resembled the best parts of puppy, kitten, and songbird calls.

    Amaris¡¯ jaw dropped. ¡°You¡­¡±

    It waddled toward her like a fat penguin, waving excitedly at her.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Amaris couldn¡¯t help herself, she ran to the alien and scooped it up in her arms, hugging it tightly. It was slightly fuzzy and exceptionally soft. ¡°You are the cutest thing ever.¡±

    It let out a noise of what she could only guess was happiness. She was even more clueless about this thing than Pitch. It was smiling, though, that had to be good¡ªat least the facial features could be read. It did seem awfully happy for someone whose ship had just crashed.

    I might be hugging an alien ambassador like a common pet.

    With a cough, she gently placed the starry creature on the ground. ¡°Uh¡­ sorry about that, I just¡­¡±

    It closed its eyes and let out a happy chirp, bouncing up and down. It didn¡¯t seem upset at all.

    ¡°Oh, thank goodness.¡± Amaris wiped her brow. ¡°I was worried there for a second¡­ uh¡­¡± She frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t understand a thing I¡¯m saying, do you?¡±

    Pitch licked her ear as if to say of course it doesn¡¯t.

    ¡°Right¡­ uh¡­¡± Amaris scratched the back of her head as she watched the alien waddle around. ¡°I have no idea what to do here. Uh¡­ can I look in your ship?¡± Right, how on earth is he going to answer that?

    The alien wasn¡¯t even looking at her anymore, it was waddling up to the trunk of the nearest tree, one with orange leaves. It poked the trunk, prompting a piece of bark to fall off. This seemed to delight the creature and, despite not having any visible fingers to speak of, it picked the broken chunk off and waved it in the air like a sword.

    ¡°Aww¡­¡±

    Pitch hissed in Amaris¡¯ ear.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re just jealous.¡± Amaris rolled her eyes. She was about to say more, but the alien approached her, waving the piece of bark adorably, as if showing off to her. Amaris kneeled down and patted it on the tip on top of its ¡°head.¡± Although, strictly speaking, it was basically all head. ¡°Yes, you got the treasure, buddy!¡±

    The alien let out a cheer and threw the piece of bark into the air. It entered a cart wheeling roll on all five of its tips, letting out a hilarious slide-whistle-like sound the entire time.

    Amaris giggled. ¡°See, look at that, Pitch. Adorable.¡±

    Pitch flicked his tongue out in Amaris¡¯ ear.

    ¡°Rude.¡±

    The next time the alien looked at Amaris, she waved her hands to get its attention. She pointed at herself, then pointed at the opening in the ship. Slowly, she made motions to go toward the ship.

    The alien didn¡¯t seem to care, since the moment she moved, it turned away, waddling around aimlessly.

    Amairs shrugged and poked her head inside the spaceship. The interior was exceptionally bright but otherwise rather boring. Circuitry patterns ran along the entire interior while sparks of light floated in the center, but Amaris saw no buttons, controls, interfaces, or even a seat. She realized with some concern that she had no idea if the ship was even broken or if crashing was just how it landed.

    Either way, she was too large to fit inside, so she wasn¡¯t going to be able to do anything. Laying her hand on the ship¡¯s hull, she found it to be slightly fuzzy¡ªthough significantly more rigid than the plush nature of the alien itself.

    Amaris turned her head to give Pitch a smile. ¡°You wanna go in there?¡±

    Pitch slithered down her shirt, taking refuge around her stomach to enjoy her body heat without having to deal with her crazy ideas.

    ¡°You really don¡¯t like this, do you?¡± As Amaris took a step back from the ship, a frown crossed her face. Before her was a cute, adorable, and soft alien that not only seemed completely harmless but also walked around with permanent joy on its features. It seemed to know nothing but play and how to make adorable noises. However, for all she knew it was a bloodthirsty monster luring her into a false sense of security, waiting for her to let her guard down so it could dive down her throat and eat her heart¡­

    Amaris shook her head. What¡¯s wrong with me? Not everything has wanted to kill me. Coleus was great. This little guy might be like that. Still¡­ Now that the thought had entered her mind, she was on edge. This creature was part of the curse, and that curse had made her life a living nightmare. She¡¯d need to be careful. Careful of a potential mon¡ª

    An owl swooped down and grabbed the alien in its claws, taking off into the sky. Instinct kicked in. Amaris launched herself at the side of the nearest tree, using the trunk as a springboard to push herself even higher into the air, allowing her to grab the branch of another tree and swing forward in a summersault. She was not fast enough to catch the owl, but she didn¡¯t need to be¡ªshe just needed a clear shot. With a single arcing motion, she ripped a small branch off a tree and threw it, smacking the owl in the back. Startled, it dropped the alien: a glowing star falling to earth once more.

    Amaris was ready. She plowed into the ground, rolling into a run for three steps before jumping horizontally, grabbing the alien before it hit the earth.

    It let out a delighted squee as Amaris got grass stains all over her shirt and pants. It patted her on the head as a reward for her heroic actions.

    ¡°Well¡­ guess you owe me now¡­¡± Amaris let out a wheeze, sitting up with the alien in her arms. ¡°And you have no idea that you owe me, but once you figure out our language, you¡¯ll totally know.¡±

    Pitch slithered up to them¡ªevidentially he¡¯d fallen out in the middle of Amaris¡¯ acrobatic maneuver.

    ¡°Pitch, look at this little guy.¡± She set the alien on the ground. ¡°He¡¯s helpless. Just about got carried off by an owl and eaten for crying out loud.¡±

    Pitch turned his gaze to the alien, flicked out his tongue, and turned back to Amaris.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that.¡± Amaris patted the alien¡¯s tip again. ¡°This guy is¡­ okay, I need to come up with something else to call you, buddy.¡±

    At the word ¡°buddy¡± the alien perked up and turned to look at Amaris.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°I¡­ guess I did call you buddy earlier.¡± Amaris put her finger to her chin. ¡°All right, for now, I call you Star Buddy. Sound good?¡±

    The mixture of a meow with an exaggerated spring sound effect was good enough for Amaris to adopt the ¡°name¡± herself. Her little Star Buddy was right in front of her, no longer an owl¡¯s future dinner.

    ¡°Now¡­ what are we going to do with you?¡± Amaris frowned. ¡°You should stay near your ship, just in case help arrives. Or if it¡¯s not even broken. Or¡­ I don¡¯t know anything.¡± She facepalmed.

    Buddy lost interest again and wandered to the nearest fascinating thing¡ªa small frog resting on a wet rock, croaking every few seconds. It didn¡¯t hop away when Buddy approached, it just kept croaking.

    Buddy opened his mouth in a wide ¡°O¡± shape. A beam of rainbow energy accompanied with a sparkle sound effect burst from the orifice, enveloping the frog. The rainbows only lasted for a moment, but when they were done, the frog¡ªand the rock it had been sitting on¡ªwere nothing but dust.

    Amaris stared at the result wide-eyed. Pitch let out a hiss as if to say ¡°I told you so.¡±

    ¡°He could have lasered us at any time¡­¡± Amaris said, cocking her head. ¡°He could have lasered the owl. Hey! Buddy!¡± Buddy turned to her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you do that more often?¡± She pointed to her mouth and tried to make a glittering noise, but instead only gurgled.

    Buddy either didn¡¯t understand or decided not to respond, since he flopped onto the ground, face directed to the sky while letting out a call not unlike a cross between a dove and a mouse.

    Pitch slithered up Amaris¡¯ leg and glared at Buddy.

    ¡°He won¡¯t hurt us,¡± Amaris asserted, folding her arms. ¡°You saw what happened with the owl. ¡­I think he might just be an idiot.¡±

    Pitch chose to rest around her midsection once again, opting out of any further interactions with the alien creature. Amaris let him brood, walking up to Buddy and picking him up. ¡°You know what we¡¯re going to do? I¡¯m going to show you my stuff! And that means we can stay in the tent where no owls are going to try to eat you.¡± She marched to where she left the tent, dragging it with one hand back to Buddy¡¯s crashed ship. Her belongings were thrown about in an absolute mess due to her dragging the tent in a blind run through the forest, but everything was there, and it gave her an opportunity to go through and show Buddy her things.

    She was careful to watch his mouth, just in case he decided to burn a hole through any of her belongings, but no sign of the rainbow laser appeared. Instead, Buddy was absolutely entranced by the sketches in her notebooks, and he loved the little trail mix snacks from the Cat-Ival¡ªdespite the fact that they were definitely stale at this point. The broken mirror seemed to unnerve him, though, so she kept that put away. Even though there was no way he understood, he was even interested in the mathematics scratch work she¡¯d done, something she couldn¡¯t even get Petra to care about back in Genk. In fact, only Suuk had been interested at all, and they hadn¡¯t been on good terms until the very end.

    Buddy must have sensed that she was getting sad, because he patted her gently on the knee and let out a delighted chirp, bringing a smile to Amaris¡¯ face. ¡°You¡¯re like a happiness charm, aren¡¯t you?¡± Getting an idea, she turned to a blank page in the notebook and started sketching Buddy. Unlike the other things she had encountered, Buddy was easy to draw¡ªand if the end result looked cartoony, well, that was fine, since he actually looked that way. Amaris drew, and the alien watched in rapt fascination as his spitting image appeared in the pages.

    ¡°Look, it¡¯s you!¡± Amaris said, showing her work off. Buddy did a little spinning dance, more excited at the drawing of him than anything else so far. Then he picked up the pencil and started drawing a bunch of random, shaky squiggles. Nonsense. Like someone who¡¯d never held a pencil before.

    Then he stabbed a hole in the page with the pencil¡¯s tip, letting out a sound like bubbles popping.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t ruin my paper!¡± Amaris huffed, trying to smooth it out. ¡°Great¡­¡±

    Buddy didn¡¯t seem to understand that he¡¯d upset her since he turned to start pushing buttons on her calculator. Deciding to go with his interest, she began to show him the graphing functions of the calculator¡­ but before she got very far, she heard something.

    The whirring of approaching helicopter blades.

    Uh-oh.

    She quickly picked Buddy up. ¡°I have to protect you again. Please, please, please don¡¯t get mad.¡±

    He gurgled with a rubbery boink mixed with a buzzing noise.

    ¡°Right¡­ hope you understand.¡± She stuffed him in her backpack and zipped it up, making sure to give him the calculator just so he could press buttons and be entertained for a while. On top, she packed in the pillow, finding it satisfactorily muffled his adorable noises.

    Then she stepped out of the tent. Sure enough, she could see a helicopter spotlight coming in; actually, she could see three separate ones. There was no way she was going to be able to outrun that, so she was going to have to face whatever this was. Her money was on government bigwigs possibly in on some alien conspiracy.

    She had to raise a hand to her eyes when the spotlights shone down on her, but she held her ground. Two of the helicopters landed on the nearby road while the third remained in the air. From the two grounded craft emerged a dozen people in black suits wearing sunglasses. I was either right or close to right.

    Most of the people began to circle the craft, ramming metallic posts into the ground that yellow tape could be strung around. A few spread out into the distance, likely to secure the perimeter. One, an older, skinny man with an impressive silver beard, slowly walked to the site and locked eyes with Amaris.

    ¡°Why has no one secured the girl?¡± He asked.

    One of the men surrounding the craft glanced up at her. ¡°She has made no move to run, sir. Likely a civilian.¡±

    ¡°She could be one of them hiding in plain sight!¡± The older man spat.

    ¡°¡­Do you want us to do something, sir?¡±

    ¡°Secure her!¡±

    The man got up with a shrug and walked over to Amaris. Since she didn¡¯t move, he didn¡¯t get very close. ¡°Secured, sir.¡±

    Amaris glanced at the older man and raised an eyebrow. ¡°For the record, I¡¯m not an alien. I¡¯m Amaris.¡±

    The man lowered his head, eyes narrowing as if he were certain ¡°Amaris¡± was an alien¡¯s name.

    Amaris sighed. ¡°Look, I¡¯m Amaris Kelvin, you can radio Genk on those fancy transmitters I¡¯m sure you have and they¡¯ll tell you who I am.¡±

    ¡°Likely story¡­¡± the man began to circle her like a shark. ¡°And you just happened to be camping this close to an impact site?¡±

    ¡°No, I moved my tent to be closer. Because, come on, who doesn¡¯t investigate a crashed alien spaceship?¡± She gestured at the array of men in black scrambling around the area.

    The man behind her coughed. ¡°She has a point, sir. This is not the first time civilians got here first.¡±

    ¡°Detain her for later questioning,¡± the elder grunted.

    Amaris coughed. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll go over well. See, I was someone of mild importance in Genk. Ever hear of Toad¡¯s Girls?¡±

    ¡°Now I know your lyin¡¯, those girls never leave.¡±

    ¡°We were recently disbanded. You should probably call them to confirm what I¡¯m saying.¡± She put on a fake, somewhat demeaning smile. ¡°It¡¯s in your best interest.¡±

    ¡°¡­I hate kids¡­¡± the old man grumbled, taking out a phone. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I need a long-distance transmission to Genk... feed me into the relay tower, we should just be able to make it¡­¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡± the man behind Amaris shouted. ¡°Her backpack just moved!¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    Amaris thought quickly. ¡°That¡¯s just Pitch!¡± She shouted, quickly reaching into the backpack while using her other hand to pull Pitch off her midsection. She hoped her limbs moved so quickly that they wouldn¡¯t notice Pitch wasn¡¯t coming out of the backpack¡ªthe result was a very dazed snake wobbling in the palms of her hands. ¡°See?¡±

    The old man bought the sleight of hand, but his suspicions were raised. ¡°Search her.¡±

    Drat.

    The agent who had ¡°secured¡± her approached and started patting her down. She hoped he¡¯d only perform a routine search, and not rummage through the backpack. But no, after he patted her down, he unzipped the backpack, revealing a soft golden glow¡­

    Amaris backflipped, kicking the man square in the jaw while at the same time pulling out her bow and directing the arrow at the old man. ¡°How about¡­ no?¡±

    Startled by all the jostling, Buddy popped out of the backpack, looking at all the people.

    Then, and only then, did Amaris realize the old man was pointing a gun right to her head. Her confidence vanished in an instant. ¡°J-just let us go.¡±

    He didn¡¯t even dignify her with a response, instead addressing one of his men with a nod. There was a soft pop, and something punctured Amaris¡¯ neck.

    Again with this¡­? The drugs inside the sleep dart worked quickly. There was a moment where she could have unleashed the arrow, piercing the old man in the chest or head, but what would have been the point? She¡¯d be captured anyway and that¡¯d probably kill the guy, and she didn¡¯t actually want that. Her last conscious act was the lower the bow¡­ and then she promptly fell flat on her face.

    Buddy let out a bubbly cheer mixed with the sounds of a ringing bell.

    ~~~

    The first thing Amaris did upon waking up was frantically pat herself down. There was no suit. Good. With that out of the way, she took a more methodical approach to examining her situation. She was amazingly clean; not a single fleck of dirt under her nails, nor a single grass stain on her shirt. Even her hair was behaving perfectly, and it never did that when she wanted it to.

    Her backpack, and all her belongings, weren¡¯t with her. In fact, the only other thing in the closet-like room she found herself in was Buddy, who was currently flat on his back, snoring. The room itself was made largely of concrete and held a single cot with minimal furnishings, a dim lightbulb in the ceiling that was less effective at lighting the room than Buddy was, and a single door with an inlaid, barred window.

    ¡°Oh, great. Prison.¡±

    At the sound of her voice, Buddy woke up and started letting out cheers with undertones akin to party blowers.

    Amaris lifted him up and stroked his tip. ¡°I wonder why they left you in here with me¡­?¡±

    Buddy hiccupped.

    Amaris couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes¡ªand smile. ¡°Cute. But useless. But¡­ cute. Cute is a plus. But¡­ wait, maybe not useless.¡± She held him in front of her, pointing his face at the door. ¡°Amazing space alien laser, go!¡±

    Buddy let out a short jingle that ended with a kitten¡¯s meow.

    ¡°And thus, the communication barrier removes the simple solution.¡± Amaris sighed, setting Buddy down and trying to find something, anything she could use to try and escape. No such luck¡ªthere were no exits aside from the door, there wasn¡¯t even a knob to try and pick from her side, and the bars were inlaid with reinforced glass. She may have been strong, but she wasn¡¯t anywhere close to that strong.

    So she did what she had always seen done in the movies. She banged her fist on the door and screamed. ¡°Hey! Anyone out there!? Helloooo?¡± Once she finished, she started massaging her hand¡ªbanging that hard had made it sore.

    After about a minute of silence, she switched to kicking the door, her shoe providing her foot with enough protection to keep up the effort for significantly longer. ¡°It¡¯s your prisoner, awake and ready for whatever nefarious scheme you have! Hellooooooo?¡±

    Nothing. She wasn¡¯t even sure if anyone was out there. All she could see through the window was a blank, white wall. Throwing her hands into the air, she sat down on the cot and folded her arms.

    Buddy jumped into her lap and nuzzled her chest. She absent-mindedly pet him as she thought about her predicament. Captured by some government with an alien. She suspected her connections with Genk would ensure her safety, but¡­ Buddy. They probably wanted to dissect him. If she could do anything, she was going to save him.

    At the moment, she didn¡¯t have any plans on what to do. The best she had was to try and rush down whoever opened the door, but that was likely doomed to failure since whoever showed up almost assuredly wouldn¡¯t be alone and an alarm would likely be raised immediately. No, she needed to play along.

    ¡­Though I can¡¯t play along if nobody comes to see me!

    There was a knock at the door. With a start, Amaris looked up to see the face of a wiry, wrinkled man with pointed sunglasses through the window.

    ¡°Are you willing to talk?¡± the man asked; muffled, but understandable.

    Amaris nodded slowly, clutching Buddy to her chest.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to open the door. There¡¯ll be food, but if you try to run, there will be men outside. They have guns and while they have been ordered not to harm you, I don¡¯t believe you want to take that chance.¡±

    Amaris repeated her nod, still saying nothing.

    The man¡¯s face ducked out of view. Only a single lock clicked before the door swung outward, revealing a short hallway. Amaris carefully walked out, looking frantically for anywhere to go, but she only found other cells like her own, a stairwell upward that was blocked by a two burly men, and the room the wrinkled man was leading her toward.

    With a deep breath and a cooing alien clutched to her chest, she walked after him.

    The room they entered appeared to be part interrogation room, part storage. There was a table with a few chairs, but there were also several filing cabinets overflowing with paper, a few shelves with dozens of random confiscated trinkets, and a safe filled with who knew what. Amaris¡¯ backpack was set atop of that safe, clearly having been rummaged through. She noticed that all the holes Pitch used to move around were closed tight, likely to keep him inside.

    She made no motion for her backpack, instead looking silently at the man.

    He sat down, gesturing for her to take a seat as well, which she did. ¡°My name is Henry Carmen. And I have some questions for you, Amaris Kelvin.¡± He picked a briefcase up off the ground and pulled out a file. ¡°As you requested, we contacted Genk, and confirmed your identity.¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t going to be happy about this,¡± she declared.

    ¡°They have no idea,¡± Carmen said, flipping through the folder¡ªwhich contained many images of Amaris, though most were of low quality. ¡°And it will stay that way.¡±

    ¡°It could. If you let me and Buddy go.¡±

    The man broke into an amused smile. ¡°Amaris, I think you¡¯re a smart enough girl to know we aren¡¯t going to do that.¡± He picked out another file, this one filled with photocopied pages from her notebooks. ¡°After all, you do keep meticulous records¡ªeven if your imagination gets away from you.¡±

    He doesn¡¯t think all the things in there can be real. Amairs broke out into a smug grin. ¡°You have no idea.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know.¡± He folded his hands together. ¡°So you are going to enlighten me, illuminating this murky situation to me. Why were you out, all alone, in the middle of the forest?¡±

    ¡°You read my notebook.¡± Amaris pointed at the file. ¡°You know why I¡¯m here. I¡¯m trying to get home.¡±

    ¡°To a place with a name that doesn¡¯t exist so far as we know.¡±

    ¡°You and I both know the world is much larger than anyone can comprehend.¡±

    ¡°But still, you have to admit, it sounds¡­ fantastic. A girl, torn from home by a curse that makes her keep running into unusual and strange things. A girl who just happens to keep meticulous records¡­¡±

    Amaris stared at him in disbelief. ¡°¡­You¡¯ve been eating the fruit from the conspiracy tree, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Official records claim you don¡¯t exist before your arrival in Genk and placement among Toad¡¯s Girls, which you managed to overthrow rather quickly, all things considered. You seek to upset the status quo of civilization¡­ a rather insidious aim.¡±

    Amaris wished she hadn¡¯t used the ¡°conspiracy tree¡± joke earlier, it would have been much more fitting now.

    Carmen adjusted his pointed shades. ¡°Clearly, you and this¡­ alien designed specifically to look cute and harmless are related.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a stretch and you know it.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± Carmen leaned in, tilting his sunglasses down. ¡°But, Amaris, you see, when we tried to remove it from you, it became violent. Burned several people and vaporized the hand of one of my closest men.¡±

    Amaris couldn¡¯t help but wince. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry about that.¡±

    ¡°Your apology is accepted¡­ conditionally. If you explain your relation to this creature and its ship.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ really not sure, I was the first human he saw, I saved him from an owl¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡­ saved him from an owl.¡±

    Amaris nodded dumbly. ¡°What do you want from me?¡±

    ¡°The truth!¡± Carmen slammed his fist into the table, upsetting the files.

    ¡°See, problem, I haven¡¯t lied since I woke up. I didn¡¯t even lie earlier. I¡¯m an upstanding citizen an¡ª¡° She paused. Right, I pointed my bow at that army guy, can¡¯t play the upstanding citizen card. Uh¡­

    ¡°I can see going about it the standard way is useless,¡± Carmen reached into the briefcase and brought out a syringe filled with blue liquid.

    For the briefest of moments, Amaris considered making a run for it. However, the thought returned¡ªthe thought that she wouldn¡¯t make it far and have to endure this regardless. So, instead, she extravagantly lifted up her arm and laid it prone on the table. ¡°Have at thee, Carmen. Inject it into my veins and experience the truth!¡±

    Carmen looked at her with narrowed eyes¡ªbut he still slammed the needle down on her arm and pulled. The pain was nothing to Amaris, but he had clearly made no attempt to be gentle. It was going to bleed for a little while.

    Amaris pulled her arm back and applied pressure to the puncture. Already, she could feel her head swimming. ¡°Woooah¡­ Carmen¡­ Car¡­ men¡­ man? Do you drive a car?¡± She tried to laugh, but found that required too much energy. She leaned back, intending to fall asleep¡­ but for some reason sleep didn¡¯t come. Her eyelids wouldn¡¯t even close¡ªand were starting to feel dry. ¡°Wh¡­?¡±

    ¡°Side effects may include loss of facial motor control and extreme drowsiness mixed with an inability to fall asleep. Later on, perception of time may be obscured. Oh, and itchy eyes, but that¡¯s incidental.¡±

    Amaris lazily lifted a finger and physically closed her eyelids. ¡°Much¡­ better¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t alarmed at all about the fact that she couldn¡¯t see.

    ¡°Now, Amaris, who are you?¡±

    ¡°Already told ya¡­ Amaris Kelvin.¡±

    ¡°And why did you pick that name?¡±

    ¡°Mom and Dad gave it to me¡­ when I was born. I didn¡¯t get to pick anything.¡± She scrunched her nose. ¡°That¡¯s messed up, we don¡¯t get to pick our names. Somebody should change that.¡±

    ¡°Amaris¡­¡± She could hear the strain in his voice. ¡°Why were you outside in the middle of the night?¡±

    ¡°Camping while going home. See¡­ the peninsula looks kinda like the edge of¡­ what I remember of home¡­¡±

    ¡°How are you connected to the alien?¡±

    ¡°I watched his ship fall out of the sky! Thought it was gonna hit me¡­ Ended up running towards it rather than away, whoops¡­¡± She tilted her head down, nuzzling Buddy. ¡°Isn¡¯t Star Buddy the cutest?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you lie!¡±

    ¡°Wheeeeee¡­.¡± Amaris slumped forward, ramming her head into the table. She didn¡¯t even care. ¡°Told¡­ you¡­ already¡­¡±

    ¡°You clearly are an excellent actor and have some kind of immunity to the serum. I should have known from the moment you were eager to take it.¡± She heard the suitcase close. ¡°We shall return you to your cell. We¡¯ll see if you¡¯re more inclined to talk after being stuck in there for a while.¡±

    ¡°¡­Wait¡­ food?¡±

    ¡°Food is for the cooperative only.¡±

    ¡°Dumb¡­¡±

    She was violently dragged out of her chair and back to her cell. Not that she particularly cared in her delirious state. She flopped onto the cot, dropping Buddy to the ground.

    The side effects were on the mark¡ªshe couldn¡¯t fall asleep. But she was hardly in a position to care.

    ¡°Buddy¡­ did you know¡­ that I cheated on a history test? Semester exam¡­ Wow¡­ Haven¡¯t told anyone that before¡­ Y¡¯know, I felt terrible about it¡­ but why was I so concerned¡­? Whew¡­ this serum¡¯s strong¡­ stuff¡­ makes you¡­¡± She took a moment to catch a few breaths. ¡°Makes you¡­ want to talk¡­ but too weak to¡­ do¡­ it¡­¡±

    She let out a few more incoherent mumbles before she stopped perceiving time properly and everything became a whir.

    ~~~

    Amaris awoke screaming. Every muscle in her body wanted to move at once, so she screamed her lungs out while jumping out of the cot. This wasn¡¯t enough¡ªshe needed to move. She jumped up, touched her feet to the wall and did a spin, twisting around so she could tap both the ceiling and the opposite wall at the same time. Had she been less coordinated this would have ended in disaster, but she managed to stick the landing, standing shakily on top of the cot, breathing heavily.

    That wasn¡¯t on the list of side effects¡­

    With a few deep breaths, she got control of herself and sat down on the cot. Predictably, Buddy jumped into her lap, letting out a happy trill.

    ¡°W-well¡­ at least I have you in here.¡± She frowned. ¡°I hope they¡¯re feeding Pitch. ¡­They might not be. Might be starving him like they¡¯re starving me. But¡­ they wouldn¡¯t.¡± A haunted look came over her. ¡°Would they?¡±

    Buddy tapped her happily and nuzzled her.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I should be more like you. You don¡¯t have any worries or fears, do you?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but smirk. ¡°You¡¯re just¡­ you, the little Star Buddy.¡± She picked him up and held him just above her. ¡°Buddy, I know you can¡¯t understand me, but I want you to know I¡¯m glad I met you, despite all that¡¯s happened. You¡¯re a good little star alien thing, don¡¯t you forget that.¡±

    Buddy let out a sound not unlike a muffled train whistle with glass tinkling in the background.

    ¡°That voice of yours really is something special, isn¡¯t it? I¡ª¡°

    She heard an agonized scream somewhere inside the building¡ªa scream that was cut suddenly short, as if someone had taken a recording of someone screaming and stopped it in the middle. This was quickly followed by another scream, cut short equally as fast, and then gunfire.

    Lots of gunfire.

    The gunfire became so oppressive that Amaris couldn¡¯t make out the screams anymore, but she knew they had to be there¡ªbecause, as time dragged on, fewer guns kept firing, likely because whoever was shooting them¡­ simply weren¡¯t able to, anymore.

    As the sound of gunfire abated, she could hear screams again¡ªand shouts. People giving orders, but the walls muffled the words so much she couldn¡¯t make them out. However, even this sound began to die out. In the far distance, Amaris heard a weather warning siren start up. It almost assuredly had nothing to do with the weather.

    The screams were less frequent now, but they were getting closer. And as they got closer, she could hear other sounds accompanying the wails of the men¡ªloud thumping, like footsteps, except much stronger. Intermixed with this was a soft, sparkling jingle, like fairy dust was being dropped onto agonized demons.

    The hall outside began to take on a yellowish hue, lit by some light Amaris couldn¡¯t see. She did the only thing she could¡ªback as far away from the door as possible, which was about four steps, clutching Buddy close to her chest.

    This did her no good whatsoever. The yellow light soon filled the entire window. A beautiful dolphin-like call came from the other side¡­ and then there were rainbows. The door to the cell was reduced to dust before Amaris¡¯ eyes. Before she knew what was happening, something had grabbed her¡ªsomething bright, rounded, and fuzzy.

    She was pulled out of the cell and thrown to the ground, dropping Buddy in the process. However, she still had her reflexes and was able to jump back onto her feet to face her attackers.

    There were three of them, all twice as tall as a human, and only able to fit in the hallway because their bodies were soft and foldable. They naturally glowed with an inspiring yellow, and their five-pointed bodies were pleasantly plump. Just like Buddy, their faces were delighted smiles and their eyes were huge; larger than Amaris¡¯ whole head.

    The one in front had opened his mouth. Amaris could see rainbow lights starting to form within. She was only going to have one shot at this, but if she timed it just right she could jump over the laser and run across them...

    Her plans were unnecessary. Buddy jumped forward, placing himself between the large aliens and her. He waved his appendages around and let out a series of springing, meowing noises.

    The lead star only let out one noise¡ªa whale-like utterance. It leaned down, bringing its face close to Buddy.

    Buddy waved cheerfully at the member of his race, bouncing slightly.

    Amaris let out a sigh of relief. Good ol¡¯ Buddy¡­

    The lead star opened his mouth¡ªbut no noise came out of it today. Instead, a laser shot forth, completely consuming Buddy in the middle of a baby-like giggle. The little star was reduced to colorless, empty ash in an instant.

    Without another noise, the alien stars turned around and walked away, clumsily climbing up the stairs.

    Somewhere, the weather warning siren kept blaring.

    Eventually, they were joined by vehicle sirens.

    Amaris stood, rooted to the spot, staring at the pile of dust that had once been Buddy. Her face laid expressionless, her thoughts empty.

    She would never know how long she stood there. Far longer than she should have, that was certain. What eventually brought her out of it was some sort of primal urge to get out.

    Stumbling, she entered the interrogation room and put on her backpack with all her belongings affixed to it. Pitch hissed at her from inside, but she didn¡¯t hear him. She walked back into the hallway, over Buddy¡¯s remains, and up the stairs.

    At the top of the stairs were several piles of dust, one of which had a pair of pointed sunglasses lying near it, cracked in half. She paid the dust no mind, even when she found dozens upon dozens of piles elsewhere in the building.

    She walked right out the front door of the police station¡ªfor that was where she was, in the police station of a small town. The parking lot outside was filled with half-disintegrated cars with bulletholes in the parts that were still standing, crevasses burnt into the half-molten asphalt, and a large number of ambulances with people running every which way, many wailing in pain. Not all were fortunate enough to be fully disintegrated by the invaders¡¯ beams. Some had only been grazed.

    Amaris didn¡¯t look. Couldn¡¯t look. Not now. She just kept walking. Since she looked healthy, the healthcare workers paid her no mind, instead fixating on the injured and dying.

    There was no sign of the aliens themselves. No ships, no bodies of fallen stars, nothing. Just the scars left in the wake of their destruction.

    Amaris kept walking. Walking, walking, walking. She eventually left the town entirely, returning to the colored forest. Even then, she kept walking. As the sun set and the stars began to come out, she continued on. Even though it was dark, cold, and the wind howled¡­ she kept moving.

    Then, for seemingly no reason, she stopped in her tracks. She looked up at the stars in the sky, face contorting in rage.

    ¡°Why!?¡± She screamed. ¡°Why!?¡±

    Her shouting received no answer.

    She slumped to the ground, kneeling directly on the gravel of the road. ¡°Why¡­? Why would they do that? Why would this happen? Why? Why?¡± She began to heave, throwing her head into her hands and letting out a series of deep, bitter sobs.

    ¡°Why¡­?¡± she mumbled, no longer demanding or even expecting an answer. ¡°Why¡­¡±

    Amaris might have stayed right there, kneeling, for the rest of the night. Bitter sorrow has a powerful hold on the spirit itself, and without any help, it can linger, debilitating anyone¡¯s ability to function.

    However, even then, none can remain in that place. The body is not designed to be frozen by its own sensations. Sometimes, it just needs a little push¡ªeven if that push is the soft hiss of a reptile trapped in a backpack.

    Amaris did not know how many times Pitch had hissed before the noise made it to her brain, but when it did, she stood up, feet planted firmly in the ground. Slowly, she moved her hand to her back and undid one of the flaps that kept Pitch inside. He slithered out immediately, coiling around her arm in a corkscrew pattern until he came to rest on her shoulder, where he began to lick her tears away.

    No words were exchanged. Amaris merely stroked his head a few times. She didn¡¯t stop crying. But she did turn off the road and start to unpack her tent. There was no use being miserable out in the cold, after all.

    That night, with a lantern heating the tent, Amaris drew pictures of Buddy, every now and then stopping to look up at the cold beauty of the stars above.

    She must have fallen asleep at some point, since she woke up and the sun was high in the sky. Once again, she packed up the tent and had a little breakfast before heading back to the road. The brilliant colors of the forest rippled in the wind, forming a myriad of rainbow colors that reminded her of an extremely sugary cereal her parents used to get her on special occasions.

    With a sad half-smile on her face, she continued on her journey, snake laying lazily around her neck.

 Sunless Sights

    Episode VII:

    Sunless Sights

    The City of Irest wasn¡¯t what people typically thought of when they heard the phrase ¡°port city.¡± Such a phrase brings images of massive, powerful ships sailing into complex dock systems carefully arranged to allow for constant aquatic traffic. The sprawling, reaching cities, grow alongside the coast as though the ocean was their lifeblood - which, of course, it usually is. This is how port cities across the world lived and thrived.

    This was not an option for the city of Irest.

    Irest was situated atop a cliff a full mile above the surface of the ocean. Many who saw this wondered if there was a better place for the city to be built, but the entire triangular shape of the Bell Peninsula was unfortunately lined with similar cliffs. In the past, the natural monolith had proven an insurmountable obstacle for those attempting the journey into uncharted waters, preventing landfall of any sort by traditional methods.

    Thus, Irest was born to fulfill a need. It started as a simple farming village taking advantage of the way the cliff face split up the river, allowing water to be easily irrigated to more fields. Civilization advanced, and as leisure gave way to thrill-seeking, ropes began to trail down the cliffs. The city invested in ports, but not in the traditional sense of the word. Tiny ropes gave way to massive docks, jutting off of the cliff like great steel teeth. They were large enough to service airships, but of course, a different kind of customer took the most interest.

    This area of the world was important to trade, a naval nexus between two highly disparate sections of the world. However, the cliffs offered no sustenance - a barren underbelly hundreds of miles long.

    Given time and opportunity, though, innovation always takes the reins. The ropes grew longer, and the ships grew taller, and eventually even a simpleton could put it together.

    By the present day, elevators lined the coast, lifted up and down by refined steel cable hung from the docks, shifting along industrial pulley systems to carry people, goods, and much more. It wasn¡¯t the most efficient of ports, but the existence of a port here at all was a miracle - or perhaps a testament to ingenuity.

    With the docks guiding growth, the city itself took an interesting path. Rather than spreading out, Irest spread down. Carving out the cliff like some creeping vines, the lowest levels paradoxically became the newest ones, a new take on the usual sedimentary growth of cities. As the waterfall cascaded down the cliff, people walked behind it like it was the most normal thing in the world. Which, to them, it was. Were the sky not obscured by a sheen of watery torrent, it would have been cause for alarm.

    Within these cliff-dwellings of this great bastion of civilization, there were many fantastical sights. Goods brought back from the largely unknown lands to the East, performers of every shape and species, and every modern convenience few cities this far from the developed nations had.

    There were several malls. In one of these malls was a large clothing store. And in this clothing store, there was a cashier who was really annoyed that there was enough modern infrastructure in Irest to not only allow, but mandate credit card use.

    ¡°My card can¡¯t be declined!¡± She shouted, slamming her fist on the countertop. ¡°I work here! I can buy a dress if I want!¡± It was fortunate it was early enough in the morning that there was currently no one in the store since anyone would have thought the outburst had come from a spoiled brat. However, the cashier couldn¡¯t be as young as she looked, since she was at least of the legal working age, despite having the physical appearance of someone who thought being a ¡°teenager¡± was a recently received badge of honor.

    She angrily held up the teal dress at the cash register. It was a color she found most beautiful¡ªpale teal, matching her hair exactly. It was such a rare color to see on decent clothing her size, and, as such, she had to have it. It even had pointed shoulders! She loved pointed shoulders! But no, her card was declined¡­

    Her left eye twitched. She picked up the card in her hand, planning to smash it on the ground into a million tiny pieces for daring to make her life irksome.

    Then she realized it wasn¡¯t a credit card in her hand. It was that dumb card she¡¯d been sent in the mail by a spam company that wanted to be her credit card company. The dumb thing wasn¡¯t even activated yet, and never would be if she had anything to say about it. Why she had kept it, she had no idea.

    With a sigh, she dug out her wallet and removed her actual credit card, running it through the register and completing her purchase. She slung the teal dress over her shoulder and slumped forward, dragging her side ponytail over the counter and letting out a deep groan. ¡°What am I doing with my life¡­?¡±

    She examined the sleek, red gloves on her hands. Smooth, featureless, and comfortable in a way only a garment designed for a specific person could be. These gloves had meant something, once.

    It almost felt like a dream, standing here now, having just completed a shouting match with a cash register.

    There was a soft bing noise that let the cashier know a customer had just walked in. She didn¡¯t even try to put up an enthusiastic smile. ¡°Hello and welcome to Bangle Jangle, world of wondrous woolen fabrics and many others. How may I help you today?¡±

    The soft brown eyes of a girl locked with her own. ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you a little young to be a cashier?¡±

    The cashier grunted. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little young to be carrying around an entire house?¡± She gestured at the massive backpack adorned with various survival supplies, a bow, and what she was pretty sure was a collapsible tent.

    ¡°No, I mean, are you the actual cashier? I need to buy a new outfit.¡±

    The cashier examined the girl¡¯s clothes, finding that her sleeveless shirt was far too small for her and filled with more than a few holes at that. ¡°Geez, how long have you been wearing that thing?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know,¡± the girl admitted.

    The cashier nodded in understanding. She knew what that felt like. ¡°Well, yes, I am the cashier.¡± She pointed at the name on her bland, white uniform. ¡°See? Jenny.¡±

    The girl nodded. ¡°Amaris.¡±

    ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn to ask a question¡­¡± Jenny leaned in, pressing her forearm into the counter. ¡°How are you going to pay?¡±

    Amaris gave Jenny a smug smirk, flipping a solid gold coin onto the counter. ¡°Will this work?¡±

    Jenny snorted. ¡°Kid, I would love it if that worked, but we¡¯ve got this card requirement policy now, something about counterfeit protection.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be worth more than the clothes, obviously. You could just pay for the clothes with your card and I¡¯d give you the coin for the service.¡±

    Jenny was fairly certain she wasn¡¯t supposed to do that and the manager would throw a fit if he found out.

    Screw that guy.

    ¡°Make it two coins and you got yourself a deal,¡± Jenny said, pointing expectantly at the coin already on the counter. With a shrug, Amaris flipped a coin over her back, kicking her leg back at just the right angle to land it next to her first payment.

    Jenny whistled. ¡°Coordinated.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. It helps a lot out there.¡± Without another word, she shuffled off to the children¡¯s section to find some suitable clothing. She must have known exactly what she wanted for she came back to the register not fifteen minutes later, wearing a long sleeveless periwinkle shirt without a design, some rugged black pants, and a pair of industrial hiking boots. Her old shirt was still on her outfit, though, hanging from her hip, displaying the mathematical function proudly.

    Amaris also threw two identical shirts and pants onto the counter, along with some loose underwear and some socks. ¡°Three shirts, three pants, three pairs of underwear, six socks, and these boots.¡± She flicked a third coin to Jenny. ¡°Good enough?¡±

    ¡°Good enough,¡± Jenny said, twirling her card and ringing her up. ¡°That¡¯ll be¡­ oh who cares, you sure don¡¯t.¡±

    Amaris was already folding up the extra clothes neatly into a bundle that she tied up with rope and what might have been a pillowcase, hanging it off the side of her backpack.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever get tired of carrying that thing?¡±

    ¡°Used to,¡± Amaris admitted. ¡°Not anymore.¡±

    Jenny whistled. ¡°You put grown men to shame.¡±

    Amaris gave her a coy smile. ¡°I know. I have experience.¡± She turned, waving as she went. ¡°Bye, thanks for the help!¡±

    ¡°Bye,¡± Jenny said, scooping up the gold coins. The three dots of color reflected in her eyes. Silence returned to the store. A moment of fleeting interest, over. With a sigh, Jenny lazily leaned forward on the counter once more. That was probably the most interesting thing that was going to happen to her today.

    That thought was put to rest when Amaris ran back into the store at full speed, scrambling as though her life depended on it. ¡°Get down!¡± she shouted to Jenny as she jumped into a coat rack to hide.

    Jenny did not get down. She turned to look directly at what Amaris was running away from.

    The first thing that struck Jenny were the eyes. Hundreds of them seemed to pour through the sliding glass door, until with a creaking groan the mechanics failed and it was shoved aside to shatter on the ground. Each one seemed to fix onto Jenny almost instantly, colored a horrible, maddening red. They came from a mess of what looked like the butcher¡¯s scraps - until Jenny realized they were actually razor-thin, glistening tendons.

    The entire creature swayed like a liquid, crooking back and forth with a sound like a mop being sashayed across a dirty, wet floor. Sinking into the room, its seemingly fleshy appearance was betrayed as the tendons scraped past a clothing rack, burning it away and leaving behind a torn, scattered mess of metal.

    Jenny inhaled to take a breath - a mistake, as she coughed out the scent of death. Like some mad summer dream, it left behind an aftertaste of overwhelming butterscotch.

    Jenny raised a finger. ¡°You are one of the ugliest things I have ever seen, and that¡¯s saying something.¡±

    The creature rolled past her, largely uncaring. One of its razor-wire tendons slicing into her wrist, lobbing off her hand in one effortless swing.

    Jenny leaned over the counter to look at her severed hand, lying lifeless on the ground.

    ¡°Been a while since that¡¯s happened,¡± Jenny commented. Flexing her wrist, she inspected the hand that¡¯d been attacked¡ªalready almost good as new, though the glove hadn¡¯t come back yet. Maybe the regenerations were getting slower¡­ or she was getting more impatient. She looked up; noting that the creature was on a march toward the coat rack Amaris was hiding in.

    ¡°You chose the wrong place to do this, stalky,¡± Jenny announced. She jumped onto the counter and pulled back her fist. For the first time in¡­ wow, had it been that long?¡ªshe felt a buildup of heat within her grip. Searing flame erupted around her fist, an explosion of energy she quickly slammed into the roiling flesh of the beast. Its many limbs reacted, cutting up her arm into a million pieces, but that didn¡¯t matter. She grew a new one¡ªthough the sleeve of her uniform didn¡¯t regenerate. Her discarded hand was still aflame, searing the creature with more force than a simple punch should have had behind it. Revealed by the crushing force, the creature¡¯s center looked like a rolling mass of crushed brain matter¡ªnow folded in on itself, turning into a charred chip as it fell down, lifeless.

    ¡°Huh, easier than expected¡­¡± Jenny shrugged before clapping her hands. ¡°Once again, Jenny has saved the day!¡±

    ¡°We need to run!¡± Amaris shouted, jumping out of the coat rack and grabbing Jenny¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Wh-what? Why?¡± In her confusion¡ªand shock at the sheer amount of strength in Amaris¡¯ grip¡ªshe let herself be dragged along.

    ¡°The brain is just a cohesion matrix, the eyes are the actual creatures!¡±

    Jenny glanced back. Those eyes that she hadn¡¯t crushed had suddenly grown eight spindly legs and were skittering after them with a mad determination.

    Jenny blinked. ¡°¡­I have to admit, that¡¯s a neat trick.¡±

    ¡°Stop admiring the enemy and run!¡±

    A snake poked its head out of the backpack and hissed at Jenny.

    ¡°There¡¯s a snake in your backpack,¡± Jenny observed.

    ¡°Oh for the¡­ don¡¯t you understand the danger we¡¯re in!?¡±

    Jenny paused. ¡°Right, danger. That thing I¡¯m never in.¡± For Amaris¡¯ sake, she picked up the pace. She may have been invincible, but the people around her weren¡¯t.

    Sometimes she forgot that most people couldn¡¯t just regrow limbs at the drop of a hat.

    ¡°So¡­ how come the spider eyes are after you, kid?¡±

    ¡°I killed their mother.¡±

    ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°She was trying to eat me!¡±

    At this comment, Jenny broke out into a huge, glittering grin. ¡°Amaris, I think you and I are going to get along just fine.¡±

    ¡°Less talking, more running!¡±

    The snake hissed, as if to punctuate the thought. Good snake.

    ~~~

    Amaris stopped running when she heard Jenny¡¯s breathing start to become ragged. Need to remember, not everyone has my endurance. She steered them into a side street deep within Irest¡¯s cliff face. Even though the sun was high in the sky, it was impossible to tell this deep in the city, so everything was lit with artificial lampposts. Given how there were a large number of people walking around as though nothing were wrong, it was probably safe to assume none of the eye spiders were close by.

    She allowed herself to stop, breathing hard, but not gasping for lungfuls of air like Jenny was. Cautiously, Amaris turned around to examine Jenny. The girl was short, shorter than her, and yet looked slightly older. However, she didn¡¯t act like a kid and was apparently legally allowed to work as a cashier. Then there was the whole thing with magic punches and being able to regrow limbs without breaking a sweat. Honestly, that last part should probably have been the most concerning.

    She had so many questions to ask, but she waited for Jenny to gather her breath. To her credit, Jenny tried¡ªbut the moment she got enough breath to try speaking again, she broke out into laughter, removing what little progress she had gained.

    Amaris put a hand to her mouth, trying to stifle a giggle. But it was too late¡ªJenny heard the giggle and only laughed harder, falling to the ground with an immense wheeze that only prompted Amaris to laugh harder.

    The people of Irest largely ignored them. It was just two girls laughing. Not the strangest thing in the world.

    It is an unfortunate fact of life that no laughter can last forever, and theirs was no exception. The moment of reveling in the absurdity ended eventually, and the two wordlessly decided to start walking in a random direction through Irest.

    ¡°Soooo¡­¡± Jenny said, putting her hands behind her back. ¡°You have adventures like this often?¡±

    Amaris snorted. ¡°All the time. I¡¯m cursed to have my life be interesting.¡±

    Jenny crossed her arms and tossed her hair back. ¡°Sounds like a fun curse to me.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t. I¡¯ve been brainwashed, enslaved, murdered¡ªdon¡¯t ask¡ªand tormented in a large myriad of unpleasantness.¡±

    Jenny waved a dismissive hand. ¡°Psh, pain¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°A-hem, you appear to have misunderstood my nature.¡± Jenny put her hand on her chest and spoke as though she were some kind of legendary hero of old. ¡°I feel pain just like anyone else. It¡¯s just lost all meaning with time.¡±

    Amaris rolled her eyes. ¡°Pain¡¯s not something you can ignore after a few months of suffering.¡±

    ¡°Think¡­ more on the scale of centuries.¡±

    Amaris raised an incredulous eyebrow. ¡°You, more than a hundred years old?¡±

    ¡°At least. I know I was around since before Irest was founded but¡­¡± Jenny reached for her chin, scratching while she dug through the dredges of her oldest memories. ¡°Yeah, uh, the human brain wasn¡¯t meant to store this many memories, anything before that is pretty fuzzy.¡±

    Amaris stared at her in disbelief. She¡¯s serious. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ some kind of ancient¡­ I don¡¯t know! What were you doing running a cash register!?¡±

    Jenny opened up her mouth to respond but was unable to find the words. She awkwardly closed her mouth and blinked a few times. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t really remember what I was thinking.¡± She shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°But hey, that store¡¯s trashed and there¡¯s crushed brain all over it. And¡­ eh, I quit.¡± Without missing a beat, she ripped off her uniform, standing in only her underwear.

    Amaris facepalmed. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any modesty?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± Jenny said, putting on the teal dress she¡¯d had hanging on her shoulder the whole time, satisfactorily tapping the angles on the shoulders with her gloved fingertips.

    Amaris tilted her head. ¡°¡­I think the red clashes with the teal.¡±

    ¡°You take that back. Red and teal go great together.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just saying that because of your gloves and your hair.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Jenny said, breaking out into a grin. ¡°I am the epitome of color coordination.¡±

    Amaris facepalmed again and shook her head. ¡°No¡­ no you are not.¡±

    ¡°And your outfit consists of basic clothing implements and a ragged shirt haphazardly hung off your hip like a political statement.¡±

    ¡°Touche.¡±

    Jenny shot her a finger-guns gesture and winked. ¡°Check and mate! I win!¡±

    ¡°Win what?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Jenny put her hands on her hips and struck a heroic pose. ¡°So, my dear Amaris, what adventures will we have today?¡±

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m serious, this is a curse. It¡¯s not going to be happy-go-lucky fairy-tale adventure time. Horrible things could happen at a moment¡¯s notice a¡ª¡° Amaris realized they weren¡¯t walking down a street in Irest anymore. Instead, the two of them were walking on a sidewalk made out of purple concrete next to an abandoned, equally purple road lit only by tall, haunting lampposts. The street was utterly abandoned, and the buildings lining it were featureless, without windows or doors.

    Amaris hung her head back and let out an annoyed groan. ¡°Oh, for the love of hating lovely things¡­¡±

    Jenny whooped. ¡°Aw yeah! That ¡®curse¡¯ of yours works fast, Amaris! I wonder what kinds of ancient secrets we shall find in this¡­ violet city.¡±

    ¡°Whatever it is, it probably won¡¯t be pleasant¡­¡± Amaris took stock of her surroundings, more than a little annoyed that further examining didn¡¯t reveal anything. The buildings were featureless, the sidewalk had no cracks, and every lamp was perfectly identical so far as she could tell. There wasn¡¯t even variation in the sky, which stood as a flat, empty black. Not even any stars.

    Jenny cupped her hands to her mouth. ¡°Helloooo? Is anyone there!?¡±

    Amaris slapped Jenny¡¯s hands. ¡°Are you insane? That¡¯s how monsters find us!¡±

    ¡°That was the idea.¡±

    Amaris took in a long, sharp breath, instinctually rocking back and forth on her heels in a stress-relieving motion. ¡°Do you want to die?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Jenny said with a dismissive hand. ¡°I want¡­ the thrills!¡± She jumped on one of the lampposts and started spinning around out, a gleeful grin on her face. ¡°From this day forward, it¡¯s not Jenny, cashier; it¡¯s Jenny, monster hunter!¡±

    Amaris wanted to point out how idiotic Jenny was being, but even she had to admit, if Jenny really was as invincible as she thought she was, there might not have been any real danger. To her.

    Amaris, on the other hand¡­

    Jenny must have seen her look. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, I can protect you.¡± She flexed her arm, showing off a distinct lack of muscles. If it wasn¡¯t for the spark of ice forming on her fist, she would have looked rather absurd.

    In response, Amaris flexed her own arm, displaying an actual muscle with a corked brow.

    ¡°Or you could take care of yourself,¡± Jenny said with a shrug.

    ¡°Wh¡ªthat wasn¡¯t the point I was trying to make!¡±

    ¡°Then what was your point?¡± Jenny put her hands on her hips in an exaggerated pose.

    ¡°I-kitty.¡±

    Jenny stared at Amaris dumbfounded. ¡°¡­Kitty?¡±

    ¡°Kitty,¡± Amaris said, pointing behind Jenny with a big grin. Sure enough, there was a calico kitten walking down the sidewalk toward them. Amaris moved to pet the adorable animal, but she stopped before she got close enough to get a detailed look. Cats were cute. But cute¡­

    She nervously backed away.

    Jenny rolled her eyes and turned around. ¡°That ¡®curse¡¯ has made you paranoid¡­¡± She kneeled down, motioning for the cat to come closer.

    The cat continued walking toward them, moving no faster or slower than it had been before. In fact, it didn¡¯t even make eye contact with either of them. Amaris hung back behind Jenny a few meters, but she didn¡¯t run. Despite all that happened to her, she had a soft spot for cats¡ªthinking of them as sort of a kindred spirit in curiosity.

    The cat approached methodically, almost robotically. Still, Jenny gestured for it to come to them. Her first words once the cat was close enough were ¡°wow, you have strange eyes.¡±

    Amaris tensed. ¡°What¡­ what kind of eyes?¡±

    ¡°Look for yourself,¡± Jenny said, gesturing at the approaching feline. Instead of whites, iris, and a slitted pupil, the entire eyeball was uniform static, akin to what an old television showed when set to a channel that didn¡¯t exist. Pixels of gray, white, and black flitted randomly around the cat¡¯s eyes like angry bees.

    The cat did not seem to mind. For that matter, it didn¡¯t seem to feel anything or even register their presence. It simply walked forward. When its head awkwardly bumped into Jenny¡¯s knee, it kept trying to walk as though there were nothing in the way.

    Amaris let her guard down a little. ¡°Does it feel¡­ strange?¡±

    Jenny stroked it behind the ears. ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s just a cat. With freaky eyes and no brain, apparently.¡± She got up. The cat kept walking down the sidewalk as though nothing had ever impeded it, passing by Amaris without a glance.

    ¡°Weird¡­¡± Amaris put her hand to her chin and pondered what this all meant, understandably not getting very far. Pitch joined in the act, licking her chin in places she wasn¡¯t scratching.

    ¡°Your snake is trying to eat you.¡±

    ¡°He does that,¡± Amaris deadpanned.

    ¡°So¡­ now what?¡±

    ¡°The cat has proven itself to be harmless or mostly harmless,¡± Amaris said. ¡°So¡­ we follow it.¡± Clutching the straps on her backpack tightly, she marched after the cat, Jenny trailing behind in a much less orderly walking pace. At one point the ¡®immortal girl¡¯ started skipping along the sidewalk.

    Be patient with her¡­ Amaris told herself. Of course she¡¯s not afraid, she has very little reason to. I shouldn¡¯t resent her for feeling fine.

    As they followed the cat, they found that every building was identical, surrounded by four streets that formed a perfect grid that went off for as far as the eye could see. Had Amaris not been counting the number of street corners they passed, there would have been no way to tell how far they had moved from where they started.

    The further they moved along, the more cats they saw. While they all had different fur colorations, they all shared the same empty, static eyes. None of them took any notice of the girls walking among them¡ªin fact, it looked as though it might have been impossible for them to notice anything at all. Despite their oblivious appearance, they managed to time their walks perfectly with respect to each other; with no visible change in their speed, no cat ever ran into any other for any reason.

    Jenny apparently decided she had to mess with this perfect system. She knelt down and stopped a cat for a second.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Amaris hissed.

    ¡°Science.¡± Jenny released the cat, letting it loose on a collision course with another cat. As they approached, one cat arched its back while the other ducked low. Somehow, neither of them lost speed, yet one was able to walk right over the other.

    ¡°Okay, so they can adapt,¡± Jenny said, nodding slowly. ¡°¡­This tells us nothing.¡±

    Emboldened by Jenny¡¯s actions, Amaris knelt down to pet the cats as they passed by. Not to feel their warm fur in her fingers¡ªalthough she didn¡¯t complain about that¡ªbut rather to make sure they weren¡¯t actually robots. Her cursory inspection told her it was real fur on real flesh on probably real bones, but that last one she wasn¡¯t sure about. ¡°Not robots.¡±

    ¡°Robots can be made out of meat,¡± Jenny said matter-of-factly.

    Amaris decided not to question that, standing up. ¡°Okay. We¡¯re in the middle of a seemingly endless city populated only by brain-dead cats with eyes that can¡¯t load properly. Uh¡­ yeah dunno.¡±

    Pitch slithered down her leg and poked his head at a cat that was eye level with him, hissing. Predictably, it paid him no mind.

    ¡°So far this gives us no indication on how we could go back to Irest,¡± Amaris noted.

    ¡°I know!¡± Jenny waved a hand excitedly. ¡°We could collect the cats and make a giant cat-ball!¡±

    ¡°How would that help?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d be fun.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ aren¡¯t there other things that are fun?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but cats a¡ªdemon bird.¡±

    Amaris caught on immediately, whirling around and pulling her bow. A few street corners behind her, there was a floating creature of shadow. It had no legs, but rather a bottom resembling shadows of torn ligaments and bone. Its two arms were thin and angular, almost flat, and clutched within all eight of its talon-like fingers was some kind of silver staff tipped with a hovering yellow flame that was disconnected slightly from the staff¡¯s physical bulk.

    But the worst part of all was the beak-shaped mask. It was made of silver and pointed downward, coming to a sharp tip. Six eye slits were cut into the mask, three on each side, and through them there was nothing but darkness.

    Amaris didn¡¯t shoot, she just stood there, staring at it.

    ¡°Freaky¡­¡± Jenny said, poking her head around Amaris. ¡°So, you gonna shoot it, or what?¡±

    Amaris didn¡¯t move, she simply kept the demon-bird-masked thing in her sights.

    ¡°Amaris¡­¡±

    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    The thing lifted its staff slowly, angling it right at Amaris. The flame began to spark aggressively.

    Now. Amaris let the arrow fly. It swung through the air, aim true: its tip impacted the beast directly in its dark chest. The impact made the creature lurch, but that was the extent of the damage¡ªthe arrow was consumed by the creature¡¯s darkness the next moment.

    ¡°Nice shot,¡± Jenny called, taking a few steps in front of Jenny. ¡°My turn.¡± As the creature angled its staff at them once more, Jenny ran at it, fist brimming with icy energy. With a shout of delight, she plowed her fist right into the creature, triggering an explosion of ice shards on contact. The darkness dissolved her hand and glove away, but she had another set the next second. ¡°There¡¯s more where that came from, buddy.¡±

    The creature appeared unharmed, overall, brushing through the ice like it was nothing. Slowly, methodically, it brought the staff¡¯s burning tip to Jenny, lightly bopping her with it.

    Jenny snorted. ¡°Hey, Amaris, this guy¡¯s attack is usele¡ª¡° it was at this point Jenny felt the fur starting to grow on her skin. ¡°Oh come on! That¡¯s cheap and you know i¡ª¡° She dropped to the ground, shrinking within the folds of her dress. Her complaining words became yowls and meows until even those stopped. A bluish cat remained, eyes of static, mind of nothing, with a teal dress draped all over her.

    ¡°Jenny!¡± Amaris shouted. ¡°Not again, not again¡­¡± She absent-mindedly wiped her eyes and pulled out another arrow, this time aiming for the light of the staff itself. Her arrow flew true, impacting the glittering flame, to no effect; this time her arrow wasn¡¯t consumed, but just bounced away.

    She readied another arrow, not exactly sure what her plan was, but she knew she couldn¡¯t just leave Jenny like that, meowing in confusion.

    ¡­Wait. Meowing? She¡¯d stopped meowing already, wasn¡¯t her mind supposed to be like the other cats?

    To Amaris¡¯ shock, Jenny the cat started growing again. Her fur shed right off, forming a light blue pile on the ground as a human took form once again, rising within the dress¡ªthough this time she had it on backward. With an expression of untold rage, Jenny violently grabbed the bird-demon¡¯s staff and rammed its glowing end into the ground. ¡°Looks like being turned into a cat qualifies as an attack¡­ How would you like a taste of your own medicine?¡± She pulled on the staff, attempting to yank it out of the creature¡¯s hands.

    Having the strength of an underdeveloped teenager, she wasn¡¯t able to come even close to prying it out of the creature¡¯s death grip, though she tried yanking on it a good three times. ¡°Oh come on, let the epicness happen!¡±

    The creature easily wrenched the staff out of her hands and smacked her upside the head with the physical part of it.

    ¡°Ow,¡± Jenny deadpanned. ¡°Guess we do this the old-fashioned way¡­¡± She pulled her fist back, this time surrounding it in an aura of pure light. Unlike the ice, which had done nothing, this burned the very substance of the creature away like fire consuming paper, leaving behind only the mask and the scepter; the flame of which went out in an instant.

    ¡°Hey! I wanted that!¡± Jenny gestured angrily at the now-defunct staff on the ground. ¡°I was gonna turn all my enemies into cats¡­¡±

    ¡°You might still get a chance¡­¡± Jenny said, pointing behind her.

    Jenny turned, finding that several dozen of the bird-demon creatures had appeared, slowly marching toward them.

    Jenny snapped her fingers¡ªhow she did this through her gloves, Amaris would never know. ¡°That might be a problem¡±

    ¡°You think!? Do you know anything that can hit them all?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ no.¡±

    ¡°Do you know any spell besides fist?¡±

    Jenny shrugged. ¡°Not so much as I remember. But I know a lot of varieties of fist!¡±

    Amaris noticed the things were starting to point their staves at Jenny. ¡°Then let¡¯s run!¡±

    ¡°Oooh, a chase! Like in those zombie movies!¡± The idea seemed to thrill Jenny, so she took off in a run after Amaris. Amaris, while having to carry a backpack, was still slightly faster than the rather flimsy Jenny, but she slowed down her pace so she wouldn¡¯t leave the immortal girl behind.

    A bolt of yellow energy struck just to Amaris¡¯ left.

    ¡°Ah, the cat-inator is long-range!¡± Jenny observed.

    ¡°We¡¯re not calling it the cat-inator!¡±

    ¡°Yes we are, you just did.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ ugh! Just¡­ turn a lot of corners, break line of sight!¡± Amaris took a hard left and Jenny followed. This kept the bird-beasts from shooting at them, but, somehow, five turns later Jenny and Amaris were behind the creatures. What? I was meandering away from them, that doesn¡¯t make any¡­

    Jenny grabbed Amaris, yanking her out of the way of a beam. ¡°Told you I¡¯d watch you,¡± Jenny said with a wink.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Amaris said with a nod.

    ¡°Doooon¡¯t mention it!¡±

    Despite all her bravado and smiles, Amaris could tell Jenny was already getting strained from all of the running. Poor girl was not used to bursts of strenuous activity. They needed a plan, a way out of this, and they didn¡¯t seem to have anything at their disposal to take on that many of the creatures¡­

    ¡°Hey! You two! In here!¡±

    That wasn¡¯t Jenny¡¯s voice and it didn¡¯t sound anything like what Amaris expected the bird-demons to sound like, so Amaris listened to it. She turned to the voice and jumped.

    All things considered not the smartest thing she¡¯d ever done. She had jumped right toward one of the windowless, doorless buildings, and was on course to flatten herself against the wall like a pancake. As it was, only half of this occurred¡ªshe smacked her head and upper body against the wall, while the rest of her passed through it like it wasn¡¯t there. The impact upended her like a pinwheel, but, despite the pounding headache she had from jumping headfirst into a wall, she managed to stick the landing. Shaky, in pain, but upright and alert.

    Jenny walked in after her, ducking as she did so, clapping slowly. ¡°Nice.¡±

    ¡°Shut up¡­¡± Amaris grumbled, rubbing her head. ¡°I¡¯ll be lucky if I don¡¯t have a concussion¡­¡± Despite the pounding in her skull, she forced herself to open her eyes and look around.

    They were standing on top of a circular, purple platform about the size of a living room. On this platform was a couch upon which sat six cats with real, living eyes. However, these cats meant little to Amaris¡ªwhat struck her the most was what she could see outside the disc.

    Colors. An endless wall that rippled with a gradual rainbow gradient upon which polygons of various sizes appeared and disappeared like bubbles. Squares would appear, grow, and dissipate while overlaid with pentagons, triangles, and other loosely flowing shapes. Already, Amaris found herself trying to piece together any possible patterns in the rate of appearance and disappearance of the shapes, and if it correlated to their size or number of sides.

    ¡°I think you broke Amaris,¡± Jenny said, waving her hand in front of Amaris¡¯ face.

    ¡°The Wall has that effect on people,¡± the lead cat, a brown male, said as he hopped onto the back of the couch.

    ¡°The¡­ Wall?¡± Amaris turned to the cat, tilting her head. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°We have no idea,¡± he admitted. ¡°But we know that, here, we¡¯re safe. The Scourge can¡¯t come here.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Again, no idea.¡± The cat shook his head forlornly. ¡°And we don¡¯t know why that particular building you entered has a connection to this place, why there¡¯s a circular platform here, nor any number of other questions everyone who comes here asks. We free cats found it one day and it was exactly the same then.¡±

    Amaris nodded slowly, turning away from the Wall. Aside from it and the platform, there wasn¡¯t much¡ªthe rest of the platform was surrounded by purple walls, one section of which had red arrows painted on it, pointing directly at the invisible exit. ¡°So¡­ here¡¯s a question you can answer. Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I am Urvest,¡± the cat said, bowing his head. ¡°And these are the free cats, those who have broken free from the static¡¯s control.¡±

    ¡°How did you break free?¡±

    ¡°It just seems to¡­ happen,¡± Urvest admitted. ¡°Perhaps a glitch in whatever system connects the minds of all those in the static.¡±

    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t know why there are bird demons wandering around turning people into cats, do you?¡±

    ¡°I am afraid not. I myself was once a citizen of a city known as Irest¡ªa gari, if that means anything to you¡ªand then one day I found myself here, turned into a cat.¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait, wait¡­ you were a gari?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Amaris tilted her head. ¡°But¡­ your name. That¡¯s not a gari name¡­¡±

    ¡°What kind of strange names do the gari take where you¡¯re from?¡±

    ¡°Uh, names like Sarah, Richard¡­¡±

    ¡°Those are human names.¡±

    Amaris facepalmed. ¡°Nope, nope, not having this conversation again, uh¡­ you were talking about being transformed into a cat?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I was in the static for¡­ some time, I don¡¯t know how long. Then I was free, and I found this place while running from the tamers¡ªthey are attracted to disorder in the static, and I was definitely causing disorder.¡±

    Amaris glared at Jenny, who put her hands up in surrender. ¡°I was trying to figure out what was going on!¡±

    ¡°And summoned them upon you, no doubt,¡± Urvest said. ¡°I am curious, how did you manage to get away without becoming cats?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re just that good,¡± Jenny grinned.

    ¡°She¡¯s immune to whatever it is they do,¡± Amaris corrected.

    ¡°¡­Because we¡¯re just that good.¡±

    ¡°Immunity¡­ curious¡­¡± Urvest scratched his chin. ¡°Well, I suppose that gives you an advantage over us, we¡¯re just cats.¡±

    Amaris leaned forward. ¡°Do you know anything about these¡­ tamers? Anything at all?¡±

    Urvest looked to an old, female cat. ¡°Mrra, would you like to tell your story to them?¡±

    The elderly cat nodded, shakily climbing up onto the back of the couch next to Urvest. ¡°I¡­ am the only cat here who remembers what our great city was like before. Wondrous parks, kittens playing in the streets, and¡­ so much more. I won¡¯t bore you with the details; suffice it to say, it was nice, at least compared to this. But then, one day, the sun vanished¡ªthe tamers must have stolen it, or something. After that, they started marching through the dark streets, taking every cat they could find¡ªand converting everything that wasn¡¯t a cat to their purpose. They somehow warped the city, closed everything off, and drained all the life from it. I don¡¯t know why and I don¡¯t care. I just want them gone.¡±

    ¡°Have you tried to do anything to them?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°Oh, yes, many things,¡± Urvest explained, his tail flicking from side to side. ¡°We have killed two, and only two, and we lost many cats to other tamers during the operations. Resistance is simply not feasible in our state, since it does not take much to re-wire a cat to the static.¡±

    Amaris nodded slowly. ¡°And¡­ does the fact that they have six eyes mean anything?¡±

    ¡°Not that I know of.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Amaris took a step back to start pacing while thinking.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a question,¡± Jenny said, stepping forward. ¡°How do you guys survive?¡±

    ¡°There is only one food source out there, and it ain¡¯t pretty,¡± Mrra hissed.

    ¡°¡­Oh¡­¡±

    Amaris almost threw up at the implications.

    Jenny held up her arm. ¡°If, uh, you have a sharp object, I can cut off several duplicate arms for you guys, it mi¡ª¡°

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± Amaris said, putting a hand on Jenny¡¯s arm. ¡°We¡¯re not going to stoop that low.¡±

    Jenny blinked a few times. ¡°I think a willing meal would be better tha¡ª¡°

    ¡°We¡¯re going to help end this. I can¡¯t stand to see this continue.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you have a plan?¡±

    ¡°As a matter of fact¡­¡± Amaris reached into her backpack and pulled out a long rope. ¡°I do.¡±

    Pitch slithered along the coils of the rope as if trying to make it look cooler.

    ¡°Snake!¡± Mrra shouted. ¡°Snake!¡±

    ¡°Mrra, calm down,¡± Urvest cautioned.

    ¡°Snakes ate my last garden the day before the sun was stolen! I¡¯m not going to calm down! I¡¯m gonna rip that thing¡¯s skull out of its sorry little head and pulverize it to make grout! Grout, I tell you!¡±

    Pitch sensed the threat and retreated back into the backpack, where Amaris took up a defensive stance just in case Mrra tried to rush her. In her younger years, the cat may have tried it. But she was old, and such a rush would probably pop a few joints she didn¡¯t want strained. So, instead, she angrily turned her back to Amaris, refusing any further conversation.

    ¡°Sooo¡­¡± Jenny said, awkwardly leaning in. ¡°You had a plan?¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°Tell me what you think of this¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Your plan is outrageously simple and it isn¡¯t going to work,¡± Jenny told Amaris as they poked their heads around the corner of one of the buildings.

    ¡°Wait until it fails to gloat, thank you.¡±

    ¡°You might be dead at that point.¡±

    ¡°You forget, you¡¯re the bait here.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Jenny grinned. ¡°At least I¡¯m really good at my job!¡±

    ¡°Just¡­¡± Amaris handed Jenny the arrow with a rope tied around it. ¡°Just do the thing.¡±

    ¡°With pleasure.¡± Jenny gave Amaris a cocky salute before running out into the street, rope trailing behind her. Once she arrived in the middle of the road she reached down, picked up a cat, and threw it at another cat. ¡°Oh no, look at me, I¡¯m causing disorder and chaos in this perfect system! Somebody better try to stop me!¡± She picked up another cat and used it like a stick to nudge other cats off course. Luckily for her, these cats were mindless and didn¡¯t descend into clawing balls of fury upon being used to poke each other.

    The effect was exactly as intended. Less than a minute after she started poking cats, one of the tamers appeared, its beaked mask glinting off the light of a nearby lamppost.

    Jenny unceremoniously dropped the cat she was holding. ¡°Hey there! I was wondering, could you point me in the direction of the nearest restroom? See, I can¡¯t seem to find any.¡±

    The tamer slowly raised its staff, at which point Jenny ran at the tamer, knocking the staff¡¯s tip to the side before it could fire at her. The next thing she did was ram the arrowhead into one of the mask¡¯s eyeholes, finding it hollow inside. With a single twist, the arrow lodged itself in there, the glue adhering to the inside of the mask.

    ¡°Bingo,¡± Jenny said, at which point she was shot by the staff she called the cat-inator. This had been part of the plan¡ªlet the beast think it had got her¡ªbut even so, it wasn¡¯t pleasant. Sure, there was pain, but pain was an old friend at this point. Specifically, the friend who lived in Jenny¡¯s mental basement and made so much noise that Jenny forgot there was noise. The unpleasantness actually came from the feeling of her body reshaping itself and of her mind being ripped from her bit by bit. She was a woman who liked being in control of herself, and having awareness stolen from her and replaced with an incessant, buzzing static was not on her list of acceptable activities. She was only doing it because it might help them get out of this place, or at least figure out what was going on.

    All of her thoughts that were telling her to stick with it, to endure the suffering¡­ all of those vanished, replaced with a desire to eat fish and meow at dogs. Then even this passed, until there was only the buzzing¡­ buzzing¡­ buzzing¡­

    No matter how many times Amaris told her she¡¯d only been in that state for a few seconds, Jenny still felt as though she spent hours listening to the offending noise without the ability to think back. To one of her advanced age, a few hours wasn¡¯t all that much, but the jarring buzz still engraved itself into her memory.

    Eventually, though, she returned. First as a mewling kitten, but then as her usual, angry self, rubbing the cat hair off of her like it was made of spiders. Standing up to her full height, she noticed the tamer was gone, and that the rope was sliding slowly along the ground.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Jenny made a fist-pump, quickly running back to Amaris. ¡°Mission success, we have a lead.¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°I noticed. I¡¯ve tied all the rope together I can. Hopefully, it will give us enough of a trail to follow without being seen.¡±

    ¡°Amaris, it either doesn¡¯t notice or can¡¯t remove an arrow stuck in its eye. I think it¡¯s not going to notice us following it.¡±

    ¡°Unless we disrupt the cats.¡± Amaris grasped her backpack straps tightly.

    ¡°Got it, don¡¯t kick any cats.¡± Jenny took an extravagant bow. ¡°I will attempt to restrain myself, m¡¯lady.¡±

    Amaris rolled her eyes, turning to her snake¡ªJenny still had no idea what its name was. ¡°I think she lost her mind eons ago.¡±

    ¡°Took you that long to figure me out?¡± Jenny snorted. ¡°You¡¯re slow, anyone could have seen that I w¡ª¡° The last of the rope uncoiled, wrapping around Jenny¡¯s foot, dragging her stumbling into the street.

    Amaris gasped. ¡°Get it off! We don¡¯t want to slow it down!¡±

    ¡°All right, all right!¡± Jenny lit her fist on fire and punched at her own foot, disintegrating the part of the rope wrapped around it along with half of her foot. It was back in a second, though her shoe didn¡¯t come back.

    Amaris frowned. ¡°Why the gloves and not the shoes?¡±

    ¡°I have asked myself that question many, many times,¡± Jenny muttered. ¡°Let¡¯s just follow the rope before it gets away.¡±

    With that, they walked after the end of the rope. It moved slowly¡ªthe tamers weren¡¯t fast by any means¡ªbut it moved reliably. Their only obstacle was the cats, and they were sparse enough that it was a simple matter not to interfere with their mysterious duty of walking around like robots.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Amaris said. ¡°I just noticed, your dress is on the right way.¡±

    Jenny blinked. ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°When you reformed the first time you grew into it backward.¡±

    Jenny shot Amaris a glare. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±

    ¡°There were deadly demon birds trying to turn me into a cat, and then there was the Wall, and then the other cats.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t matter,¡± Jenny huffed.

    ¡°Jenny!¡± Amaris folded her arms. ¡°They¡¯re stuck here just like us.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Do you see any of them out here helping us?¡±

    Amaris frowned. ¡°They¡¯re scared.¡±

    ¡°So are you, and that¡¯s not stopping you, is it?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± Amaris shook her head. ¡°But that¡¯s beside the point. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle this myself just a few weeks ago. I¡¯ve been trained by what I¡¯ve experienced, and I¡¯ve experienced a lot of different things. They just¡­ have this.¡±

    ¡°They could still grow a backbone¡­¡±

    Amaris tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and sighed. ¡°Jenny, let¡¯s try not to resent them and just help them. We might be able to d¡ª¡° She paused. ¡°Hold on, that was our fifth right turn in a row.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Amaris looked around at the city. ¡°We should be on a perfect grid, but if that were the case, we would have seen the rope pass over itself. It didn¡¯t. We just turned four corners and didn¡¯t arrive at where we started.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t follow.¡±

    As they continued to follow the rope, Amaris reached into her backpack and pulled out her notebook, drawing a grid of lines to represent the city. ¡°Geometrically speaking, every intersection of roads is an intersection on this page.¡± She placed her pencil on a dot. ¡°Here¡¯s where we start. If we turn right, right, right rig¡ª¡°

    ¡°Okay, I get the idea, math whiz.¡± Jenny looked down at the rope with mistrust. ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°It means the realm we¡¯re in doesn¡¯t follow the rules of standardized geometry. Now, our realm doesn¡¯t either, given relativity, but four corners still add to a perfect square in almost every situation.¡± She tapped the back of her pencil to her lips. ¡°Here, for all we know we aren¡¯t even walking in a straight line.¡±

    ¡°Is this a problem?¡±

    ¡°It might be if we try to get back to the safe zone. But one thing we do know¡­¡± she pointed at the rope. ¡°That has an unbroken connection to the tamer. It will lead us wherever that monster is going.¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s all I need to know.¡± Jenny rolled her wrist around, stretching it. ¡°Can¡¯t wait until I can unleash judgment on the flock.¡±

    ¡°Gung-ho sure seems to be your style¡­¡±

    They continued on, walking after the rope for at least an hour. Jenny was already starting to get tired, but they knew breaks weren¡¯t really an option since they had to keep up with the end of the rope while also not getting too far ahead of it, so there was no chance they¡¯d be detected.

    At about the end of the hour, they saw it. In the distance was a building not like any of the others: rather than a flat prism, this was a massive sphere at least four times as tall as any of the other structures. Jenny moved toward it.

    ¡°No, straight lines may not be straight,¡± Amaris reminded her. ¡°We follow the rope.¡± The snake hissed in agreement. Jenny suppressed the urge to slap the snake¡¯s smug grin off its face. Or, at least, what Jenny was interpreting as a smug grin.

    It was a good thing Amaris stopped her because the rope never went directly for the spherical building¡ªand yet, they always seemed to be getting closer and closer to it. They¡¯d turn a corner four times and suddenly be twice as close, or even go directly away but see it in front of them one turn later.

    Almost certainly, the tamer was leading them right to it. Jenny readied her fists. The moment they arrived, she was taking the place down, no questions asked.

    Arrive they did. The rope eventually stopped moving, leading straight into the building¡¯s wide-open doorway. There were no doors, just a gaping hole the rope went into.

    ¡°Here goes!¡± Jenny called.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Amaris hissed. ¡°Maybe we could sneak in? Or¡­ something?¡±

    ¡°Enough sneaking, time for fist.¡± Jenny gave Amaris a silly salute and ran down the length of the rope at full speed. Instead of going through the hole, she jumped to the side, surrounding her fist in a soft blue vibrating cone. Its tip rammed into the purple material at high speed, disintegrating the lower part of the spherical structure like an egg.

    Through the dust and rubble, Jenny could tell that it was bright. Holding a hand up to her eyes, she was able to make out a massive glowing ball of soft, yellow light mounted on a metallic pole with a spiral ramp leading up to it. The glorious orb took up a tenth of the entire sphere¡¯s volume, illuminating the singular room within.

    ¡°Huh, you really stole the sun.¡± Jenny put her hands up, ready for action, sizing up her opponents. There were about a hundred tamers all gathered around the sun in a circle, all of their masks pointed directly at Jenny, including the one with an arrow stuck to it.

    ¡°Well, now I know why you had that rope stuck to you,¡± an annoying, high-pitched voice declared. The next thing Jenny knew, the tamer with the arrow stuck in it exploded, mask and staff falling to the ground with a loud clatter.

    Jenny looked around for the source of the voice, finding it with some difficulty at the base of the sun¡¯s pillar. At first, Jenny thought it was a hulking brute of a creature with a tiny head, but that wasn¡¯t true. It was actually two creatures. The first was a muscular, stout being with gray limbs and no head to speak of, wearing a circular mask overtop his torso. Like the tamers, this mask had six eyes, but these holes were cut as circles, and unlike the tamers, Jenny could see the glint of two eyes behind the central eyeholes.

    Riding the beast was a much smaller individual of humanoid stature, but of a size smaller even than Jenny. The figure wore blue, metallic armor with many aggressive spikes on it, and a helmet that had, as expected at this point, six eye-holes cut into it.

    Jenny pointed a finger at the beast and its rider. ¡°You¡¯re responsible for all this?¡±

    ¡°Depends on what you mean, though I suspect the answer is yes,¡± the rider said¡ªJenny was sure it was a woman at this point, though the high pitch of her voice grated against Jenny¡¯s ears.

    ¡°Then you¡¯re about to get a knuckle sandwich.¡±

    ¡°Enstatic her,¡± the rider ordered with a dismissive wave.

    The tamers were still slow, and Jenny was fast. She rushed the rider, pulling back her fist with a prepared light spell.

    A lance appeared out of thin air in the rider¡¯s hand and she threw it right into Jenny¡¯s heart. She didn¡¯t cry out, but she did get thrown to the ground from the force. Jenny ripped the lance out of her chest, only for the mount to punch her everywhere, for its fist was only slightly smaller than her entire body.

    Jenny went flying, landing ungracefully on her head and cracking several bones in the process. Naturally, she stood up unharmed a second later, smirking. ¡°This is fun.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± the rider said.

    At this point, one of the tamers got a lock on Jenny and fired, turning her into a cat again. It took a few moments, but she was back up again, dusting fur off of herself. ¡°Gah¡­ that just feels wrong.¡±

    ¡°Immunity¡­¡± The rider tilted her head, raising a hand toward Jenny. Nothing visible happened. ¡°Curious. Not cursed¡­ what exactly are you?¡±

    ¡°Excellent question,¡± Jenny said, charging her once more. Another tamer hit her, making her stumble and roll as she turned into a cat. When she reformed, she was stuck in the hands of the gray behemoth. Her response to this was to light both of her fists on fire, which prompted the beast to throw her into the ground like a basketball.

    ¡°Being bouncy would be nice,¡± Jenny muttered as she stood up and popped her arm back into place. ¡°But you can¡¯t keep me down.¡±

    ¡°I disagree,¡± the rider said, summoning a staff identical to the ones the tamers used, pointing it at Jenny again, quickly reducing her to cat form. Once again, Jenny popped out.

    ¡°That trick won¡¯t keep me down forever!¡±

    ¡°It keeps you down.¡± Jenny dodged the first zap, but the behemoth slapped her to the side so the second one could work its unholy feline magic. ¡°And then you come back, only to go back again.¡± Jenny was barely able to move under her own will when the rider shot her again. ¡°And so you will remain. Unable to obey our Master¡¯s grand design, but unable to hinder it with annoyance.¡±

    ¡°Your voice sounds like a squeaky toy fromeow meow meow¡­¡±

    ¡°Your defiance is impressive.¡± She stood on top of her mount, leaning over top of Jenny like a vulture in a towering tree. ¡°And quite entertaining. Ru, what do you think?¡±

    The behemoth she was riding spoke with an echoing voice, not unlike two boulders atop a distant mountain crashing into each other. ¡°She will make an excellent test subject, Bella.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad we agree¡­¡± Bella let out a shrill cackle that, unfortunately, Jenny was aware enough to hear fully just before getting zapped again. ¡°Though the infinite shedding might be a problem.¡±

    ~~~

    Meanwhile, Amaris was being significantly smarter than the immortal child and sneaking into the spherical building as opposed to charging in blindly with the fury of a brain-dead hippopotamus. This observation was one of many equally unflattering ones Amaris was coming up with to describe exactly what she thought of Jenny right now.

    There was a silver lining to all of it, though¡ªBella, Ru, and every one of the tamers were busy tormenting Jenny with eternal cat-ing, Amaris could walk right into the building without being noticed. As Bella and Ru berated the growing mass of fur, Amaris took stock of the situation and the sun just sitting there in the center of everything.

    Obviously, if she was going to do anything, it was going to be with that.

    She took off her backpack and set it just outside, keeping only one object on hand¡ªa single arrow. Lifting up her shirt, she hooked it onto the pants she¡¯d bought earlier that day. Had she been careful, she probably could have looped the arrow without damaging the fabric, but she was in a hurry so she tore a hole right into it, running the apparel.

    Good thing I bought extras¡­

    She also slipped off her boots, leaving the socks. She pressed her hands together and took a deep breath. All right¡­ you can do this, Amaris. Just like the shows. Except a bunch of demon birds will turn you into a cat if you fail. ¡­All things considered, that''s a lot less gruesome than usual.

    ¡°MEOW!¡± Jenny shouted, loudly enough to make Bella burst into laughter. Amaris took this as her cue to move, bolting at top speed. While none of the tamers were looking at her, they still surrounded the central pillar, and she was going to have to get over them to have any hope of reaching it.

    The pitter-patter of her small, muffled feet was nothing compared to the laughing monologue Bella was in the middle of. ¡°You know, practically speaking, we¡¯re going to have to find another way to hold her, eventually.¡± She threw a lance into Jenny¡¯s neck before turning her into a cat again. ¡°It¡¯ll probably fill up our chamber soon. I wonder how long¡­?¡±

    Given the square-cube law and a rough estimate of the rate at which cat fur is being produced¡­ Amaris forced herself to stop solving the alluring math problem and focus on her plan. She had circled around the edge of the chamber, arriving at the area where the tamers were thinnest and closest to the solar pillar. It was going to take an absurd series of jumps, but she was pretty sure she had it in her.

    ¡°Ow!¡± Bella shouted. ¡°She scratched me!¡±

    Don¡¯t you have armor? Amaris thought as she jumped into the air. She planted her foot directly on the head of a tamer, startling and dazing it considerably. Its slight give provided a push, increasing her momentum on the second jump.

    ¡°I wonder, if we pluck out her fingernails will the claws not form?¡±

    Amaris slammed into the side of the solar tower, fingertips barely looping around the edge of the spiral path. The impact would have knocked the wind out of most grown adults, but Amaris still had enough force to fling herself up and onto the path. Good thing too, since the tamer she¡¯d stepped on had decided it was faster than all the others and had shot at the place she was hanging. So far, though, only it had noticed her¡ªbut it would likely raise the alarm, meaning she had to move fast.

    ¡°Actually, Ru, I have a question. Why cats? Of all things¡­ why would our Master give us a cat transformation spell? It¡¯s not a particularly tomentous thing to turn people into.¡±

    Amaris decided she had no time to run up the spiral path, so she jumped again, grabbing hold of the next level of the spiral and swinging herself up; though the tamer shot at her again. The tamers next to it were catching on, she knew it, but she didn¡¯t want to risk running to the opposite side, wasting time.

    ¡°If I were designing the spell, I¡¯d say¡­ snails. No, wait, not painful enough. What about¡­¡±

    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± Ru said.

    Fiddlesticks. Amaris jumped up another level, her speed, distance, and constant motion being the only thing stopping her from being unceremoniously transformed into a cat. Considering how she was hanging in precarious positions during most of the climb, if she turned into a cat at any moment the fall likely wasn¡¯t going to be a pleasant one. She kept climbing anyway, it was her only hope. Looking up, she could feel the warmth of the sun on her. Which, to be honest, felt more like a heat lamp than a celestial object. It might even have been made out of glass.

    ¡°Ru, we caught here, what could b¡ª¡° Amaris pulled herself up to the last level just as she was seen. ¡°Stop!¡± Bella shouted at the top of her lungs, the shrill force of her voice not only stopping all the tamers but also Amaris in her tracks.

    ¡°Are you all idiots?¡± Bella shrieked at the tamers. ¡°What if you hit the sun!?¡±

    Amaris pushed through the headache she¡¯d just developed and launched herself up to the top level.

    ¡°And you, get down from there!¡±

    Amaris didn¡¯t bother with a sarcastic quip, she didn¡¯t know the capabilities of Bella and didn¡¯t want to find out. She took out the arrow, ready to use it to wreck whatever was holding the sun here.

    As it turned out the sun was held in place by a lightbulb socket barely the size of Amaris¡¯ fist. She could probably undo it with a few twists using her bare hands. It wasn¡¯t like the sun was all that hot.

    I brought this arrow up here for no reason.

    With a shrug, she stabbed the arrow into the socket anyway. The socket began to burst with yellow sparks. Amaris took a step back, satisfied; that is until a lance from Bella flew past her eyes, inches from her face. I am very lucky.

    The socket she¡¯d stabbed exploded, throwing her off the spiral tower. She let out a panicked yell, letting instinct take over¡ªshe judged the distance to the ground to be a little under four stories. However, she had a lot of forward momentum from the explosion and repeated controlled falls from ridiculous heights had instilled in her an instinct for this sort of thing. The trick was to roll with it, literally.

    She made it so she hit the ground with a significant rotation, allowing her to convert most of the fall¡¯s energy into a roll, rolling head over heels and spreading out the stress of a direct impact with the ground into a long tumble.

    Her primary goal¡ªnot to break any bones¡ªwas accomplished. That said all four of her limbs were already bruising, there was a nasty cut on her forehead that was getting in her eyes, and she was fairly sure she¡¯d pulled her hamstring. Without a suit to force her to move, she wouldn¡¯t be doing any more acrobatics anytime soon.

    The best she could do was sit up and wipe her eyes. She was blessed with a beautiful sight: that of all the tamers dissipating. Without the power of the sun, they faded into nothing, their masks and staves clattering to the ground. The sun itself was completely unharmed by the explosion and was lazily floating upwards like a balloon.

    It unceremoniously hit the top of the spherical chamber, making a clink sound and coming to a rest. ¡­It¡¯s really made out of glass. What kind of backward realm is this?

    A lance dropped out of the sky and punctured the ground an inch from Amaris¡¯ hand. She tried to jump to her feet but her right leg couldn¡¯t support her weight¡ªshe dropped to the ground with an agonized grunt.

    ¡°Ru, how did she survive that fall?¡± Bella asked.

    ¡°Wh¡ªwhy aren¡¯t you vanishing?¡± Amaris stammered.

    ¡°¡­Did¡­ did you really think we were lesser shadows?¡± Bella brought her hand to her helmet¡¯s forehead, leaned back, and laughed the shrillest laugh Amaris had ever heard. She briefly wondered if it could shatter glass.

    ¡°Listen here, little girl¡­¡± Bella jumped off Ru, running across the ground with such speed that Amaris didn¡¯t have time to respond before she arrived and grabbed Amaris¡¯ collar in her fist. ¡°You don¡¯t have any idea what you¡¯re messing with!¡±

    ¡°But¡­ we stopped you¡­¡± Amaris couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Th-that counts for something.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll just start the operation up again! It won¡¯t be l¡ª¡°

    There was a large explosion behind Bella. Both Amaris and the armored midget stared at the billowing smoke that quickly dissipated to reveal¡­ a short woman standing triumphant, with a smoking boot planted firmly on the back of a decidedly charred Ru.

    ¡°Ru!¡± Bella gasped in shock, dropping Amaris. ¡°What did you do to him?¡±

    Jenny raised an eyebrow. ¡°Explosion fist? I don¡¯t exactly give them names, you know.¡± She tapped her boot on Ru. ¡°Huh. Still alive. Durable.¡±

    Bella summoned one of the staves. ¡°Back to being a cat with you¡­¡±

    Jenny simply stepped out of the way. The beam hit the nearest entity: Ru. Bella let out a sharp gasp. ¡°N-no!¡±

    Within a few moments, Ru was transformed into a gray cat, his mask so large that when it fell to the ground, it trapped him under it like a bowl. ¡°Bella,¡± he asked, calmly. ¡°Why am I a cat?¡±

    ¡°Oh thank the static your mind is fine¡­¡± Bella let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I did not want to have to explai¡ª¡°

    Amaris, while without her legs, could still use her arms. She jumped Bella from behind, grabbing hold of her neck. ¡°Jenny! Now!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Bella shouted. Before Jenny could get there, Bella released her helmet, leaving it in Amaris¡¯ hands. The being that emerged from the helmet shocked Amaris.

    A perfectly normal human girl with chestnut brown hair and blue eyes. No older than eight, possibly younger.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Amaris managed, gawking.

    Bella said nothing, she simply shot Amaris a glare of fury. Her eyes burst with yellow energy and she ran around Jenny and to Ru. Amaris wasn¡¯t sure what happened next, but there was a sound like cracking crystal¡­ and the two of them were gone.

    Jenny lowered her fist, dissipating the arcane pink aura surrounding it. ¡°Oh come on, I wanted to try out a new one on her¡­¡±

    ¡°Jenny¡­ that was just a kid.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, like I¡¯m just a kid.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ I think she was really just a kid.¡± Amaris picked up the helmet, looking deep into its six-slitted eyeholes. ¡°¡­There was more going on here¡­¡±

    ¡°That we¡¯re not going to be able to figure out,¡± Jenny said, patting Amaris on the back. ¡°Instead, we celebrate, because¡­ we won!¡± She threw her fists into the air and cheered.

    ¡°¡­Can you help me up? My leg can¡¯t support me right now.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure. And¡­¡± Jenny¡¯s smile softened slightly. ¡°Thanks. For¡­¡±

    ¡°For saving you after you were an idiot?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Jenny laughed nervously. ¡°That¡­¡±

    The two of them stumbled out of the chamber to the place Amaris left her backpack. Just past the backpack was a sea of hundreds of cats, all of whom had no static in their eyes.

    ¡°¡­I think they want their sun back,¡± Amaris said, glancing at Jenny¡¯s gloves.

    ¡°Fine.¡± Jenny set Amaris down. Then she set to work demolishing the entire spherical building.

    ¡°¡­I think we should move further away,¡± Amaris told the cats.

    ~~~

    Jenny¡¯s controlled demolition was a success, which was to say it didn¡¯t kill anyone and it only flattened two other city blocks. With the sphere reduced to rubble, the sun floated up until it took its place in the sky, baking the world below in a beautiful glow. Immediately, all the blank, purple buildings transformed into what they were supposed to be¡ªbustling city blocks with parks, residential areas, and a ridiculous number of cat-themed vending machines.

    It apparently had nothing to do with the Cat-Ival. Amaris asked.

    Unfortunately, the restoration of the sun did not completely reverse the curse. Everyone who was a cat remained a cat, though no longer tied into whatever the static was.

    None of them, not even the ones who lived in the cat city before the sun was stolen, had any idea who Bella and Ru were¡ªor what their plan had been. To be fair, most of them didn¡¯t care, and just wanted to celebrate Jenny and Amaris as heroes.

    They never saw Urvest. They couldn¡¯t even find the hole in reality again, since the city had re-shuffled its non-standard geometry when the sun rose back into the sky. Since it would have been easy for Urvest and his cats to find the new ¡°heroes of the city,¡± Amaris was forced to conclude they didn¡¯t want to see them.

    Honestly, she didn¡¯t blame them for keeping a low profile, considering all that had happened to them.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Jenny said, licking an ice cream cone a cat had just offered them. ¡°How do we get back to Irest?¡±

    Amaris shook her head as they walked down the street. ¡°None of them know. The people who were here originally don¡¯t know of any other realms, and everyone else was dragged here by accident, just like we were.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Jenny stretched her back and flexed her wrists. ¡°You know what would be funny?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°If w¡ª¡° Jenny stopped in the middle of her word.

    The two of them were standing on one of Irest¡¯s docks, overlooking the ocean a mile below them.

    ¡°¡­The what?¡± Amaris shook her head. ¡°Seriously, what?¡±

    ¡°Your curse couldn¡¯t stand the idea of you being heralded as a hero by cats for any longer.¡± Jenny crossed her arms and pouted. ¡°Lame. I could have gotten used to being queen of cats.¡±

    Amaris looked down the ropes at the boats below. ¡°I¡¯m charting a boat to the East.¡±

    ¡°Then to the East we shall go!¡± Jenny pointed dramatically¡ªto the West, but that wasn¡¯t what Amaris took issue with.

    ¡°No, Jenny, you can¡¯t come with me.¡± Amaris clutched the straps on her backpack. ¡°My curse affects the people around me. You were dragged along with me to that crazy static cat place. You¡¯ll be dragged along with everything else, too.¡±

    Jenny snorted, pointing cockily at herself. ¡°You assume I don¡¯t want to be pulverized by ancient creatures of unimaginable evil.¡±

    ¡°Jenny...¡± Amaris frowned. ¡°What if¡­ what if you really had been captured, and been forced to change into and out of cat form for eternity? What i¡ª¡°

    Jenny poked her in the nose, shutting Amaris up. ¡°You listen here, Amaris. You can¡¯t do this alone. You need someone who can travel with you and not die from the sneeze of the monster of the week. That someone is me.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s going to be things that hurt you in ways that aren¡¯t pain.¡±

    ¡°And I can take that! I¡¯ve survived everything else that life¡¯s thrown at me, including dozens of things that I can¡¯t remember! And¡­ and¡­ and¡­¡± Jenny furrowed her brow as she tried to come up with another logical reason. ¡°And you can¡¯t stop me from following you.¡±

    Amaris narrowed her eyes. ¡°No¡­¡± She put a hand to her forehead, but couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°No, I can¡¯t stop you. This is cheating, you know?¡±

    Jenny gave her some finger guns and a wink. ¡°You love me, you know it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re headstrong, impulsive, proud, inconsistent¡­¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re paranoid, jaded, twitchy¡­¡±

    ¡°Eye-spider!¡± Amaris shouted. Sure enough, one of the eyeball spiders was skittering across the dock toward them, followed by dozens of its brothers. ¡°Run!¡±

    ¡°Run where!?¡±

    Amaris jumped off the dock and onto one of the many cables going down to the ocean. ¡°Here!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not good at climbing!¡±

    ¡°You can just jump without a problem.¡±

    ¡°But water will get in my lungs and drowning is annoying and¡­¡± Jenny noticed Amaris was already a dozen meters below her, jumping from cable to cable like a monkey. With a resigned sigh, Jenny stepped off the dock and fell to the ocean below.

    Some time later, she hit an ocean liner, punching through the deck and making a rather unpleasant stain on the floor below.

    ¡°I am not cleaning that up,¡± Jenny said as she pulled herself out of the crash to the horror of the ship¡¯s crew. ¡°Geh, I¡¯m going to need to get this dress cleaned¡­¡± She looked at the crew with bored eyes. ¡°Hey, you guys going East?¡± She produced three gold coins and grinned. ¡°Do you take gold?¡±

 Bone to Pick

    Episode VIII

    Bone to Pick

    Fog clung to the damp, sickly earth, rolling into every nook and cranny with an oppressive omnipresence. Every clod, every stone, and every malnourished plant fell victim to the omnipresent cloud. The few insects that flew around this land buzzed around almost blind, the billowing mist was so thick. None knew what could hide just a few meters out, beyond the realm of sight.

    One particular dragonfly lazily flitted about, landing atop a curved, stone slab. Engraved upon the face of the slab was a name and a range of dates: Margaret Zero: 734¡ª762. It was a simple, rather unassuming tombstone, essentially identical to the many, many hundreds of others that stood on either side of the shrouded road. Even though the graves were packed tight, it was only possible to see five or so in any direction before it became too obscured.

    ¡°Who makes a graveyard along the sides of a road?¡± Jenny asked, clutching her hands to her sides. She was not dressed for the damp, chilly weather, but she didn¡¯t want to admit it to Amaris.

    ¡°I think most graveyards are along the sides or at the end of a road,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°What I mean is who puts a graveyard in the middle of a road through the wilderness?¡±

    ¡°For all we know, we¡¯re entering a town right now.¡±

    Jenny raised an eyebrow. ¡°Amaris, we¡¯ve been walking through this graveyard for an hour.¡±

    ¡°Half an hour,¡± Amaris corrected.

    ¡°I¡¯m counting the ¡®Amaris-is-paranoid time¡¯ in the total time.¡±

    Amaris put her hands on her hips and huffed. ¡°Look, it¡¯s a well-known fact that graveyards are creepy and I just wanted to make sure we weren¡¯t going to be eaten alive by zombies or something.¡±

    ¡°Hey, maybe you were right to check,¡± Jenny said, raising her hands. ¡°I¡¯m just exercising my right to count that as part of the travel time.¡±

    ¡°You said ¡®walking,¡¯ not ¡®travel¡¯ earlier.¡±

    Jenny facepalmed. ¡°Amaris, has anyone ever told you that you¡¯re a computer?¡±

    ¡°It was a bad joke the bullies at school used to tell all the time,¡± Amaris admitted. ¡°¡­Huh. I could royally kick their butts now without breaking a sweat. I wonder if Ralph will be able to comprehend me drop-kicking him to the ground¡­¡±

    ¡°Ralph?¡±

    ¡°Big tough sports guy.¡±

    ¡°Oh, a jock,¡± Jenny nodded in understanding. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just say so?¡±

    Amaris gave her a strange look. ¡°What¡¯s a jock?¡±

    ¡°¡­A big tough sports guy?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a word for that?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ yes?¡±

    Amaris, not sure what to do with this information, turned her gaze forward. She was quickly reminded of why she hadn¡¯t been doing this previously since there was essentially nothing in front of her. Just gray. She didn¡¯t like the sensation of walking into absolute emptiness.

    Pitch didn¡¯t either, which was probably why he¡¯d been hiding in the backpack ever since they started trekking through the graveyard.

    Every now and then, Amaris looked to the left, checking to see if the name on the nearest tombstone was the same as one they¡¯d passed previously. Unfortunately, the names and dates were all unique, so far as she could tell, which meant this graveyard wasn¡¯t looping back on itself, it was just unnaturally huge.

    Or maybe the fog just makes us move much slower through it.

    Amaris found herself wondering why there were so many people buried here. Hundreds of names and stones going on and on and on¡­ was this place important for some reason? Did a great battle happen here? Was there some kind of curse on the land that killed people and then carted them into perfect graves? If there was, how would it work on Jenny, if at all?

    In the couple of weeks Jenny and Amaris had been traveling together, Amaris had witnessed the girl¡¯s head explode, her body get torn in half, a spike shatter her spine, and a shoe-piranha eat both of her feet. Every time it was remarkably bloodless and bizarre, and at this point asking exactly how Jenny would regrow from the latest horror was a common thought in Amaris¡¯ mind.

    The immortal child was never careful. She never needed to be.

    ¡°Hey, look, a skeleton!¡± Pointing a short way off the path to a humanoid skeleton seated at a gravestone.

    ¡°Jenny, remember what we talked about¡­¡± Amaris cautioned.

    ¡°Amaris, it¡¯s the first thing we¡¯ve seen in an hour. Are you going to tell me we can¡¯t check it out?¡±

    Amaris looked over at the skeleton. It was hard to make out any details given the fog, a fact that tickled her curiosity. With a sigh, she waved a hand, indicating Jenny could investigate. ¡°Just don¡¯t, like, punch it or anything.¡±

    ¡°Can do!¡± Jenny pranced over, Amaris trailing shortly behind. As they got closer it was easy to see that it wasn¡¯t a human skeleton¡ªthere was no hole for the nose. Given the angular hips and limb joints, Amaris surmised that it had once been a gari, but so old that the plastic portions had rotted away.

    She leaned down, staring into the noseless skull¡¯s eye sockets, finding nothing but a hollow skull inside. It occurred to her that she¡¯d never actually seen a real skeleton, or even a dead body, before; not during this entire curse. The closest had been piles of ash¡­ no skeletons.

    ¡°Amaris¡­?¡± Jenny asked. ¡°You¡¯ve got the creepy look again.¡±

    Amaris reached out a hand and traced her finger around the skeleton¡¯s jawline, feeling the old, dusty flecks of bone scratch under her touch. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ so hollow. Empty.¡± Amaris tilted her head to the side, staring into the eye sockets once more. ¡°This will be us, one day.¡±

    ¡°You, maybe.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve easily left more than a full skeleton behind you this week alone.¡±

    ¡°¡­.Good point.¡±

    ¡°I wonder¡­¡± Amaris held out a finger and poked it into the eye socket.

    This prompted the skeleton to let out a cry of shock and jump to its feet in panic, holding a hand to its socket.

    Amaris and Jenny let out a joint cry of panic and jumped back.

    The skeleton pointed at them and screamed again.

    Amaris and Jenny matched it, pointing at it and yelling.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t your parents teach you it was rude to poke people¡¯s eyes!?¡± he asked them.

    Amaris whipped out her bow and Jenny readied her fists for a fight. It was at this point Amaris heard the sounds of clanking coming from all around them. Out of the fog, from every angle, approached a skeleton. Mostly humanoid, but of various sizes, shapes, and species¡ªwith a few cat skeletons thrown in for good measure.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take all of you at once¡­¡± Jenny growled, fists brimming with white energy.

    ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t,¡± a feminine voice said from a skeleton twice as tall as any of the others. ¡°We don¡¯t want to hurt you¡­¡±

    Amaris didn¡¯t lower her bow. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The extremely tall skeleton woman lowered herself to Amaris¡¯ level, at clear discomfort to herself. When she spoke, her jaw didn¡¯t move, the words just sounded from somewhere behind her teeth. ¡°We just wanted you to pass through without knowing us¡­ but¡­¡±

    ¡°Reginald had to ruin everything!¡± one of the cat skeletons shouted, pointing a leg at the gari skeleton who had jumped up.

    ¡°She poked my eye!¡± Reginald objected. ¡°No man could be expected to remain still while that was happening!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have an eye!¡±

    ¡°I still see out of there don¡¯t I?¡±

    The cat let out an aggressive hiss. ¡°That¡¯s just an illusion!¡±

    ¡°Silence,¡± the woman said in a tone that indicated there would be consequences if she wasn¡¯t heeded. Both the skeletons stopped their argument immediately. ¡°Cory, you cannot expect everyone to ignore what our perceptions tell us. Reginald, you were not supposed to be this close to the road when travelers came through. I want you both to recognize your faults and resolve this¡ªlater. Right now¡­¡± She turned to the combat-ready Jenny and Amaris. ¡°We have more pressing matters to deal with.¡±

    Amaris narrowed her eyes. ¡°Excuse me if I¡¯m a little suspicious of the bones of the dead telling me they don¡¯t want to tear me to pieces.¡±

    The woman tapped one of her bony fingers on her opposite arm. ¡°Well, think of it this way¡­ if we wanted to tear you into those pieces you mentioned, there are more than enough of us to do it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you think¡­¡± Jenny said with a sneer.

    Amaris frowned¡ªbut finally lowered her bow. ¡°That is what they think, Jenny. And even considering your whole¡­ thing, they can still pin you.¡±

    ¡°No pile of bones can hold Jenny down!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you think,¡± Reginald said, prompting a look from the tall woman that shut him right up.

    Amaris put a hand on Jenny¡¯s shoulder, telling her to relax. ¡°They really don¡¯t want to hurt us.¡±

    Jenny reluctantly lowered her fists. ¡°I was hoping for a good brawl¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure some of us would be more than willing to engage in a friendly spar,¡± the woman said, standing back to her immense height. ¡°Should you wish.¡±

    Now that everyone was relaxing, Amaris asked a question. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just come to meet us when we passed through?¡±

    ¡°Fear,¡± the woman said. ¡°Imagine you came across a graveyard with skeletons walking around by the dozen, and a few of them were walking towards you. Would you not attack the monstrous creatures of death?¡±

    ¡°You were afraid of us?¡±

    Jenny rolled her shoulders back. ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t they be?¡±

    ¡°Jenny, we just look like a couple of lost girls.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s less you and more people in general,¡± the woman explained, twirling her hand through the thick mist. ¡°If you run away screaming from a graveyard filled with moving skeletons and tell your parents or the authorities¡­ it is likely some sort of ¡®holy¡¯ purge would be arranged.¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t put you in danger,¡± Amaris said. ¡°¡­Do you think we could tell Coleus?¡±

    Jenny raised an incredulous eyebrow. ¡°Amaris, I¡¯ve never met Coleus.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯ve talked a lot about her!¡±

    ¡°And I mostly didn¡¯t pay much attention.¡±

    Amaris took in a sharp breath, putting a hand to the bridge of her nose. ¡°Of course¡­¡±

    Jenny nonchalantly turned to the woman, extending a hand. ¡°Hi, guess we¡¯re friends now. I¡¯m Jenny. That¡¯s Amaris. You are?¡±

    The woman shook her hand. ¡°I am Kkithi, the leader of the Old Bones, voted into this position against my will.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the only one who can do it,¡± Cory the cat said, jumping onto her ribs, using them as a ladder to climb onto her shoulder to rest. ¡°Nobody else wants to.¡±

    ¡°So, who were you all when you were alive?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°Skeletons never know who they were.¡± Kkithi shook her head slowly. ¡°We are born when reanimated, not reborn. Whoever owned these bones before is long gone. As for the graveyard itself¡­ we do not know why people are drawn to bury their dead here, the fog is ever-present and there are not many settlements nearby. But come they do, adding to our number.¡±

    ¡°¡­Fascinating¡­¡± Amaris said. ¡°Do you¡­ mind if I draw some pictures of you? I usually draw pictures but you might want to be secret and¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an artist?¡± Kkithi said.

    ¡°Not¡­ really,¡± Amaris admitted. ¡°I do diagrams, mostly.¡± She grabbed one of her notebooks and flipped to some drawings of the Predateor.

    ¡°What a foul-looking creature¡­¡±

    ¡°You have no idea.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her,¡± Jenny said. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t see it!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but, really, all it did was stab you and reset time? Boring. More annoying than anything.¡±

    Amaris once again felt the need to throttle Jenny, but she resisted the temptation. Besides, it¡¯s not like it would do any good.

    Kkithi finished her inspection of the drawing. ¡°While you are not a traditional artist, I do believe one of our number would like to meet you. I¡¯ll let her decide if pictures should be drawn or not.¡±

    Amaris nodded, following Kkithi deeper into the graveyard without another word. Even though she believed the skeletons meant no harm, she didn¡¯t let her guard down. Maybe they were being scouted to be turned into skeletons, or something the bony beings didn¡¯t realize was nefarious. Yet, they weren¡¯t openly hostile and were actually a little nervous, so Amaris decided to give them the benefit of the doubt they got so rudely robbed from them just for being skeletons.

    Jenny suddenly raised her hand. ¡°I¡¯m not an artist, what will I do?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Kkithi pondered this as she walked among the graves, a gaggle of skeletons moving with her. ¡°She may also wish to have a friendly spar, if you¡¯re up to facing one of her size.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m up for it.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see you have not yet learned to think before committing.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    Amaris couldn¡¯t help it this time. ¡°It means you¡¯re reckless, Jenny! Come on!¡±

    Jenny put a hand on Amaris shoulder and looked her in the eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going to let you in on a little secret, Amaris. I know full well that I¡¯m a reckless, impulsive, shortsighted monkey who hits the red button just because it¡¯s there. Life¡¯s just more fun this way.¡± She released the dumbfounded Amaris and turned forward, pointing a finger at the sky. ¡°So bring on the massive skeleton that¡¯s going to trounce me!¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± a deep feminine voice called from above. Out of the fog descended a skull larger than most cars with an elongated snout, visible horns, and gaping eye sockets. It vaguely reminded Amaris of a lizard, and given the size, there was only one creature this could be. A dragon. Not just any dragon skeleton either, but one whose bones were covered in vibrant colors of paint arranged to look like plants growing all over its structure, both inside and out.

    Amaris instinctually took a step back. Jenny whistled. ¡°So, I challenge you to a duel!¡±

    A bony claw came out of nowhere and pinned Jenny effortlessly to the ground. Jenny, absolutely trapped under a bone that couldn¡¯t care less if her fists lit on fire, could only let out a delighted laugh. ¡°Yep! That went about as well as expected! Nice one!¡±

    The dragon removed the claw and nodded in respect toward Jenny. ¡°You have no fear. Admirable.¡±

    ¡°I think her lack of fear might be due to brain damage,¡± Amaris deadpanned.

    ¡°In that case¡­¡± the dragon turned to Amaris, the motion of her skull audibly whistling through the air. ¡°She has been gifted with an admirable trait.¡±

    Amaris¡¯ blank look remained for a few seconds before she let out a sigh. ¡°Yeah¡­ that sounds a lot like what my mom and dad told me. Bad things are just good things you aren¡¯t looking at right.¡±

    ¡°They sound wise.¡±

    Amaris only nodded slowly.

    ¡°Where are they now?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re trying to find out. We¡­ think they¡¯re somewhere to the East. But it¡¯s a long journey.¡±

    ¡°And a long journey comes with many rest stops.¡± The dragon brought its claw out from the nearby fog, coming to Amaris with it. Despite knowing the dragon meant her no harm, Amaris still flinched back from the massive claw coming right at her¡ªbut she gained control of herself, allowing the dragon to gently run a bony claw through her hair. ¡°You do not seek to harm us. Come, you may rest with me. I am Sy. Do you draw?¡±

    ¡°A bit¡­¡± Amaris said, taking out her notebook.

    ¡°Excuse me, it is so hard to see things that are much smaller than myself¡­¡± From somewhere in the fog she pulled out a massive set of silver-rimmed spectacles and placed them over her face. ¡°Ah, you seek accuracy.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡­ well, I want to put down what I see so others can see it. And so I can understand it better.¡±

    ¡°Are we not going to talk about the giant pair of glasses on the skeleton dragon?¡± Jenny asked.

    Sy continued to address Amaris. ¡°The principles of art can still hold, little one. Drawings of life still require clarity and composition. For instance, I have no doubt that these measurement lines are accurate, but it makes it difficult to visually determine the number of legs¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a no¡­¡± Jenny tried to put her hands in her pockets, but then she remembered her dress didn¡¯t have pockets. So she awkwardly linked her arms behind her back and kicked a rock.

    Kkithi leaned down to Jenny. ¡°Should I find a more suitable sparring partner while the art conversation continues?¡±

    Jenny¡¯s eyes grew wide with anticipation. ¡°¡­Yes. Yes, please, yes.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Boro!¡±

    Boro wasn¡¯t so much a skeleton as the long-ago discarded exoskeleton of a giant spider. ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°This girl wants to spar!¡±

    ¡°Oh! In that case¡­ Threetwoone GO!¡± He jumped at Jenny, hollow fangs bared. Jenny reacted quickly, punching him aside.

    ¡°I like you,¡± Jenny said, grin widening as she enhanced her first with a light green aura. ¡°En garde!¡±

    ¡°You avoided my sneak attack, you shall avoid no more!¡± He jumped at her, initiating a fight that drew a somewhat decent crowd of bony people, all the while Amaris and a massive dragon discussed the finer details of art.

    The glasses were never mentioned again.

    ~~~

    While it soon became clear that the Old Bones really were as friendly and lively as any properly living person, Amaris and Jenny did not stay long. It wasn¡¯t because of the skeletons¡¯ appearance¡ªat least not mostly¡ªbut rather a desire not to spend the night in the middle of an excessively damp and fog-ridden graveyard. So, in the end, they only spent an hour or two among the graves before setting out. They weren¡¯t far from the outer edge of the graveyard, so Kkithi walked with them.

    ¡°I would offer to feed you lunch, but we don¡¯t exactly need food or have taste buds.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Amaris did a little spin on the tips of her toes to liven up the otherwise boring trek through the graveyard. ¡°Maybe you should invest in houses, though.¡±

    ¡°Some of us would like them, but houses in a graveyard¡­ it attracts attention.¡±

    ¡°Maybe move to a different location?¡±

    ¡°Some of us have, but the majority stay. New skeletons need to be shown what to do.¡±

    At this point, they passed the last gravestone. Almost immediately the fog started to lift, though it did so gradually. Furthermore, life began to return to the soil with the grasses becoming more frequent and much greener.

    ¡°It is nice, out of the fog¡­¡± Kkithi admitted as the light level increased.

    ¡°But you have to hide,¡± Jenny said, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Yeah. Your situation sucks.¡±

    Amaris elbowed Jenny. ¡°I wish there was something we could do to help.¡±

    Kkithi looked down at them. ¡°You are helping, by keeping us secret. And, maybe, not attacking skeletons on sight from now on.¡±

    Amaris gripped her backpack straps and nodded forcefully. ¡°Skeletons are friends, not¡­¡± She searched her mind for the perfect word to complete the saying. ¡°Not¡­¡±

    ¡°Foes?¡± Jenny suggested.

    ¡°Too predictable. Skeletons are friends, not¡­¡±

    ¡°Heathens!¡±

    Amaris¡¯ mind came up with a few reasons why that was a bad word to use before it registered that the word had not been suggested by Kkithi or Jenny, but by a loud, booming voice from the sky.

    Kkithi immediately looked around for a place to hide, but found none¡ªthey were far from the graves and the fog wasn¡¯t thick enough to provide cover. So she did the only thing she could think of¡ªplay dead. All of her bones collapsed into a heap between Jenny and Amaris.

    Amaris put her hand to her eyes, looking up¡ªseeing only fog. ¡°Where did that come from?¡±

    Jenny¡¯s head whipped left and right, smacking Amaris both times with her side ponytail. ¡°I got nothing besides ¡®somewhere up.¡¯ ¡°

    The voice boomed again, directly above them¡ªbut they still couldn¡¯t see anything through the fog. ¡°Corrupt sheep! You do not have the Blessed Eyes!¡±

    ¡°Come down here and fight like a man!¡± Jenny shouted, shaking her fist at the foggy sky.

    Amaris, meanwhile, readied her bow without pointing it. She wondered how the voice in the sky could see them while the reverse was decidedly untrue. Pitch poked his head out and started licking the air, not giving Amaris any more information.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Jenny shouted. ¡°You still up there? You deaf? Get down here ri¡ª¡°

    The voice had apparently listened, since a heavy creature plowed into the ground, leaving a crater a meter in front of Jenny, tossing clods of dirt all over her and into the bone-pile of Kkithi. Kkithi didn¡¯t move.

    The being himself was a little shorter than the average man, which meant he towered over the miniscule statures of the girls. While he was bipedal, he was decidedly non-humanoid, instead taking the form of a large bird with the beautiful black plumage of a crow filling his wings and beaked face. The beak itself was stark white, perfectly matching the full plate armor the bird wore. Such armor would have to be enchanted or augmented in some way to still allow for flight, a conclusion which its soft blue glow supported. A bow with pink arrowheads was slung on his back, and his eyes were covered by a pair of gold-rimmed goggles.

    ¡°You heathens could not face me like a man!¡± He boomed. ¡°You are small an¡ª¡°

    Jenny burst out laughing, startling him into shutting him up. She tried to say something, but the heaving of her chest prevented her from doing anything. Holding up a finger, telling her opponent to wait a moment, she continued laughing.

    Both Amaris and the bird-man stared at her as her laughs turned to wheezes and eventually to short gasps that allowed her to get words out. ¡°Ah¡­ this is a good joke.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Amaris said.

    This brought on a round of snorts from Jenny. ¡°You¡¯ve never met a qorvid, have you?¡±

    ¡°A what?¡±

    Jenny gestured at the bird-creature before them. ¡°Behold, a qorvid, bird-men. They have the intelligence of a wall-nut and some kind of biological imperative to run after the shiny. Watch this.¡± She pulled out one of the coins Amaris had given her to use in case they got separated and threw it into the air.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    It bounced off the qorvid¡¯s helmet. He didn¡¯t take his gaze off of the girls.

    Jenny¡¯s smile vanished. ¡°Hey. Qorvid. That coin is a shiny. You blind?¡±

    ¡°You speak of the Instinct!¡± He boomed, much louder than he needed to this close to the two of them. ¡°I have rejected the Instinct!¡±

    Jenny raised an eyebrow. ¡°The idea of a qorvid who won¡¯t go for the shiny is about as ridiculous as the idea of a qorvid paladin. Your bones are hollow! Amaris could snap them!¡±

    ¡°You mock my path to holy service!¡± he shouted, throwing his wings wide¡ªshowing off the way the armor¡¯s plates interwove with each other to accommodate his wings. ¡°And you consort with the undead! Traitors to the living, you shall¡ª¡°

    ¡°Uh, what undead?¡± Amaris asked.

    The qorvid glared at her, clearly upset his speech was interrupted. ¡°The pile of bones behind you.¡±

    ¡°Does that look undead to you?¡± Amaris fluttered her eyelashes.

    ¡°I saw it walking around as I was flying overhead, you can drop this game of lies right now.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t lied, I¡¯ve just asked questions.¡±

    ¡°They were misleading questions!¡±

    ¡°Were they?¡±

    ¡°Of course they were, what kind of child doesn¡¯t underst¡ª¡° This time, the qorvid stopped talking all on his own and calmly folded his wings to his sides. ¡°I have no quarrel with you. Stand aside and let me purge the realm of the undead.¡±

    Amaris shook her head. ¡°Look, they¡¯re really nice if you get to know them, maybe¡­¡±

    ¡°No more word games! I am Icarus, the Brilliant Shadow of Shining Judgment!¡± He armed his bow, prompting Amaris to do the same. ¡°And my quest will continue!¡±

    Amaris swallowed hard. Looks like talking is out of the question¡­ She let an arrow fly, aiming for a wing. She hit dead-on, but her arrow snapped upon contact with the armor. Jenny moved to punch, but Icarus was faster¡ªhis pink-tipped arrow hit Jenny in the shoulder, knocking her back.

    ¡°Ow,¡± Jenny deadpanned, glancing lazily at her shoulder. The lazy look vanished immediately upon sight of blood flowing. ¡°¡­Wait, you¡¯re not supposed to be able to do that¡­¡±

    ¡°Holy arrows, heathen!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not undead!¡±

    He shot her with another arrow, this time in the stomach, prompting more blood to flow. Jenny growled, pulling her fist back¡ªonly for Icarus to shoot the fist, turning several fingers into a bloody twisted mess.

    Jenny clearly wasn¡¯t registering any of the pain, but the physical injuries were preventing her from moving as quickly. She had to hobble toward Icarus, this time readying her other fist. Icarus took aim¡­

    Amaris jumped into the air, kicking Icarus¡¯ bow¡ªnot hard enough to disarm him, but hard enough to throw his aim off. She twisted off the bulk of his wing, managing an impressive jump even with the entire weight of the backpack on her. It wasn¡¯t going to help her get another attack, but she didn¡¯t need one. There was an opening now, and Jenny only needed one.

    The punch hit Icarus in the chest with an immense crunch sound, coming from both the buckling of the armor and the breaking of several weak ribs underneath. Icarus let out a wail, unable to take that much pain hitting him all at once. He tried to flap his wings and gain some distance, but the motion was too much for his injuries. Whatever he would have tried next was interrupted by another punch from Jenny¡ªthis one with magic power focused on electricity rather than raw impact damage. The thunder punch hit the side of his face and coursed through his armor and his flesh, making all of his muscles violently contract.

    The poor qorvid fell to the ground with a wheezing cry, unconscious.

    Amaris scrambled over to Jenny. ¡°Are you okay!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m great!¡± Jenny grinned, pumping her arm. Then she noticed the blood pouring down it. ¡°Okay, how the frick did he do that?¡±

    Kkithi stood up at this point. ¡°Magic jamming arrows,¡± she explained. ¡°Skeletons who traveled the world spoke of them. If one of those hits anything that cannot live under mundane means¡­¡±

    Amaris shuddered. ¡°So he really would have¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He is well outfitted to ¡®purge¡¯ the undead.¡± Kkithi leaned down to the form of Icarus, removing the bow from his person. ¡°Abominable weapon¡­¡±

    Jenny violently yanked the arrow out of her hand, losing a few fingers in the process. With the arrow removed, however, they grew back just fine, glove and al¡ªthough her other injuries were still open. ¡°This is annoying¡­¡± She plucked another arrow out.

    Amaris, satisfied that Jenny was fine, looked to Kkithi and then to Icarus. ¡°What¡­ are you going to do with him?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ have no idea,¡± Kkithi admitted.

    ~~~

    Amaris held up one of Icarus¡¯ arrows to the air in an attempt to catch the light before she remembered there was mist everywhere. Still, it gave her a better look at the weapons. The shaft and tail were just like any other arrow, albeit clean and of high quality. The arrowhead, however, was carved entirely from a magenta crystal split down the middle, giving the arrowhead two distinct halves. A soft glow surrounded the crystals, and upon closer inspection Amaris noted that the glow¡¯s strength alternated from one segment of the crystal to the other in a predictable cycle.

    Fascinating¡­ She bundled all the arrows up and put them with her others. These would most definitely be useful. However, she would have to wait to test them out, since there were other, more pressing matters; namely, the qorvid tied to one of the tombstones. The Old Bones had imprisoned him but also put his broken wing in a sling and a tight brace around his chest. If there was one thing skeletons knew how to treat, it was bones.

    Not that Icarus was happy about it.

    ¡°I¡­ am going¡­ to k¡ªaghghehahhhh¡­¡± Icaris let out a wheeze mixed with choking and coughing, falling silent.

    ¡°I dare say,¡± Reginald said with a tilt of his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think he would shut up if his body wasn¡¯t forcing him to.¡±

    ¡°The downsides of lungs,¡± Jenny commented, examining her gloves¡ªboth still perfectly fine despite having lost several fingers earlier. One of the many mysteries of her ability. ¡°I don¡¯t even need my lungs, but they complain so much whenever I¡¯m underwater for more than ten minutes. Then I pass out and that¡¯s just awkward.¡±

    Amaris walked up to Kkithi, who was standing a short distance from Icarus and the gaggle of skeletons surrounding him. ¡°What are you going to do with him?¡±

    ¡°There is no solution,¡± Kkithi said, shaking her head. ¡°We can¡¯t let him go. He would bring actual paladins down on us. We can¡¯t keep him here forever; people will eventually start to wonder. ¡­The same problem arises with¡­ getting rid of him.¡±

    Amaris looked down at the ground, unable to bring herself to speak her mind. If he were just some random farmer you would probably do it, wouldn¡¯t you? Nobody misses random farmers. You¡¯d feel bad but you¡¯d say it was for the safety of all the Old Bones.

    ¡°Amaris¡­ I am sorry, I should have been more aware when I was seeing you out of the graveyard.¡±

    ¡°This is our fault too,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°I do not blame you. You are still free to leave.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Amaris crossed her arms. ¡°We¡¯re staying and¡­ going to figure out some way to iron out this mess.¡±

    Kkithi leaned down to place a hand on Amaris¡¯ shoulder. ¡°Your heart is good, but you don¡¯t want to get messed up in this. Your family is waiting for you.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve waited several months they can wait a few extra days.¡± She hefted up her backpack and clenched her jaw. ¡°I¡¯m helping. All we have to do is show Icarus that you aren¡¯t evil monsters of death.¡±

    ¡°Death!¡± Icarus screamed before devolving into another whimpering wheeze.

    ¡°I¡¯m open to suggestions,¡± Kkithi said.

    ¡°How about we just...¡± Amaris opened up her backpack and took a look at all of the food she had jumbled up in there. A mixture of sealed food, greens, and a few candies. ¡°Does anyone know how to cook?¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Ahuhu, yes!¡± The two-headed serpent-skeleton said with a shrill accent. ¡°Behold, real food! Ah, I must thank you Amaris, I have had no reason to cook since I returned from my journeys: no stomachs to feed! But now¡­ ah yes, this will do perfectly for our fine feathered friend!¡±

    Jenny looked at the large pot of simmering soup, mouth watering. ¡°Can¡­ can I have some?¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course, there¡¯s plenty to go around!¡± The snake lifted up his tail and poured the pot into three bowls. Amaris had no idea how he¡¯d done it, but with the limited ingredients he¡¯d made a broth that smelled heavenly and fresh.

    Amaris took a sip, finding it tasted like chicken despite not having a single piece of chicken in it. ¡°How did you do that?¡±

    The skeleton let out a dual-toned chuckle. ¡°Seasonings, powders, love, and very special mushrooms.¡±

    Jenny stopped downing her bowl suddenly. ¡°Um¡­ any¡­ side effects of those mushrooms?¡±

    ¡°Well you two are fine, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Both of them fixed him with unamused glares.

    He held up his two heads as if in surrender, the action almost knocking him over. ¡°All right, all right, they¡¯re harmless, okay? They just adapt to the pleasure centers of the customer¡¯s tongue. You, a dragon, and a qorvid would all have a pleasant experience. Speaking of, it¡¯s dinnertime for our friend!¡± Placing the third bowl atop his tail he slithered across the graveyard to Icarus, who had foregone shouting for glaring angrily at the tiny skeleton tending to his bandages.

    ¡°Dinner is served!¡± The snake placed the bowl in Icarus¡¯ functional wing. ¡°I spent the last few hours working on this thing of beauty, you have no idea how good it feels to cook for the living ag¡ª¡°

    Icarus kicked up his foot, throwing the soup all over both of the snake¡¯s faces. ¡°That¡­ is my spit.¡± He let out a pained grunt but refused to break eye contact with the snake¡¯s left head.

    The snake raised up like he was taking two sharp breaths. Then he let out a haggard sound like a sigh mixed with a sob and turned to slither away.

    ¡°¡­I liked your soup, snake guy!¡± Jenny called. He paid her no mind, slithering away to brood. ¡°Geez, two out of three ain¡¯t bad, but if you were him you¡¯d think it was the end of the world.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot on the line here, Jenny,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Let¡¯s try something else¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°And now¡­¡± Jenny said, putting on her ¡®announcer¡¯ voice, which was every bit as cheesy as the name made it sound. ¡°The first-ever Old Bones Art Show!¡± She and several skeletons clapped. These skeletons formed a sort of audience around Icarus, gaze directed forward at a little stage they¡¯d set up by laying a wooden plank over several tombstones. Jenny hopped off the stage, allowing a short, stubby skeleton to walk up with a canvas larger than him and set it up. The beautiful painting showed a purple hill with shimmering light coming from below, giving the scene an ethereal feel.

    The skeletons talked amongst themselves about the piece¡¯s composition and arrangement. Icarus remained silent.

    Jenny frowned¡ªshe¡¯d told Amaris this wasn¡¯t going to work, but she needed to see this through to the end. She waved for other skeleton artists to show their work, ranging from traditional canvases to painted animal skulls to ornate pottery and even an invention called a ¡°tombstone redecorator.¡± None of it prompted anything from Icarus.

    With a disgruntled sigh, Jenny picked up the last piece of art and marched onto stage with it herself, expecting nothing. However, the moment she was about to step down, Iracus pointed right at the canvas. ¡°Who¡­ drew that?¡±

    Jenny looked down at the canvas, registering what it was for the first time. A surreal piece that depicted a dragon¡¯s scales slowly dissolving into hundreds of distinct, smaller dragon skeletons, many of which were made of precious stones rather than bone. ¡°Uh¡­ pretty sure this was Sy.¡±

    ¡°Is Sy¡­ a dragon?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Jenny smirked. ¡°It¡¯s why she can¡¯t be here, she¡¯d break the stage by standing on i¡ª¡°

    ¡°The dragon of desolation must b¡ª¡° Icarus¡¯ pain interrupted his sentence, but he resumed with a dark growl. ¡°Must be vanquished¡­ The losses¡­ must be avenged¡­¡±

    ¡°I assure you that I am no dragon of desolation,¡± the voice of Sy came from somewhere above them, through the fog.

    ¡°Face me¡­ beast!¡± Icarus all but wailed.

    ¡°¡­Your wish would be your destruction¡­ no, I cannot do something so brazen.¡±

    ¡°C-coward!¡±

    ¡°¡­Such a sad, sad man¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°¡­the history of the Old Bones is as, well, as old as the oldest of the bones!¡± Reginald said, leaning back and crossing his arms. ¡°Now, if we are to get into the pre-modern era of the Old Bones, we begin to see a sharp increase in the¡ª¡°

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about your idiotic history¡­¡± Icarus seethed. ¡°Every year¡­ is a blemish¡­¡±

    ¡°But don¡¯t you see how much it is like your own history?¡± Reginald asked. ¡°We have wayward individuals, visionaries, artists, an¡ª¡°

    ¡°Too long¡­ you¡¯ve existed¡­ too long¡­¡± The qorvid actually started to cry. ¡°How can such evil¡­ be permitted to persist¡­? Why oh why oh why¡­?¡±

    With a sigh, Reginald stood up and walked to Amaris, Jenny, and Kkithi. ¡°I did my best, I¡¯m afraid neither the entertaining nor the in-depth views of history can do anything for him.¡±

    Amaris could only feel pity as she looked upon the distraught qorvid. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s so sad¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a loon,¡± Jenny grumbled. ¡°Instead of trying to turn him, we should be preparing for the worst. Battlements, drills, the works.¡±

    ¡°We would not win,¡± Kkithi said. ¡°And if we left to find a new home¡­ we would be spotted.¡±

    ¡°You can always win if you¡¯ve got Jenny on your side!¡±

    Amaris shook her head. ¡°Jenny, no, we¡¯re not punching people¡¯s heads off.¡±

    ¡°Bu¡ª¡°

    ¡°I said no.¡±

    Jenny crossed her arms, but her defiant look quickly slipped away, replaced with one of concern. ¡°¡­Fine. Then what?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Amaris rubbed her eyes. ¡°I need some sleep¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll set up the tent on top of the stage,¡± Jenny said, taking the tent off Amaris¡¯ back.

    Amaris let her. Instead of helping Jenny, though, she found herself drawn back to Icarus. For the first time in a while, Pitch poked his head out of Amaris¡¯ pack to lick her neck. The skeletons terrified him, clearly, but sometimes he needed Amaris just as much as she needed her. She pet his little head and smiled softly as she stood over Icarus.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Icarus said, raising his eyes. ¡°You have been fooled.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t help but think you¡¯re the one who¡¯s been fooled,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Just¡­ these people have gone out of their way to help you, serve you, be nice, and¡­¡±

    Icarus hung his head and let out a series of short breaths. ¡°They¡­ really are. But it matters not at all.¡±

    Amaris frowned. ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°They are undead. To be undead is¡­ blasphemy. Good hearts¡­ mean nothing.¡±

    Amaris couldn¡¯t think of anything to say to that. Wordlessly, she turned around and walked to the tent, head swirling with thoughts she didn¡¯t know how to parse. She climbed onto the makeshift stage and pressed herself into the sleeping bag. Jenny was already in there, snoring like an ox.

    The tent was admittedly cramped with the both of them in there, but Amaris was honestly used to it at this point. Plus, she had more important things to think about than Jenny¡¯s elbow in her back.

    Icarus¡­ She closed her eyes and tried not to cry. How can you see and yet be so blind? Why is everyone like this!?

    No answer was forthcoming. The questions swirled around in her head until her mind gave up and she went to sleep.

    ~~~

    It was impossible to tell if it was morning, midday, or afternoon when Amaris awoke: merely that it was sometime in the day. Despite the tent being closed, everything inside was damp and clammy, as expected. We knew this would happen¡­

    With a grunt, Amaris got up, took a moment to make sure Pitch was okay in his enclosure and left the tent. Since Jenny was nowhere to be seen, Amaris packed up the tent and stored everything on her back once more. It felt unnaturally heavy today. Just another weight placed on her she didn¡¯t know what to do with.

    Here she was, once again in an impossible situation. The only difference here was that she could just¡­ walk away. No one would resent her and, in fact, the people she was trying to help had encouraged her to do so. She only stayed here because she felt like she needed to.

    It wouldn¡¯t be right to leave them. I¡¯m part of this now. She ground her teeth. What would I say to Mom? That I just¡­ abandoned them?

    She realized she had no idea where she was walking. ¡°Um¡­ hey.¡± She turned to a gari skeleton sheepishly. ¡°Do you know where Kkithi is?¡±

    The skeleton pointed her in the right direction, and she set off, almost running into Sy¡¯s foot as she did so. Snaking her way forward, she found that the dragon was talking with Jenny and the others.

    ¡°Our options are¡­ very limited,¡± Kkithi said. ¡°No matter what we do, we¡¯re going to be discovered.¡±

    ¡°Which is why you need to build walls and armaments,¡± Jenny continued. ¡°Learn some fireball magic, make it so they wouldn¡¯t dare tear you down. For all we know, bird-brain is a bit of a crazy and the other paladins won¡¯t miss him for a loooooong time.¡±

    ¡°Can we take that risk?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure you have a choice.¡± Jenny shrugged. ¡°If they¡¯re going to find out anyway¡­ you just have to deal with it.¡±

    Amaris let out a short gasp, drawing the attention of the entire group towards her.

    ¡°What is it, little one?¡± Sy asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, they are going to find out,¡± Amaris said. ¡°But fighting or preparing for a war will only make things worse. So¡­ what if you had them find out about you on your terms?¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t follow,¡± Reginald said, tilting his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple, really.¡± Amaris took a step forward, a determined smile on her face. ¡°Walk right up to them and introduce yourselves.¡±

    Everyone stared at her like she was insane.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious! If they find out about you through some paladin or people checking up on the paladin, they¡¯ll assume the worst. But if you introduce yourselves and offer your unique skeletal skills directly¡­ well, it might go badly, but at least you would have tried something that wasn¡¯t just perpetuating the problem.¡±

    ¡°It would betray our position,¡± Sy said. ¡°They could kill us all and we would have no time for preparation.¡±

    ¡°The other option is war,¡± Amaris said. ¡°And I¡­ don¡¯t think you want that. At all. So just¡­ put yourselves out there. Show some vulnerability.¡± I sound like Dad right now. ¡°It¡¯ll be a risk. You have to decide if it¡¯s the risk you want to take.¡±

    Kkithi tapped her fingers on her hips. ¡°If it works¡­ we wouldn¡¯t have to hide at all.¡±

    ¡°Paladins are sworn to kill all of our kind,¡± Reginald pointed out. ¡°Even if we can convince a town to work with us¡­¡±

    ¡°Paladins have a code,¡± Sy countered. ¡°They would not dare to attack a town as a whole.¡±

    Reginald began to nod slowly. ¡°Yes¡­ yes¡­ oh, I think I¡¯m already seeing the benefits. Skeletons can do many jobs that would be lethal or dangerous to the living. A skeleton workforce would be sure to line the pockets of any employers.¡±

    ¡°I will bring this to all the others,¡± Kkithi said. ¡°But¡­ I think they will take the risk. Few and far between are those of us who relish the idea of turning our home into a military compound.¡±

    Jenny nodded slowly. ¡°Yep, this plan is utterly bonkers. Amaris, you¡¯re learning well.¡±

    Amaris rolled her eyes. ¡°Sure, this is definitely your influence, finding a solution that doesn¡¯t involve punching.¡±

    ¡°I said you were learning, not graduated.¡±

    ~~~

    Four individuals marched out of the mist that day. At the lead was Amaris with Pitch sitting on top of her head, sleeping. For once in her life, her hands weren¡¯t tightly gripped around her backpack straps, but rather the front end of a stretcher that held the unconscious Icarus. On the other end of the stretcher was Jenny, who, despite not having the additional weight of a backpack, was struggling considerably to keep up the pace.

    ¡°We¡¯ve only been going for an hour, Jenny,¡± Amaris called back. ¡°We¡¯ve walked a lot further than this before.¡±

    ¡°You can just¡­ jump off a cliff¡­¡±

    ¡°And then you¡¯d have to carry Icarus all by yourself.¡±

    ¡°You know what¡­ I mean¡­¡± Jenny glanced back at the figure behind them, dressed in a black trench coat with a black wide-rimmed hat and visor-like sunglasses paired with an equally black bandanna that obscured all facial features. ¡°Why can¡¯t he swap in?¡±

    ¡°You know why.¡±

    ¡°I knowwww but he doesn¡¯t have to carry anything¡­¡±

    Amaris tilted her head back and took in a sharp breath. ¡°Jenny, this trip is more important than your personal comfort so can you just suck it up for once and carry this bird?¡±

    To Amaris¡¯ shock, she felt Jenny straighten up and increase the pace without a single snide comment. They continued on, leaving the mist further and further behind, allowing the midday sun to beat down upon them. It actually felt warm, a sensation Amaris hadn¡¯t felt the entire time she¡¯d been in the graveyard. Despite the importance of the mission, she allowed herself to enjoy it; as nice as the Old Bones were, they were a constant reminder of death and the end. Out here, life dominated.

    Of course, in many ways, it was this dominance of life that they were challenging. Amaris had high hopes, but it was going to be tricky getting this deal to work.

    Icarus began to stir on the stretcher. ¡°Mmmm pineapple¡­ fear the screen¡­ bunballs¡­¡±

    ¡°Aight, set him down, I¡¯ve got this,¡± Jenny said with far too much glee. The girls set him down, revealing to Amaris that she had been overexerting her arms a bit. Despite all her training, carrying a qorvid was no laughing matter. Perhaps she should have been easier on Jenny.

    Jenny, to her credit, had seemingly forgotten about her complaints and went to stand over the awakening Icarus¡¯ face. When he opened his eyes, she grinned. ¡°Hi.¡±

    ¡°Witch! I will¡­ resi¡ª¡°

    Jenny¡¯s hand glowed with a soft purple sparkle. She slapped him across the face and the magic dust went into him, forcing him back to sleep.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to slap that hard,¡± Amaris commented.

    ¡°It¡¯s more fun this way.¡± Jenny took a moment to stretch her arms, ending with offering their black-suited companion a high-five. Getting nothing in return she quickly returned to Amaris, pretending that she had always intended to give the high-five to her.

    Amaris placed a fist into Jenny¡¯s palm, grinning.

    Jenny stared at the fist that had met her high five. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve never thought of that. The high-five ruiner, the ultimate gotcha, the¡­¡±

    Their tall black companion let out a grunt.

    ¡°Right, right¡­¡± Amaris took her position at the front of the stretcher and dusted off her hands. ¡°Town¡¯s only a half-hour away. I think I can see the smoke from here¡­¡±

    ¡°Still wonder why they bury their dead so far out,¡± Jenny commented. ¡°Has to be very inconvenient.¡±

    ¡°Magic somethingorother.¡±

    ¡°Gee, how insightful.¡±

    ~~~

    The town had the rather uncreative name of Homestead. It was on the smaller end of settlements, all things considered, and was inhabited almost entirely by humans. It wasn¡¯t just a simple farming town, however, for it was built into the side of a mountain and as a consequence had a fairly decent mining operation going on. Unfortunately, Homestead was quite far from any other major settlements and so the mines were nowhere near as profitable as they should have been, and getting the goods to operate an effective mine was somewhat difficult. One might point out that there was a settlement on the other side of the graveyard that could prove to be a good trading partner, but anyone who had that idea was laughed out of the room.

    Why cross the obviously haunted graveyard? That mist had to be full of ghostly curses and diseases. They only went to the graveyard to bury their dead and spent as little time there as possible. As to why they didn¡¯t bury their dead elsewhere, they were of the opinion that making a new graveyard would just spread the haunt. They were, in the end, a very superstitious people.

    Considering the fact that the graveyard was teeming with skeletons, they weren¡¯t exactly wrong. This was going to make it a bit of an uphill battle for Amaris and company, but she had a plan. Granted, it lacked a lot of finer details, but it was a plan and Kkithi had signed off on it. Out of desperation, perhaps, but the chances of success were greater than zero, so here they were.

    Amaris and Jenny carried the out-cold Icarus right into town, their shadowy companion trailing close behind them. A few of the farmers raised their heads to stare incredulously at the newcomers, a motion that their livestock (mostly llamas) mimicked. However, none of the hardworking people turned from their work to give any greetings, they simply nodded in the direction of the travelers whenever eye contact was made.

    ¡°¡­Wasn¡¯t the plan to wait for them to talk to us?¡± Jenny asked.

    ¡°Yes, it still is,¡± Amaris whisper-hissed back. ¡°Just¡­ get to the center of town.¡±

    As they left the surrounding farms, they approached the center of town with the mining district close by. Here, among the denser buildings, it was easy to pick out miners from the rest of the population due to their poor hygiene and aroma of coal. They were fortunate enough to witness a team of miners moving an entire minecart filled to the brim with red crystals¡ªno doubt a major haul for a town such as this.

    Here, amidst the majority of the people, someone finally came up and spoke to them¡ªa middle-aged woman in an ugly brown dress. ¡°Excuse me¡­ why do you have a qorvid on a stretcher?¡±

    ¡°Simple, really,¡± Jenny said. ¡°Poor guy got himself injured doing some real stupid things. Claimed he was a paladin!¡±

    At the word paladin, the woman¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh¡­ is that Icarus?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how he introduced himself,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Is there someone in charge we can tell what happened?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, yes, of course, the Chief will want to hear everything. Come I¡¯ll take you to the Doctor¡¯s.¡± She whirled around and pointed at a girl passing by. ¡°Regina! Get the Chief, tell him the dumb bird¡¯s back and broken in more places than I can count!¡±

    The girl nodded in mild fear. ¡°I¡¯ll send him right to you!¡±

    They took Icarus to the Doctor¡¯s¡ªwhich was essentially nothing more than a residential house of slightly higher quality than the rest. Unfortunately, there was a sign on the door that said the doctor is out. The woman ground her teeth, lifted a rock up off the walkway, and pulled a key out of the rock. She quickly opened the door and guided Amaris and company in, where they were able to lay Icarus on one of the beds.

    ¡°The Doctor should be back shortly,¡± the woman grunted. ¡°And the Chief¡­¡±

    ¡°Is right here.¡± A rather fat man with a square jaw walked into the Doctor¡¯s, sitting down on a rickety wooden stool and fixing the two girls with a steely gaze¡ªlargely ignoring the black shape in the corner. Perhaps he thought their companion was just a coat rack. ¡°Now¡­ Icarus.¡±

    ¡°How do you know him?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s a bit of a nuisance,¡± the Chief explained. ¡°He was raised from an egg by a retired paladin. When the paladin died he took it upon himself to become a paladin as well, to vanquish the evil¡ªespecially the evil that we all told in stories. Somehow he managed to successfully get armor and skills and returned here to ¡®slay¡¯ the evil. Not that there was anything to slay in town, he just bothered people with his new code, constantly judging, critiquing every decision made as ¡®impure¡¯ and¡­¡± The Chief sighed. ¡°I miss when he was just a little bird scrambling around for shiny objects.¡± He turned to Amaris. ¡°How did you find him?¡±

    ¡°That¡­ is a long story,¡± Amaris said. ¡°So I¡¯m going to tell it from the beginning. I¡¯m Amaris and this is Jenny, and we were traveling through the graveyard¡­¡± And so she began to spin the tale of what happened over the last few days, trying her best to just stick to the facts and not embellish anything. She told them directly of the skeletons, her fear, how the skeletons reacted, and their discovery by Icarus. She also made sure to leave in their comedic attempts to appease Icarus.

    At first, the Chief didn¡¯t look like he believed anything Amaris was saying, but when she got to Icarus and started describing how he acted and his reactions, his uncertainty wavered considerably. And then she got to the dilemma.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t know what to do. What could they do? Running was pointless, fighting was pointless and distasteful, and hiding was no longer an option. And so¡­¡± She looked deep into the Chief¡¯s face. ¡°They just want to live. They¡¯re willing to offer a deal with you, in exchange for protection. That deal¡­ is that you can put them to work in the mines, or anywhere else you see fit. Workers that don¡¯t need to breathe, eat, or even sleep. They won¡¯t even ask for much payment if any at all.¡±

    The Chief frowned. ¡°And who are you to speak for them?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not, I¡¯m just here to make sure you don¡¯t crack skulls open.¡± Amaris gestured back at the shadowy figure. ¡°Reginald here can speak for them.¡±

    Suddenly, the Chief and the woman were visibly afraid. ¡°You¡­ brought one of them here?¡± the woman said with barely a whisper.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be afraid,¡± Reginald said with his jaw-clacking voice. ¡°If we wanted to invade or destroy you or anything we could have by now. We just¡­ want a chance.¡± He nodded his covered head toward Icarus. ¡°We¡¯ve brought your paladin back to you and have an offer that is exactly as Amaris stated it. We will work, and we will work hard, so long as we can still live. There are many benefits to skeleton workers: self-sustaining, economically feasible, and no small amount of novelty.¡±

    The Chief stared wide-eyed at Reginald. ¡°Are you¡­ truly a skeleton?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Though I understand if you rather I kept my suit on.¡±

    ¡°I will need¡­ some proof.¡±

    The Chief tried to remain strong and manly, but all it took was the lifting of Reginald¡¯s sunglasses to make him shiver involuntarily. Reginald lowered his sunglasses back down, making him once more a covered humanoid shape that rattled a bit whenever he made quick motions.

    The Chief wiped his brow. ¡°You¡­ make a good offer. It¡­ it will take time to implement, and I will have to talk to the mining companies, but they are already understaffed. They desperately need more people.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be considering this,¡± the woman said with a gasp. ¡°What will the people think?¡±

    ¡°They will be scared. Terrified. But their children will stop dying in the mines. And, in time, we will no longer be afraid of the haunted graveyard.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s insane!¡±

    ¡°What else are you going to do?¡± Jenny asked, leaning nonchalantly against the wall. ¡°If you don¡¯t accept them, you will have to become enemies. And they¡¯ve already gone so far out of their way to avoid war that to deny them would just be cruel.¡±

    ¡°W-war?¡± the woman stammered.

    ¡°We would not wage war,¡± Reginald huffed, making an attempt to glare at Jenny through the sunglasses. ¡°Our people are not fighters.¡±

    Jenny rolled her eyes. ¡°Please, you and I both know there are enough skeletons who would get angry and consider this place an enemy.¡±

    ¡°Jenny, we aren¡¯t making threats.¡±

    Jenny shrugged, glancing lazily back to the Chief. ¡°You see that? He doesn¡¯t even like me stating the obvious. You¡¯ve got yourself the deal of a lifetime here, Chief.¡±

    ¡°All you gotta do is hammer out the details,¡± Amaris said.

    Slowly, the Chief approached Reginald. ¡°¡­I¡¯m willing to get started if you are.¡±

    Reginald chuckled. ¡°Chief, I literally have nothing else to do right now.¡±

    ~~~

    And so a treaty was signed that allowed skeletons to live and work in the mines. For the first few weeks, they would be required to wear bundled clothing out among the people of Homestead to not cause panic¡ªan idea that Reginald insisted on so that their presence could be gradually worked in. They would become part of the community bit by bit, piece by piece, serving as miners, guards, and even couriers. Some of the larger skeletons could be used as mounts or, in the case of Sy, emergency defense against legendary monstrous creatures that sometimes roamed the land.

    Reginald was quickly introduced to the mining bosses and major tradesmen, where he dazzled them with talks of profit, economic boons, and efficiency. Surprisingly, the fact that he scared them actually improved his chances since they didn¡¯t want to test him. Here was a monster from beyond the grave that didn¡¯t outright want to kill them at the moment, and they were fairly sure that crossing him in any way might flip that switch. As such, he actually managed to secure a decent pay for skeleton workers¡ªthough he was careful to make it less than regular miner pay. A terrible thing for worker¡¯s rights, to be sure, but it wasn¡¯t like the Old Bones needed to buy food.

    Everything seemed to be falling into place. Amaris only wished she could stick around to see how it went.

    ¡°You know we have to go, right?¡± Jenny asked her as they walked around the town of Homestead.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Amaris said as she played with Pitch, weaving the snake through the gaps in her fingers. ¡°It¡¯ll take several weeks before this really gets to anything interesting. And there is still the risk that the paladins will try to get in sneakily.¡±

    ¡°They have more overtly evil fish to fry,¡± Jenny pointed out. ¡°And something tells me Icarus isn¡¯t going to be able to amass an army against his own hometown.¡±

    ¡°Probably not,¡± Amaris admitted. ¡°Still, it would be nice to know how it turns out.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll become one of life¡¯s great mysteries,¡± Jenny said, waving her arms like she was some kind of ancient mystic. Amaris couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    Her good mood was cut short, as they were passing by the Doctor¡¯s house, and through the window Amaris could see Icarus staring blankly at a wall. ¡°¡­Poor guy, his entire worldview¡¯s falling apart.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll live,¡± Jenny said dismissively. ¡°It¡¯ll be good for him, in the end.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that.¡± Amaris shook her head. ¡°We broke him. Literally.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he¡¯ll realize that qorvids aren¡¯t supposed to be paladins.¡±

    Amaris felt like that was unfair, but she didn¡¯t say anything further on the subject. Without really thinking, she kept walking, until they approached the far end of Homestead.

    ¡°So¡­ getting on the road again?¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°Our work here is done. Why not?¡±

    Jenny shrugged. ¡°Seems rather sudden, is all.¡±

    ¡°Well, if we stick around they¡¯re going to ask us to stay for dinner, the Old Bones will probably want to celebrate us as heroes, and¡­¡± Amaris wasn¡¯t really sure why she was listing off these reasons; none of them were really why she was walking away right now. If she was being honest with herself she was just walking away because she wanted to be walking right now. It was just time to move on.

    ¡°I could get used to this,¡± Jenny said, nodding slowly. ¡°We¡¯re like the duo of mysterious heroes who show up to save the day and then vanish without a trace. The mysterious strangers, Amaris and Jenny!¡±

    ¡°Heh¡­ heroes¡­¡± Amaris shook her head. ¡°Jenny, I think you¡¯re the hero. I¡¯m just the one stuff happens to. Doesn¡¯t have to be good or bad.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a pessimistic downer.¡± Jenny put her hands behind her head and rolled her eyes. ¡°Today you were the hero. Does it matter what happened before or will happen later?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not an immortal child who can¡¯t die.¡±

    ¡°Potato, po-tah-to.¡±

    ¡°Nobody says po-tah-to.¡±

    ¡°I just did. And you just did.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just playing with words and you know it!¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t know anything! Head empty, no thoughts.¡±

    Amaris facepalmed. ¡°Jenny, sometimes I wonder about you.¡±

    ¡°Only sometimes?¡± Jenny gave her an exaggerated wink.

    ¡°If I were in a state of perpetual wondering I would never get anything done. See, I w¡ª¡° Since she wasn¡¯t watching where she was going, the low branch of a tree smacked Amaris in the head while Jenny was able to walk right under it. ¡°Ow¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re getting taller,¡± Jenny observed, a scowl crawling up her face. ¡°I don¡¯t like it. Stop. Be short.¡±

    Amaris stepped out from under the shade of the tree and stood on her tiptoes, fixing Jenny with the smuggest of smug grins. ¡°I refuse. In fact, I shall keep growing, and growing, until I transform into an utter beanpole and reach for the clouds while you remain here as a tiny little bug!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, at least I don¡¯t have to buy new clothes every few months.¡±

    Amaris rocked back onto her heels. ¡°Jenny, you tear your clothing beyond repair every time you lose an arm. You buy clothes a lot more than I do.¡±

    ¡°Touche.¡±

    ¡°Touche,¡± Amaris echoed, mockingly.

    Jenny clasped her hands together and bowed extravagantly. ¡°Touche.¡±

    Amaris pretended to look aghast. ¡°T-touche!¡±

    ¡°Touche!¡± Jenny jumped into the air and did a little dance.

    Amaris nodded in approval. ¡°Touche.¡±

    Pitch poked his head out of the backpack at the right angle to lick Jenny across the face.

    Jenny booped him on the nose. ¡°Touche.¡±

    They continued repeating the word over and over again in different ways until it proceeded to lose all meaning and the mere suggestion of its syllables could force the two of them into laughter.

    Ah, the joys of childhood.

 Whats Left Behind

    EPISODE IX

    What¡¯s Left Behind

    ¡°Name?¡±

    Amaris tightened her grip around her backpack straps. ¡°Amaris Kelvin.¡±

    ¡°Jenny Zero,¡± Jenny said, keeping her face perfectly level.

    The large, grizzled man with one of the most threatening mustaches Amaris had ever seen scrawled their names down on the government-mandated paperwork. His scowl deepened. ¡°Age?¡±

    Amaris¡¯ thoughts let out a series of childish curses that made it difficult for her to keep a straight face. ¡°¡­Thirteen.¡± I think, at this point.

    Jenny folded her gloved fingers together. ¡°Fourteen.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ pink or blue?¡±

    Amaris blinked. ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°All kids under the age of sixteen get their choice of a pink or blue balloon.¡± He gestured at the bundle of balloons behind him. ¡°Pink or blue?¡±

    ¡°Pink,¡± Amaris said, graciously taking the balloon.

    ¡°Give me the bombastic blue!¡± Jenny declared, pointing excitedly. She got what she asked for, assuming the pale-blue helium-filled object that lazily drifted with the wind could be called ¡°bombastic.¡±

    The man let the two of them through the gate, which was little more than a picket-fence in the midst of some white tape that separated the ancient ruins of Pinforsa from the rest of the hilly country. Amaris and Jenny took their position behind probably a hundred other kids, all with balloons of their own, creating a micro-sea of jostling blue and pink dots.

    ¡°How long until anyone asks us which class we¡¯re with?¡± Amaris asked Jenny.

    ¡°I¡¯m betting never,¡± Jenny said, gesturing at the various teachers leading the kids along. ¡°These morons aren¡¯t the sort to do head counts until they have no choice. None of them want to be here.¡±

    ¡°Such a shame¡­¡± Amaris said, taking a moment to appreciate the ruins all around them. The structures were completely black and were exceedingly jarring, looking like charred carcasses of some ancient metallic golems strewn across the landscape. The nearest large structure was vaguely cone shaped, but the entire eastern half was cleaved off and lying on the ground nearby, revealing the interior to be hollow and studded with various helix-shaped supports. No evidence of wires, however, just raw black structure.

    ¡°Now, stay with the group, kids!¡± one of the guides was saying. ¡°And don¡¯t stray from the path¡ªwe don¡¯t want anyone stepping on the priceless history here.¡±

    ¡°Priceless?¡± a thin girl snorted. ¡°Looks like a bunch of black rocks.¡±

    ¡°And these black rocks are not worth much, that is true,¡± the guide said, leaning down and picking up a rock. He dusted it off with the hairs on his beard. ¡°However, it is not the material that carries value. It is the uncovering of the mystery! All accounts point to Pinforsa being a major trading hub in ancient times that, overnight, was reduced to black rubble¡ªthe very material of the buildings themselves was changed! While this has ruined many artifacts, it has also preserved many things; things we use to uncover the history, secrets, and knowledge of the Pinforsans. And that, my girl, is what is priceless.¡±

    ¡°¡­So knowledge. It¡¯s like paying to go to school.¡±

    Jenny snickered. ¡°Just you wait, kid, you and everyone else here will be doing that soon enough.¡±

    The girl gave Jenny a weird look before deciding this strange girl wasn¡¯t worth her attention and wandered off.

    ¡°¡­Wait,¡± Amaris turned to Jenny. ¡°Have you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Gone to college? Yeah. I have several degrees at this point. Can¡¯t remember half of them. They eventually stopped admitting me when I tried to sign up for a major I¡¯d apparently already had¡­¡±

    Amaris shook her head; now was not the time to get baffled by Jenny¡¯s nature. ¡°By the way, fourteen? You just had to show me up, huh?¡±

    Jenny smirked. ¡°One, you don¡¯t know how old you are anymore. Two, I am fourteen years old. At least. Plus that¡¯s kinda how I look a¡ª¡°

    ¡°I¡¯m taller than you.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to argue that I¡¯m physically younger than you just because I¡¯m shorter?¡±

    ¡°W-well¡­¡± Amaris had a few more points she could make but decided that the embarrassment wasn¡¯t worth it. She turned away, looking at the ruins again, hoping to find wonder in them. And she did; their ancient shapes curved in complex patterns that, at one point, had been aesthetically pleasing in a mathematical sense, and she found it an enjoyable brainteaser to work out what their original shapes had been and why they were chosen.

    But then they passed a sign, a sign that had the one thing Amaris had come here to avoid thinking about.

    It showed a map of the known world with a big, red ¡°you are here¡± dot. It was just like all the maps they¡¯d seen in the library, except a little less detailed. But the fact was the same: it looked nothing like the maps Amaris had known back home. They had traveled far enough East to find people with larger world maps, and Amaris¡¯ home was nowhere in sight.

    Jenny was already preparing her fist to reduce the offending sign to slag.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± Amaris sighed, holding up a hand. ¡°Don¡¯t make a scene.¡±

    ¡°We came here t¡ª¡°

    ¡°And it was a childish and immature instinct of mine.¡±

    ¡°Amaris, you¡¯re a kid. You have more excuse to be childish than I do!¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Amaris grumbled, sticking her hands in her jacket pockets and marching forward. At this point, Pitch would normally have slithered out to comfort her, but she had the flaps sealed so he wouldn¡¯t get out and scare anyone. With no reptile to ease her forlorn feeling, she just kept walking with the group, her back to Jenny.

    Jenny jumped up to grab the balloon Amaris had released without thinking. ¡°That¡¯s it, that¡¯s it, keep walking. We¡¯ll always keep walking, onward, to new horizons!¡±

    ¡°To what end?¡± Amaris asked. ¡°For all we know my home is West and it¡¯s so far away we¡¯ll never get to it. Nobody even knows how large the world is, Jenny.¡±

    ¡°The answer, my interesting friend, is why not?¡± She made an exaggerated motion not unlike a fish, twirling into Amaris¡¯ view. ¡°What would be the point in stopping?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Amaris admitted. ¡°I¡­ guess there isn¡¯t one. Why not keep looking?¡±

    ¡°Exactly! Why not! Why¡­¡± Jenny pointed to a circle-shaped structure that looked somewhat like a door. ¡°For all we know the answers to where your home is are right there! Behold, the door to your dreams!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t go over there!¡± the tour guide called back, evidentially having seen Jenny point excitedly. ¡°That is an area of active research! Science must not be disturbed!¡±

    Amaris glared at Jenny. ¡°Jenny, no.¡±

    ¡°¡­Jenny yes?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Jenny deflated¡ªthough the two balloons in her hands made the motion awkward. ¡°You¡¯re no fun.¡±

    ¡°Someone has to be the mature one.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, eat the irony up like some deranged vampire.¡±

    ~~~

    About twenty minutes later Amaris noticed Jenny wasn¡¯t walking with her anymore.

    ¡°¡­Sassafras.¡± Amaris allowed herself to fall to the back of the group. When she was certain the guide wasn¡¯t looking, she ran back down the path. She knew exactly where Jenny was.

    Sure enough, there Jenny stood, in front of the circular door-like structure. She was just standing there, waiting. ¡°Took you long enough to realize I was missing!¡±

    ¡°Jenny, don¡ª¡°

    Jenny lit her fist with an orange burst of energy and punched right through the circular covering, reducing it to rubble and revealing a smooth pipe-like interior that gradually sloped downward into the earth. ¡°Don¡¯t what?¡±

    ¡°Jenny I swear I am going to wring your neck one of these da¡ªactually, hold that thought.¡± She jumped off the path, ran to Jenny, and grabbed her by the neck and started shaking.

    ¡°You¡­ aren¡¯t even breaking¡­ my neck¡­ properly¡­¡± Jenny gasped with a dumb grin on her face. ¡°You¡­ want to¡­ twist a bit to the left¡­¡±

    Amaris¡¯ was suddenly struck by the monumental absurdity of the situation and couldn¡¯t help but burst into giggles, loosening her grip around Jenny¡¯s neck.

    Jenny gave Amaris an exaggerated wink. ¡°Nobody can resist Jenny of the Red Gloves¡¯ charm!¡± She put her fingers to her eyes in a mock ¡°cute¡± pose and took a step back to add to the illusion.

    The ground crumbled under her feet. With a panicked yelp, she reached out and grabbed Amaris by the collar in vain hope of stopping herself from cascading down the pipe she¡¯d just opened up. To her credit, Amaris tried to dig her heels into the ground, but it was too fragile, turning to powdered dust. With a panicked scream of her own, she was dragged after Jenny into the pipe.

    The pipe was too smooth to grab onto anything, and it wasn¡¯t for lack of trying. Both Jenny and Amaris attempted to push their arms and legs as far out as possible to stop their descent, but the opening was too large, and soon their speed was too high to do so safely. Fortunately, the pipe only adjusted its direction in small increments, so there were no sudden turns that would have resulted in two rather unsightly impact stains. Instead, they were subject to burns, scrapes, and bruises due to friction with the black stone walls. However, the further down they went, the less they could feel the stone. Not because their nerves were getting overloaded, but because the stone was gradually transitioning into a metal-like substance that felt partially soft, a contradiction that confused Amaris considerably, taking her mind momentarily off their precarious position.

    In time, the pipe eventually started to level out, slowing their descent to a much less precarious speed. At this point the pipe abruptly ended and the two of them launched out with their remaining speed, slamming into a smooth wall before comically sliding down onto the ground. Several of Amaris¡¯ belongings had been knocked off the backpack while they had fallen, and all these things joined them shortly after¡ªincluding a loose arrow that embedded itself in Jenny¡¯s back and the various components of the tent, among many other items that annoyingly pelted the two girls.

    Despite having been fully clothed, Amaris still had numerous scrapes and burns over her skin, the worst of it being on her left jawline where she hadn¡¯t been able to adequately protect herself. She could feel it bleeding. It needed attention.

    Unfortunately, attending to her injury would require something she didn¡¯t have at the moment: light. It was utterly pitch black.

    ¡°Jenny?¡± Amaris asked, finding that she could still annunciate perfectly fine.

    ¡°Here,¡± Jenny said. ¡°Dizzy, but here.¡±

    ¡°Light one of your hands on fire. I need to find the flashlight.¡±

    Jenny did as requested, illuminating the area. It was a roughly rectangular room composed of a dark, metal-like substance that shimmered and yet felt somewhat rubbery¡ªboth hard and soft at the same time. There were two circular exits to the room that led to darkness, in addition to the pipe they had just come out of. Otherwise, there was nothing of note in the room besides the two of them and Amaris¡¯ various belongings.

    Amaris noticed her bow first¡ªsomehow undamaged, to her relief. Finding no flashlight among the bits and pieces lying around them, she took her backpack off and found the flashlight somehow still in its little pocket. She turned it on, gesturing for Jenny to turn off the fire¡ªthey didn¡¯t want to die of smoke inhalation. Checking inside the backpack, she noted that several things were busted and broken from the fall, but Pitch¡¯s enclosure was only cracked, having been protected from the worst of it by the other belongings. Pitch himself was huddled in a corner, waving his head in the signature sign of ¡°I¡¯m very very dizzy right now.¡±

    ¡°Your face,¡± Jenny pointed.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡± Amaris pulled out the first aid kit they¡¯d procured and started cleaning her injury. The alcohol stung something fierce, but at this point she knew what real pain felt like and found the old memories of her crying when her mother tended to her scrapes somewhat laughable. She took the bandage wrap and tightly wound it around her head. It looked absolutely ridiculous, but it kept pressure on the wound, and that was all that mattered for now. It would be a little awkward to talk, but not impossible.

    Seeing her complete her task, Jenny held up her hands. ¡°All right, this is my bad. I¡­¡±

    ¡°I think we both know this is just my curse at work,¡± Amaris said, starting to collect the rest of her belongings and place them back in or on the backpack.

    Jenny was visibly relieved that she didn¡¯t have to deal with a long and drawn-out apology. Instead, she set to helping Amaris with all her things, until the backpack was fully loaded once again. Though it didn¡¯t look anywhere near as neat as before.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Amaris stood up, bow and arrow in her hands. ¡°We just fell a really really long way and I doubt we can climb back up that tube. Thus, we must explore this¡­ place.¡± She frowned. ¡°Any idea what this is?¡±

    ¡°Nothing beyond my usual sense of d¨¦j¨¤-vu,¡± Jenny reported.

    ¡°Right¡­ well, in that case¡­¡± Amaris turned on her heels and pointed at a random opening. ¡°This way, I suppose.¡±

    Despite Amaris¡¯ take-charge attitude, Jenny ended up taking the lead since she could take the pounding of any traps that may have been lying in wait. They left their original room and found themselves in a much larger one shaped a bit like a cylinder with the far end much larger than the small end they were coming out of. This area, too, was featureless and seemed to contain virtually nothing of interest, though they did find some lettering scrawled into the wall.

    Amaris frowned, examining the swirling, flowing, cycling language. ¡°I have no idea how to read this.¡±

    ¡°I have a third of an idea,¡± Jenny said, frowning. ¡°For some reason, when I¡¯m looking at it I can¡¯t stop thinking about cake and airplanes.¡±

    ¡°Might that be because it looks kind of like a cake?¡±

    ¡°Either that or I¡¯m half-remembering something. You know how it is.¡± She ran her fingers across the engraving. ¡°Still, fairly sure I¡¯ve seen this kind of writing before.¡±

    ¡°No idea where?¡±

    ¡°No idea where.¡±

    Amaris took a step back and looked up at the empty ceiling. ¡°What even is this place?¡±

    ¡°The deepest part of the ruins that didn¡¯t get blackened?¡±

    Amaris shook her head. ¡°Who builds something this far down? And¡­ more than that, why is it all featureless? The Pinforsans designed their buildings with both math and functionality. This is just¡­ empty space. It doesn¡¯t seem to serve any purpose.¡±

    ¡°Storage?¡±

    ¡°Then why¡¯s there nothing here?¡±

    ¡°Art project?¡±

    ¡°This is the most boring art project I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±

    Jenny let out a low whistle. ¡°You must not see much art.¡±

    ¡°Or maybe we¡¯re just not seeing the whole picture¡­¡± Amaris scratched her chin, trying to think of something they¡¯d missed, but came up with nothing. Jenny took this as a sign to forge onward, so she guided them to the next room.

    This one was utterly massive, easily able to hold several houses within its cylindrical confines. Unlike the previous room, whose entrances were at the ends of the cylinder, this room was upright and had five circular openings along the curved edge, one of which Jenny and Amaris emerged from. The floor and ceiling were domed and covered with what looked to be screens, though none of them were functioning and a few were visibly cracked or just simply missing, revealing exposed wires beneath. In the center of the great chamber was a pillar with five helical ribbons twisted around it, dominating the entire enclosure.

    ¡°Woah¡­¡± Jenny said, blinking. ¡°That¡¯s a big one.¡±

    Amaris narrowed her eyes. ¡°Jenny, turn off the light.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Just do it, I want to check something.¡±

    With a shrug, Jenny clicked the light off. It took a few seconds, but Amaris became convinced that she was right¡ªthe central pillar was glowing a very, very faint yellow. ¡°You see that?¡±

    ¡°Amaris, it¡¯s pitch black in here.¡±

    ¡°Look at the pillar, it¡¯s glowing ever so slightly.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything.¡±

    ¡°Did you forget which direction the pillar was already?¡±

    Jenny didn¡¯t respond to this.

    ¡°Just turn around until you see something.¡±

    There was no response.

    ¡°¡­Jenny?¡± Amaris realized with some concern that she had no real way to defend herself in absolute darkness. Shooting arrows blindly would just be a bad idea. If something had grabbed Jenn¡ª

    ¡°Rawr!¡± Jenny shouted, turning on the flashlight right in Amaris¡¯ face.

    Amaris jumped back so quickly she almost fell over. She had to take a moment to put her hand over her pounding heart. ¡°J-Jenny!¡±

    Jenny broke out in devious laughter. ¡°You should have seen the look on your face! Utterly priceless! Oh, I¡¯m gonna treasure that reaction for a loooong time.¡±

    Amaris, having calmed herself down enough to breathe properly, couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°You know, in an actual emergency¡­¡±

    ¡°You would have heard punching, yelling, and me screaming bloody murder.¡±

    ¡°Just¡­¡± Amaris couldn¡¯t help but smile and shake her head. Jenny will be Jenny¡­ ¡°Did you see the pillar glow or not?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, easily,¡± Jenny said a little too dismissively. ¡°Maybe it has power or something.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I want to find out.¡± Amaris set off down the curved floor to the pillar itself, bow at the ready just in case something went awry. At the base of the pillar they found a ring of screens mounted upon it, none of them working, and a few exposed panels with more strange writing on them. However, this writing wasn¡¯t hastily scrawled, it was clearly engraved by some kind of machine or precise craftsmanship.

    ¡°Jenny?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± She stared at the writing, furrowing her brow. ¡°I¡¯m getting thoughts of ¡®center¡¯ and ¡®dance party.¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Amaris continued to hum to herself as she investigated the pillar itself. It was made out of the same contradictory metal-yet-soft material as the rest of the area. Peeking under one of the open hatches, she found crystalline nodes connected with colored wires in a variety of patterns she couldn¡¯t even begin to wrap her head around.

    Jenny opened up another panel. ¡°Hey, check this out!¡±

    Amaris moved over, more than a little surprised to see a glasslike ball of yellow coloration sitting within a nest of wires, glowing softly. It was badly cracked and had numerous gashes in it.

    ¡°Some kind of power source?¡±

    Jenny shrugged, reaching in and yanking the ball out, receiving a minor shock for her efforts that was of little concern. She juggled it in her hand for a moment, and then turned off the flashlight. Sure enough, the pillar was no longer glowing.

    ¡°Right, so this is all the power this area had left,¡± Amaris surmised. ¡°And, clearly, it¡¯s not enough.¡±

    ¡°Might be enough power for something else though.¡± Jenny tossed the ball to Amaris, who quickly stuffed it in the backpack.

    ¡°So this is likely the center of the area,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Five ways out, one of which is where we came from.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to pick one and see where it goes since neither of us are tech-savvy. I¡¯m not sure we can use this center pillar to get out, even if it is what I¡¯m thinking it is.¡±

    ¡°A computer?¡± Jenny asked.

    ¡°Yeah, a computer, or a large portion of one.¡± Amaris closed her eyes and started tapping her foot. ¡°If we had some kind of interface, maybe I¡¯d be able to look at the data within, but none of the screens are working so that¡¯s bunk.¡±

    ¡°Then we must go, onward with the quest!¡± Jenny declared, twirling on her heels until she was facing a random path. ¡°This one looks good.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the one we came from.¡±

    Jenny tilted her fingers slightly to the left. ¡°That one, then.¡±

    With a shrug, Amaris followed Jenny through the opening, finding themselves in yet another tapered cylinder room, but this one had no writing on the walls. However, instead of simply being empty, this one had several open panels and loose tools lying around¡ªat least Amaris assumed they were tools. She didn¡¯t really have a clue what they might be used for.

    Walking up to the closest one she picked it up. It looked vaguely like a pickaxe, except it had three points and there was no handle, in its place was a hollowed-out cone. The best Amaris could do was stick her fist in the cone and hold it up like some kind of pickaxe-glove that was way too large for her.

    Jenny picked up another tool, also mounted on a hollowed-out cone, but the head was some kind of interlocking drill bit. She twisted her fist inside the cone and got the drill to rotate a half-turn, but no further. ¡°Out of power.¡±

    ¡°Just like everything else around here.¡± Amaris pulled the yellow ball out and tried to place it within the tools, but it wasn¡¯t the right shape to fit in the cone and it didn¡¯t stick to anything. ¡°It was worth a shot.¡±

    Jenny lit her hand with a silvery light and drove it into the drill-bit tool. A loud crack rang out as the force from her punch split the tool down the middle, revealing numerous wires and crystals within that were devoid of all light. ¡°Nothing.¡±

    Amaris plucked out one of the crystals, frowning. ¡°You know, I don¡¯t think the Pinforsans used crystal-based interfaces either. They definitely didn¡¯t have this level of technology¡­¡±

    ¡°So if they didn¡¯t build this place, who did?¡± Jenny asked. ¡°Aliens?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s as good of an idea as any.¡±

    ¡°Sarcasm, Amaris, that was sarcasm.¡±

    Amaris rolled her eyes, pocketing the ball once again. They tested a few of the other tools but found nothing of use in any of them¡ªand most of them had no clear purpose. The most bizarre was a hook that appeared hard but was actually soft and moldable like clay, but they couldn¡¯t separate any pieces from it.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    This all makes perfect physical sense. Yep. Amaris pushed her snide thoughts aside as they moved into the next chamber, which was rectangular. However, unlike the chamber they¡¯d appeared in, it was not empty, for one of the walls had four holes in it, each just barely large enough for a person to fit into. Shining their lights into the holes, they found miniature chambers large enough to hold one of them.

    Jenny put her hands on her hips and glanced at the writing on top of the opening. ¡°Release¡­¡±

    ¡°Release?¡±

    ¡°Amaris, I think these are escape pods.¡±

    ¡°Escape pods¡­ So, what, this is a ship?¡± Amaris glanced at the hole uneasily.

    ¡°Maybe?¡±

    ¡°Or some kind of¡­ military installation.¡± Amaris took a few steps back from the pod entrance, frowning. ¡°It doesn¡¯t help us if they¡¯re not powered.¡±

    Jenny stuck her hand in one of the holes, waving it around.

    ¡°Jenny don¡ª¡°

    ¡°What¡¯s it going to do? Eat my hand?¡± Jenny cocked her head to the side with another of her exaggerated winks.

    Amaris took in a deep breath. ¡°Right, you¡¯ll be fine¡­¡±

    ¡°You doing okay over there? You suddenly seem¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just getting a bad feeling,¡± Amaris said, somewhat dismissively. ¡°Escape pods¡­ abandoned ¡®ship¡¯¡­ almost no power¡­ there¡¯s something I don¡¯t like and I don¡¯t know what it is and that¡¯s also bothering me.¡±

    Jenny nodded in understanding, poking her head into another one of the pod holes. ¡°I get that a lot. The sense that something¡¯s wrong. Not here, but elsewhere. Like, for some reason I don¡¯t understand, I¡¯m deathly afraid of starfruit.¡±

    Amaris felt a chill go up her spine. ¡°Starfruit?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the completely innocuous and, I¡¯m told, bland fruit.¡± Jenny inspected the other pod holes, finding no easy to access points. ¡°Gives me the willies. No idea why.¡±

    Amaris merely stared at the floor, blankly.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Jenny cracked her knuckles as she stepped back from the pods. ¡°Even if that ball of ours might work, I don¡¯t see where to put it. So we¡¯re back on square one.¡±

    ¡°To the next room?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°To the next room.¡±

    Relieved for a reason she couldn¡¯t fully understand, Amaris moved to the next room¡­ and froze. There was only one entrance to this vaguely cone-shaped room, and it gave them a brilliant view of the dozens of compartments lining the wall on all sides. The dozens of star-shaped compartments somewhat larger than an adult human.

    ¡°Huh,¡± Jenny said, walking in like this was perfectly normal and nothing was wrong. ¡°Odd shape for¡­¡± She poked her head into one of the holes, taking in a deep breath as though she were a bloodhound. ¡°I have no idea what this is for.¡±

    ¡°Beds,¡± Amaris whispered.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Jenny pulled her head out, smacking herself on the pointed edge of the star shape. ¡°Ow¡­¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re beds, Jenny.¡±

    Jenny knocked on the interior of the star-shaped hole with her fist, demonstrating it to be quite solid. ¡°Some kind of bed this is.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t get it.¡± Amaris took a step back. ¡°They¡¯re beds. For them.¡±

    Jenny looked to Amaris with legitimate confusion. ¡°For who?¡±

    ¡°Them! The stars!¡± Amaris all but shrieked, her voice cracking. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be here. Any second they¡¯ll find us and vaporize us with their rainbow death lasers.¡±

    Jenny snorted¡ªbut had the decency to realize now was not the time to chuckle and slammed her hands over her face. As far as Amaris was concerned, however, she was laughing out loud.

    ¡°You think this is funny!?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°You do! I bet you think ¡®death by rainbow¡¯ will just tickle a little and be another one of your outrageous stories and and and¡­¡± Amaris took a few heavy, panicked breaths. ¡°I¡­ You¡­¡± Wild-eyed, Amaris gripped the doorway as tightly as she could, every limb in her body trembling.

    ¡°Amaris, let¡¯s calm down¡­¡± Jenny said, holding out a hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on and¡­ uh¡­ something something it¡¯s okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay!? It¡¯s okay!?¡± Amaris pointed at Jenny and opened her mouth wide¡ªbut then she froze again and all the determination went out of her eyes.

    ¡°Amaris?¡±

    Without another word Amaris turned tail and ran back down the way they had come, stumbling over the doorway in the dark, clattering further and further into the shadow.

    Jenny remained alone, with the flashlight. She let out a long, drawn-out sigh. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be the emotionally supportive one. I suck at it.¡± With a shake of her head, she set off into the darkness to find Amaris.

    ~~~

    Darkness. There was only Darkness.

    This is the truth, Amaris thought to herself, legs pulled to her chest. This is what there really is. Just the Darkness. Nothingness. Empty.

    At least it¡¯s safe. No rainbows here. No death. Just¡­ darkness.

    She opened her eyes. Or did she close them? She wasn¡¯t sure, it didn¡¯t make any difference. The tears fell down her face either way. Her stupid eyelids weren¡¯t properly sealed. Or they were working exactly as they were supposed to and she just hated it.

    She didn¡¯t have her bow anymore. All Amaris knew was that she had it when she¡¯d started running, and she didn¡¯t anymore. Running¡­ what was she running from?

    The stars. The stars were after her. They had to be. They were back to finish the job. That¡¯s why they left her alive. So they could come back now and end her once and for all. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be that simple. There would be a long, drawn-out process of hunting, tracking, perhaps enslavement. Then they¡¯d burn her to pieces one part at a time¡ªmaybe starting with Pitch.

    She couldn¡¯t stop herself from seeing her beloved snake disintegrating in a beam of rainbows shot from the heavens above. She closed her eyes as tight as she could, but the image remained, replaying over, and over, and over.

    This is their torment. This is why they didn¡¯t kill me. So I could be amusing to them. Trapped in their own little game.

    Amaris wanted to run, but where was there to run to? The entire ship was one of them. A core with five arms.

    This is why they didn¡¯t kill me, so they could digest me and use my curse to fuel their war machine. That has to be it. That has to be it.

    She felt something moving around behind her. All she could do was let out a strained cry, too weak to run. Too scared to run. Already she could feel the drilling power of their beam tearing away at the skin of her back, sliding up her neck, and licking her cheek¡­

    ¡­Pitch?

    She felt the snake do what he did best: flick his tongue in and out to let her know he was there. And, somehow, with him came a sense of warmth¡­ a deep-seated, calming wave of heat that slowly took Amaris over and brought down the shivers. But there was still fear¡ªfear that this was just a dream, and the moment she opened her eyes to see, all would be gone. All would be lost.

    But Pitch was persistent, and a snake licking at the corners of her eyes made her blink a few times.

    Amaris found that she was huddled in-between the helical edges of the central pillar. Pitch¡¯s heat-lamp was active next to her, warming the nearby area. Sitting cross-legged about a meter away was Jenny, flashlight in her lap, looking at Jenny with the saddest, most concerned look Amaris had ever seen on her face.

    ¡°H-how long have I¡­?¡± Amaris asked, wiping her face.

    ¡°I¡­ haven¡¯t really been checking the time,¡± Jenny admitted. ¡°A while. I let you sit for some time before I let Pitch out.¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Amaris looked at the heat lamp.

    ¡°You looked cold.¡±

    ¡°I was. ¡­Thank you.¡±

    Silence fell over the two of them, punctuated only by the occasional hiss of a little black snake.

    Jenny awkwardly placed her chin in her hands, furrowing her brow.

    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you going to say something?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°Hey, when I talk, bad things happen,¡± Jenny forced a sad smile. ¡°I¡¯m an idiot, remember?¡±

    ¡°I mean, obviously, but you¡¯re my idiot.¡±

    ¡°Bold of you to claim ownership.¡±

    ¡°Bold of you to call a crying girl¡­ bold.¡± Amaris had to force her eyes shut, trying to keep from devolving into a blubbering mess again. ¡°I¡¯ve been messed up, Jenny.¡±

    ¡°I don¡ª¡°

    ¡°This curse. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s done things to me. I¡¯m a kid, Jenny. These kinds of things aren¡¯t supposed to happen. I¡¯m not supposed to watch people die, watch myself die, get forced into slave labor, or¡­ or¡­¡± She pulled Pitch to her chest, taking a moment to breathe slowly. ¡°¡­I¡¯m scared.¡±

    ¡°You know I¡¯ll do whatever I can to protect you, right?¡± Jenny pointed at herself with a smug grin. ¡°Jenny, immortal bodyguard.¡±

    ¡°The fear¡¯s¡­ more than that.¡± Amaris looked Jenny in the eyes. ¡°Why did Freddloi curse me? How far away from home am I? How many people around me will this curse hurt? It¡¯s been so long, how are my parents doing? Have they been able to go on this long? If I get home will I just bring the curse to them?¡±

    ¡°Amaris, I want you to listen to me: this here¡¯s a Jenny-certified promise. I¡¯m going to do whatever I can to get you home, and when you get home, I¡¯ll stay around to protect you and everyone around you from your curse. However interesting it may get. Understand?¡±

    Amaris stared at Jenny in disbelief. ¡°Jenny, I can¡¯t ask you to throw your life away¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll live, what, a hundred years?¡± Jenny smirked. ¡°Amaris, a hundred years is nothing.¡±

    ¡°This is silly. You can¡¯t make a promise for something that long!¡±

    Jenny folded her arms. ¡°We already established that I¡¯m your idiot, right? Thus, I shall continue to be stupid. And such. Q.E.D.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know what Q.E.D. means.¡±

    ¡°Not in the slightest, but it sounds fancy and official.¡± Jenny gave Amaris a mock salute. ¡°Jenny the idiot, reporting for duty. I¡¯ll take all the arrows, anvils, demon-traps, dark assault critters, masterminds, and other ¡®interesting¡¯ enemies to the face!¡± She pointed extravagantly at her face. ¡°My face Amaris!¡±

    Amaris couldn¡¯t help but giggle. ¡°Moron.¡±

    ¡°Yes, see, glad we¡¯re on the same page.¡±

    Amaris jumped Jenny and pulled her into a hug, squeezing exceptionally tightly. ¡°Jenny¡­ I¡¯m so lucky I found you.¡±

    Jenny let out an awkward laugh. ¡°I¡¯d, uh, say likewise but this has been pretty terrible luck all things considered. Good thing I love terrible luck!¡±

    Amaris made no vocal response, she just kept holding onto Jenny far, far longer than Jenny was comfortable with, but she had no heart to break the thing off herself. She just glanced awkwardly around until she locked eyes with Pitch.

    Jenny was sure he was laughing at her every time he stuck out that tongue of his.

    With time, Amaris eventually broke the hug off on her own and stood up. ¡°Uh¡­ I think I dropped some of my stuff.¡±

    ¡°I put it over there,¡± Jenny said, pointing the flashlight behind her at the bow and two arrows. ¡°It¡¯s amazing that your bow hasn¡¯t snapped in two already.¡±

    Amaris plucked it up and put the arrow to the string. ¡°Did I ever tell you exactly how I got this?¡±

    ¡°Uh, that Coleus girl, right? Plants?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± Amaris smiled. ¡°I¡­ think I should tell you everything from start to finish once we get out of here. You¡¯ve only heard bits and pieces. For now, though¡­ escape.¡± She looked out to one of the passages they hadn¡¯t been down.

    ¡°You sure you¡¯re up for it?¡± Jenny asked.

    ¡°Not at all.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Jenny twirled the flashlight in her hands and pointed down a random entrance. ¡°Onward!¡±

    ¡°Jenny, that¡¯s the one we just came out of.¡± Amaris tilted her head. ¡°With such a bad sense of direction, it¡¯s a miracle you even found me in the dark.¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ just point me down a path we haven¡¯t gone through, okay?¡±

    ~~~

    The end of the next pathway was sheared clean off and separated from the main body. Between the two segments, there were clods of dirt, immense plant roots, and various rocks with some evidence of burrowing animal activity. The inner workings of the structure¡¯s walls were exposed, the various wires and crystals on proud display. Unlike the various consoles Amaris and Jenny had opened up earlier, which only had a few easily resolvable crystals with traceable wires, these areas were not meant to ever be seen and had hundreds of snaking threads surrounding an equal number of colored crystals. Every now and then, a spark would come out of one of the severed wires on the far side.

    A visible spark.

    ¡°There¡¯s power over there,¡± Amaris said. She walked to the edge where the earth had severed the ship. Somehow, an underground fissure had formed here, creating a deep canyon-like gash that went so far down the flashlight couldn¡¯t show them the ground. It was only about a meter wide, and the rest of the ship appeared rather stable on the far side, though notably a little lower in elevation than the area they were currently occupying.

    Amaris looked up the crevasse¡ªshe was able to see the closed-off top. No hope of climbing out, though if it had come to that she would rather have tried to scale the massive pipe. Instead, it looked like they were going to need to cross the crevasse if they wanted to figure out what was powering the wires on the other side.

    Amaris took off her backpack, placing Pitch on top of her head. Carefully, she unspooled the rope, attaching it to the back of one of her arrows. She aimed¡­

    ¡­and Jenny had already jumped the gap, slamming her chest awkwardly on the jagged edge before pulling herself up and over. ¡°Made it!¡±

    Amaris released her arrow anyway, embedding it in the tangle of wires hanging out of the severed ceiling. She yanked on it as hard as she could just to make sure it was really in there.

    ¡°You could just jump too, you know, it¡¯s not that far.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking ahead,¡± Amaris said, tying the other end of the rope to a hook-shaped outcropping on her side. She attempted to put it as high as possible, but she couldn¡¯t reach the ceiling.

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°See, your end is lower than this one.¡± She tied another section of rope to the rope already going across, affixing the other end to her waist. ¡°We need a way to get back up.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Right. But wait, I¡¯ve seen y¡ª¡°

    Amaris did a cartwheel off her edge, performing a flip while in the middle of the air, landing perfectly at Jenny¡¯s feet without even straining the rope whatsoever.

    Jenny put her hands on her hips. ¡°You didn¡¯t even need it!¡±

    ¡°Never hurts to be careful,¡± Amaris said, detaching herself from the rope. ¡°So¡­ let¡¯s see what we¡¯ve got here.¡±

    They passed through a circular opening into another cone-shaped chamber, but this one had no ¡°beds.¡± Instead, it housed what appeared to be several desks with screens on them¡ªand one of those screens had a little yellow light blinking softly on top of it.

    ¡°Right, stand aside,¡± Jenny said, holding her finger into the air. ¡°Let the demolition expert press the mysterious yellow button.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a button.¡±

    Jenny tapped the light and nothing happened. ¡°Another brilliant deduction by Miss Kelvin. Now, perhaps you can tell me how to turn this screen on?¡±

    Amaris shrugged.

    Lazily, Jenny knocked on the screen like it was a door. ¡°Hello¡ªwoah!¡± Apparently, touch was the answer, for the screen lit up all at once. However, no picture resolved itself. It attempted to project some kind of hologram but all it could do was produce black and white amorphous static that pulsated in the air like a sickened amoeba.

    The sound, however, was perfectly clear. It came through with beeps and whirrs like party blowers mixed with chirping birds and ¡®magical¡¯ spark effects.

    Amaris closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It¡¯s just a recording. It¡¯s just a recording.

    ¡°Holy mother of potato farms,¡± Jenny said. ¡°I understand what he¡¯s saying.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a language composed entirely of cutesy noises,¡± Jenny said. ¡°I¡­ must have learned it at some point, probably why the writing was all familiar to me. He¡¯s¡­ using a lot of words I don¡¯t know but I think I¡¯m getting the gist of it.¡± She stopped for a moment, looking to Amaris. ¡°You¡­ okay if I take some time to decode this?¡±

    Amaris hesitated for a moment but ultimately gave Jenny the go-ahead. She nervously petted Pitch on the head.

    Jenny leaned down, craning her ear to the speaker with closed eyes. ¡°Right¡­ yeah¡­ that¡¯s weird¡­ hmm¡­¡±

    Amaris started listening herself. It was clearly the same kind of vocalization Buddy had given to her, but with several more sounds layered over top of each other in many complex ways. She was unable to make out words but it wasn¡¯t that hard to imagine it being used for speech.

    Monstrous killers speaking to each other like plush cartoon toys.

    She saw the rainbows again, eating away at everything¡­

    No, she told herself. Not again. Please, just¡­ help me, I can¡¯t do this. She opened her eyes, focusing on Jenny. She¡¯s here to help me. She¡¯s here to help me. Repeating the phrase over and over in her mind, she calmed herself down long enough for Jenny to finish listening to the message three times in a row.

    ¡°Okay, this is a¡­ very confusing mess.¡± Jenny stood up, scratching her head. ¡°So¡­ this is some kind of military guy, I think, and he¡¯s reporting on the ¡®ship death time¡¯. He reports an attempted invasion of a ¡®local thing storehouse,¡¯ and that the ¡®Hexagon blessing¡¯ was on them. Then the ¡®black stone¡¯ attacked them and they ended up crashing at ¡®big retreat¡¯ in the wrong direction. The only way to be sure the ship could be recovered and not ¡®black stoned¡¯ was to disintegrate the entire crew.¡± Jenny pressed her hands together and frowned.

    Amaris ground her teeth. ¡°That¡­ that doesn¡¯t make any sense¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, this ship isn¡¯t like the ruins up there¡­ it may have worked.¡±

    ¡°Except nobody came to claim this ship,¡± Amaris said. ¡°This has been down here for¡­ I don¡¯t know how long, a long time, that¡¯s for sure. And¡­¡± Amaris took a moment to breathe a few times.

    ¡°You know what, doesn¡¯t really matter,¡± Jenny said. She surrounded her fist in a blue aura and smashed the screen with several shards of ice, ending the message in an instant. ¡°It doesn¡¯t help us get out of here to know that, so¡­ who needs to hear it?¡±

    Amaris smiled weakly. ¡°Right. Can you¡­?¡±

    Jenny pulled a yellow glass ball out of the wires she¡¯d just smashed to pieces. It was in about as bad of shape as the other one they¡¯d found. ¡°Probably not all that helpful.¡±

    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s some other stuff here¡­¡± Amaris started searching around to distract herself, finding that the various desks all had drawers. Opening one, an utterly brilliant yellow light shone into both of their faces, blinding them for a second.

    Despite the pain of looking. Amaris couldn¡¯t fully look away¡ªit was too beautiful. It was a perfectly smooth sphere of golden-yellow energy with no damage, no cracks, and the luminosity of a floodlight.

    Amaris picked it up and grinned. ¡°I think this will do nicely.¡±

    ¡°Back to the pillar?¡±

    ¡°Back to the pillar.¡±

    They scrambled back¡ªalmost in so much of a rush that they forgot about the crevasse. With an awkward chuckle, Amaris started tying herself to the rope.

    Jenny decided to try and jump it. However, jumping up is a lot harder than jumping down, and she slammed facefirst into the lower edge and promptly fell down into the crevasse. It was small enough that she was able to wedge herself in it by spreading her arms and legs out, but she¡¯d still fallen a fair distance before she came to a stop with several sickening cracks.

    Amaris poked her head over the edge. ¡°You okay down there?¡±

    ¡°Never¡­ better¡­¡± Jenny grumbled as her bones twisted back into their proper places.

    With almost no effort whatsoever, Amaris jumped to the side with her backpack and all the tools. ¡°Right, let¡¯s get you out of there...¡±

    ~~~

    It took a good twenty minutes to fully pull Jenny up and out of the crevasse, at which point the both of them ran right back to the central pillar. Jenny all but tore the panel off, revealing the crystal nodes the broken orb had occupied.

    ¡°Just so I know we¡¯re both on the same page¡­¡± Amaris pulled out the fully-powered orb. ¡°We plug this in, and then... hmm.¡± Amaris paused. ¡°Actually, how is a powered ship going to be able to help us?¡±

    ¡°It survived crashing into the ground¡­ if we turn the engines on¡­¡±

    ¡°Under this much rock?¡±

    Jenny shrugged. ¡°Or maybe the pipe going to the surface will suddenly become a vacuum jet, I don¡¯t know. Ship¡¯s useless right now, nothing more than a death trap. So, go on, plug it in already!¡±

    Amaris frowned. This is going to have some unintended consequence¡­ Who am I kidding; there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to be able to resist putting this in there. Muttering a quick plea under her breath that this would get her out somehow, she pushed the ball in.

    It was received readily. The wires coming out of its niche blazed to life in a yellow glory, feeding the energy to the endless crystal matrices within, each crystal becoming a technicolor star amongst the golden lattice. The metallic-rubbery material that made up most of the ship reacted as well, transforming into a cartoonish yellow material that felt slightly fuzzy. The various screens in the central room turned on, though about a third of them could produce nothing more than static. The rest projected swirling loops of color and light in the air of many colors, though mostly a brighter shade of yellow than the walls. With that, the darkness and silence were banished, replaced with the warm glow of a mostly fully operating ship with cute noises coming out of every single wall.

    Amaris couldn¡¯t decide if she should be amazed or extremely afraid of what was going on around her. There was such beauty in the way the holographic lettering danced with various diagrams and charts, while on the other hand every noise came with it a painful memory. The two warring sides of her essentially canceled out and she did nothing more than stare at it all blankly.

    Jenny, on the other hand, was grinning like a kid in a candy store. ¡°Now we¡¯re in business! It¡¯s talking, haHAH! Let¡¯s see¡­¡± She closed her eyes and listened closely. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ve got a startup sequence running, it noticed that one of the arms is broken off, fun, fun¡­ oh hey, it¡¯s trying to retract the ¡®tether,¡¯ probably the pipe we fell down¡­ oh sweetness!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s moving!¡± She pointed at a hologram displaying a five-pointed star with a single red segment. Slowly, but surely, it was moving upward toward a flat line. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ I have no idea what half those words mean but it expects to be out in¡­ some amount of time.¡±

    ¡°How are we not feeling the earth shaking!?¡± Amaris spread her arms wide. ¡°Something this big moving through rock should be causing earthquakes! We should feel that! You don¡¯t just swim through rock!¡±

    ¡°Apparently this ship does. I wonder if we could see what it¡¯s doing at th¡ª¡° Suddenly, a very loud catlike wail permeated the ship, and several red lights turned on.

    ¡°Oh no, they know we¡¯re intruders!¡± Amaris shrieked, clawing her hands through her hair. ¡°Oh no oh no oh¡ª¡°

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it,¡± Jenny said, turning toward the central pillar, eyes wide. One of the helical cords winding around it had developed a spark. ¡°It found an energy overload.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s worse, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s going to explode.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything we can do about it?¡±

    Jenny rammed her hand into the circuitry where they¡¯d placed the ball. It was hot enough to melt the flesh clean off her fingers, but she managed to smack the orb out of the hold anyway.

    Nothing happened. The ship had already absorbed the energy. With a sickening twang, part of the helix broke off and slammed to the ground, revealing a large blue crack within the pillar that was growing before their very eyes.

    ¡°Escape pods!¡± Jenny shouted. ¡°Now now now!¡±

    The two girls scrambled out of the main room, running through several panicked holographic letters displaying increasingly complex warning messages. They quickly made it through the room with the dead tools and arrived at the escape pods, all of which were glowing an inviting yellow.

    The words above three of them were glowing red.

    Amaris knew exactly what this meant. ¡°Jenny don¡¯t you d¡ª¡°

    Jenny shoved Amaris into the functional escape pod. ¡°No time to argue.¡±

    Amaris twisted herself around in the cramped enclosure, trying to come back out. ¡°We¡¯ll find another w¡ª¡°

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Jenny said, lighting up one of her fists with a crackling blue aura. ¡°Now get in the escape pod, Amaris. I don¡¯t want to have to knock you out.¡±

    For a moment, Amaris felt betrayed¡ªbut this feeling quickly passed. With a dejected sigh, she pulled herself all the way back into the cramped escape pod¡ªthere was barely enough room for her and her backpack. Pitch coiled nervously around her arm.

    Jenny held up a gloved hand, preparing to knock on the words above the pod¡¯s entrance. ¡°¡­Amaris, I¡­¡±

    ¡°It still hurts, right?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°¡­Actually the exploding part is rather painless, it happens so fast. It¡¯s the coming back together part that sucks.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be okay?¡±

    Jenny let out a bitter laugh. ¡°Me? Okay? I¡¯m always okay. You¡¯re the one I should be worried about¡­¡± She glanced nervously at the red lights coming from the central pillar. ¡°You need me around.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll come back,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Dig you out if I have to.¡±

    ¡°For all I know, this escape pod warps you to their homeworld or something,¡± Jenny said. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ okay.¡± No it¡¯s not okay this is the furthest thing from okay Amaris why are you just letting this happen!?

    ¡°Look, it¡¯s been f¡ª¡° Jenny stopped in the middle of her sentence, eyes wide with fear. She slammed her fist on the words, sealing Amaris within the pod.

    As soon as she was enclosed, the walls immediately became clear and Amaris could see the outside of the ship: glowing a brilliant yellow amongst flowing red magma. That¡¯s how it¡¯s moving, it¡¯s literally melting the rock!

    When the pod launched, Amaris didn¡¯t feel anything lurch¡ªit was essentially as though she weren¡¯t moving at all and that the world was instead moving around her. Almost immediately it was impossible to see the ship through the layers of magma flowing around.

    But then came the explosion. She didn¡¯t feel it so much as see it. One moment she was in molten rock, the next she was flying through the night sky amidst several chunks of flaming rock. She saw the ruins, now the site of a circular smoking crevasse, prompting several of the ancient stone structures to crumble into the hole. The raging flames and lava flows were much more intense than the pitiful moonlight shining upon the land.

    Amaris hoped none of the archeologists were sleeping inside the ruined city. They weren¡¯t Jenny. They would be at the mercy of the star-ship¡¯s raw explosive power.

    The various rocks that had been blown out of the earth with Amaris started to fall back down. Amaris¡¯ pod didn¡¯t¡ªit kept going, up and up and up, higher and higher, until the ruins below were so small Amaris couldn¡¯t discern them. Soon, she was forced to rely on geographic features to figure out what she was looking at. She saw the triangular peninsula of Irest¡­ the obsidian fields of Genk¡­ She saw further than any world map had permitted her to.

    As she rose higher and higher, the masses of oceans upon oceans and continents lost the appearance of a map, resolving into a weaving sort of pattern. Land in the distance seemed to curve one way and then another, almost folding in on itself before vanishing into nebulous darkness. Some patches were dark and others were light, the regions stitched together like a quilt without a pattern to follow. Only at this point did going higher stop revealing more¡ªthe edges of her perception became clouded by more and more darkness, as though it were all suspended in a great black mist.

    Looking up, she saw the stars, but no moon. Where had the moon gone? She looked every which way, but saw no sign of it, despite the ground having clearly been lit by the moon. And those lighted areas, those should be able to see the sun¡­ but there were multiple lighted areas and no visible sun?

    Amaris was struck by how little she understood the world. How little any of them understood it.

    Soon, she was so far away from the ground that she could see it no more; there was only darkness. And, one by one, the stars began to go out. The meager pinpricks of white snuffed out until there was nothing but utter, absolute darkness all around her. The escape pod must have been producing some light since she could still see herself, but there was nothing else. For all she knew, she wasn¡¯t even flying anymore, but floating in nothingness.

    Don¡¯t let it end like this. I don¡¯t want to starve up here in this thing¡­

    Pitch hissed in her ear. She managed to turn herself over and get him in front of her eyes.

    ¡°Oh, Pitch¡­¡± She clenched her jaw and closed her eyes tight, trying to keep herself under control. Panicking in such a small area would be very very bad and she had to keep her wits about her. Had to keep her wits about her. Just be quiet, breathe, and be still. You are not riding in some insane death-trap. You were saved, and you will not starve inside the pod of murderous disintegratory alien mastermi¡ª

    Pitch liked her in the eyes, forcing her to blink open.

    There was a single star in view. Then two. Then three. Then all of them appeared at once.

    Amaris allowed herself to smile. We are going back down. It¡¯s going to be fine.

    This was followed quickly by the sobering realization that the stars had appeared much faster than they had disappeared. She must be moving much faster than she had been going up.

    Whirling to look where she figured down was, she was proven to be right. It had taken at least a few minutes to get high enough that she couldn¡¯t see the ground. This time, she could already see the ground of an unfamiliar continent rushing toward her so fast it boggled her mind.

    ¡°Brace for impact!¡± She shouted, holding Pitch and herself tight. She took in a deep breath and held it, hiding her head under her arms.

    There was only silence.

    Pitch hissed at her.

    ¡°¡­Right, you can¡¯t feel anything¡­¡± Cautiously, Amaris opened her eyes. The pod was embedded in the ground, as evident by the spike-shaped hole in the mossy ground beneath her. Invisible though the hull may have been to her, it didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that it was star-shaped.

    With a grunt, Amaris started pushing on the walls of the pod, finding that they wouldn¡¯t give. ¡°Hey! Let me out!¡± She started tapping and clawing at the smooth walls, finding no buttons to open the hatch. They must have been stuck.

    ¡°How am I getting out of here!?¡± Amaris wailed. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything that can cu¡ª¡° Slowly, she reached for her quiver, pulling out one of the magenta-tipped anti-magic arrows. Cautiously, she dragged its edge against the wall. Immediately the invisible nature of the wall failed, reverting to a solid pitch-black.

    Sticking out her tongue, Amaris fished around until she found the flashlight. Clicking it on, she discovered that there was a very clear cut in the pod¡¯s material. So she cut again, and again, and again, creating an ever-deeper square into the hull.

    Even with the absurd sharpness of the anti-magic arrow, it was still slow work. As she plugged away, she began to sweat like a dog, drenching herself, Pitch, and her various belongings. And yet she continued to cut, plugging away continually no matter how tired, hot, and sweaty she was getting. Until, at long last, light began to pour in. With a satisfied yell, she kicked the square with all her might and popped the section of the hull out, allowing cold fresh air to waft in.

    She all but leaped out of the pod, the only restraint being that she stopped to grab her backpack on the way out. Without even bothering to sling its straps around her shoulders, she ran from the pod, her feet slamming into the wet damp moss in a haphazard, desperate pattern. She even tripped a few times, and a lesser acrobat would have fallen flat on her face at that moment. However, Amaris was able to balance herself and twirl around, eventually coming to rest on a large rock sticking out of the moss.

    Taking a breath, she looked back the way she had come. The star-shaped ship stood there, numerous red lights flashing along its edges, no doubt in response to her having cut her way out. Surrounding it and her were many tree-like mushrooms of various colors, all glistening softly in the morning dew. Were it not for the presence of a few birds in the sky, Amaris would have taken the mushrooms as a sure sign she was on some alien world. But now that she thought about it, she had heard about fungal forests. They weren¡¯t the most common of biomes, but they sure existed.

    As she was pondering this, the core of the star-shaped pod lit up. In a flash of blue and green it exploded, the shockwave carrying enough force to knock the closest mushroom-trees down. Even Amaris, at her distance, was thrown off her rock and rather painfully fell to the ground.

    Shakily, she got up, looking at the smoldering crater where the glowing star had been not moments before.

    In a sudden moment of insight, she realized something. That probably hadn¡¯t been an escape pod at all. That had probably been a weapon she had been riding in. It was just so defective it hadn¡¯t exploded until now.

    ¡°That¡­ that¡­ that¡¯s absurd!¡± Amaris kicked a nearby rock. ¡°How can I be so lucky and unlucky at the same time!?¡±

    The smoldering crater had no answer for her. It only sent more clouds of smog into the morning sky.

    With a sigh, Amaris sat down on the mossy rock again, going through her supplies. She took out a few fruit bars and ate them while she cataloged everything, tied everything back down, and cleaned out Pitch¡¯s enclosure. She stopped to play a bit with him and feed him a dried bug.

    Once she was done, she changed out of her sweat-drenched clothes and cleaned herself as best she could with the morning dew and a washcloth. She removed the bandage wrapped around her head, finding that her chin had healed enough to no longer require constant pressure. Then she stuffed everything back into the backpack, zipped it all up, hung her quiver and tent supplies off it, and slung her constant companion onto her back.

    Amaris stood tall, the humid air blowing across her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m alone again.¡±

    The only response was a hiss from Pitch. Normally, that would be enough to immediately cheer her up. Today, though, it didn¡¯t feel like anywhere close to enough.

    She¡¯d come to rely on Jenny, to count on her to be there no matter what. To expect to wake up to her doing something stupid and hilarious at the same time. To have someone to share this curse with.

    Guess the curse can¡¯t let me have anything.

    She looked toward the rising sun, gripping her backpack straps so tightly her knuckles were turning white.

    I¡¯m never going to find anyone else like Jenny. What if it had been me and Coleus down there? Me and Suuk? Jenny could take it. Nobody else could. Nobody else can.

    I¡¯d just hurt them.

    Her face was impassive, but tears were rolling down her face. She ignored them. She turned away from the sun and started walking. She had no idea where she was going, and that was fine with her. What would be the point of having a destination, anyway? The curse would follow her, force her to move, throw more ¡°interesting¡± things her way. Why would she go home if she only brought desolation and destruction with her?

    It¡¯s better for everyone if I just stay away, Amaris thought. Stay far, far away¡­ She glanced to Pitch as he rested calmly on her shoulder. I wonder if I¡¯ll eventually hurt you.

    She retreated deeper and deeper into the mushroom forest, leaving the smoldering crater behind.

 Sanctuarys Infestation

    EPISODE X

    Sanctuary¡¯s Infestation

    The afternoon sky beat down upon the umbrella mushrooms that dominated the humid, mossy landscape. A thin mist weaved in and out of the fungal trunks, continually supplying the verdant ground cover with moisture. The mushrooms themselves took more muted colors than the ground; dull browns, blues, and purples with the occasional toadstool-like mushroom that stood out like a sore thumb. Running between the various patches of fungal forest was a simple road composed of badly maintained cobblestone. An eternal war was waged between the hard road and the persistent moss. Bit by bit the plant wormed its way into the road¡¯s cracks, breaking it further and further; though the road would not give in, persisting even in the face of a battle doomed to failure without help from an outside source.

    Amaris walked along the road, hands gripping her backpack straps. Her expression was deadly serious and her gaze was fixed straight ahead. Every step she took was deliberate, methodical, and without any expression¡ªhad she military training, she would have been walking in time, but as it was her motion was but an imitation of such precise movement.

    Internally, she was fixated on the shape of the road in front of her, cataloging every crack and uneven surface as a potential tripping hazard, finding the best places for each individual foot to land. It was a constant, engaging little problem that kept her from thinking about much of anything else.

    Which was the entire point. She could have easily walked along a road much worse than this without so much as a thought, and she wasn¡¯t gaining much time by putting this much brainpower to the task. This way, nothing would enter her mind that was¡­ unwelcome.

    She¡¯d had a lot of unwelcome thoughts lately. Usually at night, when trying to fall asleep in that tiny tent of hers. Alone.

    Amaris kept walking, onward, forward, and without a goal in mind. She recognized the tips of buildings appearing at the edge of her vision, indicating that there was another town up ahead. A good enough place to stop; perhaps to rest, take stock of the situation.

    As she entered the town, she turned her mind to the much more productive task of analyzing the various buildings and people. Like most of the other towns she had passed through in this seemingly endless mushroom forest, it was inhabited by humans, toadstool-like creatures with three legs and three arms called shroomites, and j¡¯loons; spherical hydrogen-filled entities with numerous eye-spots on their globe-shaped bodies and eight loose tentacles. When she¡¯d first encountered a j¡¯loon Amarais had found it fascinating: unhindered flight with extreme motor control and a wide variety of useful limbs. How they spoke by vibrating their tentacles together was amazing. However, that was several weeks ago; she was used to their presence at this point.

    The town¡¯s buildings were either composed of chiseled stone or charred mushroom flesh that took an appearance not unlike that of blackened wood. It was clearly a farming community, given all the racks of fruit-bearing moss arranged in towering multi-level scaffoldings. In much of the world, farms were flat objects, but here they were generally large green cubes with occasional dots of orange or red fruit in them. Growing the moss in volume was much better than standard area cultivation.

    To Amaris¡¯ surprise, despite its small size, the town had a library. She stopped in front of its door, a frown coming to her face. With a dismissive shake of her head, she turned around and continued on her way.

    Now arriving in the center of town, she took note of what she believed to be the town hall and a school of some sort. However, nestled behind these two structures was a small, round building made of ornately chiseled stone. Curious, she circled around to the front.

    She gasped¡ªshe knew what this was.

    Above the ornate arch was a large, cyan triangle composed of many smaller triangular gemstones arranged in a fractal pattern. The triangle pointed upward to the sky, and it was currently the perfect time of day for the gems to catch the light of the sun.

    A Sanctuary.

    Amaris hadn¡¯t seen a Sanctuary since¡­ since before her parents took her on vacation to the Cat-Ival! She¡¯d looked for one from time to time in the places she¡¯d visited, but there had been no sign of one anywhere. As time went on, she¡¯d thought less and less about them.

    She hadn¡¯t realized until that very moment how much she¡¯d missed them.

    With no deliberation on her part, she entered the Sanctuary. The interior was vaulted and filled with an abundance of people in strange white robes. The robes vary considerably depending on what race the individual was. The humans have what one would expect: essentially nothing more than a baggy cloth flowing along the ground. The shroomites were quite similar, though their robes were of wider stature. The j¡¯loons were the worst of the three, looking instead like ghosts made out of sheets with only a hole in the top for their heads. Somewhere on the bodies of all robed individuals, there was a triangular pendant made out of the single cyan crystal, upward-facing, just like the emblem outside. Currently, every individual was arranged in a series of rings, each pointed towards the center of the room in a meditative pose.

    There were people without robes in the outer rings. Amaris took a spot amongst them. As she sat there, she realized that this Sanctuary was much smaller than the one she had grown up with, as she could easily see the center of the room without craning her neck over a sea of people. Currently, everyone was either in meditation, prayer, or, like the old gentleman seated next to her, was fast asleep due to boredom.

    Amaris took a moment to go back to a time before the curse where her parents would take her to the Sanctuary every week or so. While it had been a long time since she had tried proper meditation, surprisingly, she found it much easier now than she had when she was younger. Something about just sitting and thinking about nothing more than the truth of everything allowed distress to release from her body that had built up for so, so long. The pain, the loss, the confusion; all of it seemed to melt away in this memory of childhood bliss.

    She had always thought this was all kind of silly. Before, her experience was that of thinking everyone got together just to sit in a circle thinking for a while about nothing in particular. But here, now, she felt something that only someone who has lived can experience. The experience of worries being lifted away.

    It came to an end all too soon for Amaris. After all, she had arrived in the middle of the ceremony; the full time allotted was up before she was ready for it. She was jolted out of her trance by the ending words: ¡°As with all things, the focus of time must draw to a close.¡± Lifting her head, Amaris saw an older man with a long, silvery beard standing in the center of the room, his arms folded together under the sleeves of his robes. ¡°Go forth to your homes, remembering what Dia has done for you in this time, and what She has done in the past, looking to what She will do in the future. Wherever we go She is with us, guiding us through the Choice.¡±

    The Choice. Amaris stood up with a soft smile on her face. How could I have forgotten? With a newfound spring in her step and a lifted spirit, she headed toward the door with the crowd. It was slow-moving, especially because she went against the flow of people initially¡ªapparently, outward flow was counterclockwise rather than ¡°nearest to the door gets out first.¡± By the time she was at the door, the bearded man was sitting at the door greeting the various people. He soon fixed his gaze on Amaris with a calm, welcoming smile. ¡°I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ve seen you around here, miss?¡±

    ¡°Amaris. Amaris Kelvin.¡±

    ¡°I am Keeper Ashton,¡± he said with a slight, respectful bow. ¡°I am surprised you were able to blend in so seamlessly, there aren¡¯t many Aware out this far.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been to a Sanctuary in a¡­ long time,¡± Amaris admitted. ¡°And from where I¡¯m from, the ending prayer was a little different.¡±

    ¡°Oh? We only have minimal contact with other Sanctuaries, but I am not aware of a different liturgy.¡±

    Amaris closed her eyes, thinking for a moment as she dredged up the old memories. ¡°Go forth to your homes, remembering what Dia has done for us in all that is, was, and will be. Wherever we go, She is with us, guiding us through our Choice.¡±

    Keeper Ashton took a moment to run his fingers through his wiry beard. ¡°I have never heard it phrased that way, Amaris.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m from¡­ really far away. I think.¡± She braced for the inevitable ¡®what are you doing so far from home?¡¯ question.

    ¡°Are you in need of a home-cooked meal?¡±

    Amaris started, thrown by the unexpected question. ¡°Wh-huh?¡±

    ¡°I merely asked if you wanted some proper food.¡± He gestured at her backpack. ¡°You no doubt grow weary of whatever nonperishables you have stored in there.¡±

    This guy is very observant. I think I like him. Amaris nodded in confirmation. ¡°I do have a lot of things in here, but¡­ well I don¡¯t exactly know how to cook much.¡±

    ¡°A girl your age, not knowing how to cook? Come! It¡¯s time to learn!¡±

    ¡°Waiwaiwait!¡± Amaris waved her hands. ¡°I didn¡¯t say I wanted to do any cooking¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll be doing the cooking, you¡¯ll just be doing the watching. Come, we have a kitchen in the first basement.¡±

    ¡°First basement¡­?¡± It had never occurred to Amaris until that moment that the Keepers who lived in Sanctuaries needed places like kitchens to survive. She had held the places in her mind with a sort of mysticism, thinking them above any ¡°normal¡± locations like those found in her home. But, lo and behold, Ashton led her down the stairs beneath the Sanctuary¡¯s hall to¡­ a very normal stone hallway. The only oddities were the luminescent blue mushrooms that let them see, but Amaris had noted those all over the town.

    The kitchen was through the third door to the left. It had all the appliances Amaris would expect from a kitchen: an oven, a sink, a stovetop, several pantries, and an icebox in place of a fridge since there was no electricity in such a small town. Ashton ran his fingers along the stovetop knobs, prompting a red spark from the heating elements before creating fire. Amaris wasn¡¯t entirely sure of the mechanism behind the fire, since there was no electricity, but when she asked about it Ashton only shrugged¡ªit helped him cook his food without the need to start a fire outside. Very helpful in such a humid environment.

    Ashton got out a frying pan and poured some oil into it. ¡°Now, Amaris, oil comes first. Not for the taste¡ªthough it does help. No, we add oil first so the food doesn¡¯t stick as it is cooked. Wait for it to get up to temperature, and¡­¡± He produced a plastic container filled with chopped-up vegetables, mushrooms, moss cubes, and a few bits of meat. With a smirk he tossed the container in the air, sending the various chunks flying. He proceeded to catch them all with one swish of the frying pan. With a clatter and sizzle, the pan was back on the stovetop, filled with the delectable contents.

    ¡°Never had moss cubes before,¡± Amaris noted. ¡°I¡¯ve seen people eating them. Why not just eat the fruits, though?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes, you just need some fuzzy green things in your mouth!¡±

    ¡°E-e-ew!¡± Amaris squealed.

    ¡°I assure you, it tastes simply wondrous. Now, watch closely, we have to keep stirring to make sure everything is evenly seared¡­¡±

    It took a surprisingly short amount of time to complete the meal preparation. The two of them took seats in a mostly-empty dining room with only a single j¡¯loon Keeper dozing in the corner. Ashton divvied up the various food bits and the two dug in.

    Amaris took the moss cube first, just to get the experience over with. To her surprise, it actually tasted good, like slightly-seared lettuce with a hint of pepper and¡­ was that mulberry?

    The fuzzy texture was a bit off-putting, though, especially considering that the edges were charred and disintegrated on contact with her tongue.

    ¡°¡­Interesting,¡± she managed, staring at the other cube on her plate. She decided she might as well and ate that one as well, finding it much more enjoyable now that she knew what she was in for. Then she quickly moved on to the rest of the food, finding it much more like what she was used to.

    ¡°Thanks, Keeper Ashton,¡± she said when she was nearly done. ¡°That¡­ was something.¡±

    ¡°You know, with a little oil and a frying pan, I¡¯m sure you could learn to cook like this yourself.¡±

    ¡°You know, I do make fires, maybe I should make use of them¡­¡±

    Ashton smiled warmly. ¡°I¡¯m sure I can offer you a pan and some oil when you head out.¡±

    ¡°You know¡­¡± Amaris tilted her head. ¡°Most people assume I¡¯m too young to be out journeying on my own. Thanks for just¡­ accepting what I am.¡± She blinked a few times. ¡°Wait, uh, how old do I look?¡±

    Ashton couldn¡¯t help but chuckle knowingly at the question. ¡°You appear to be a young girl; twelve, thirteen, maybe fourteen, it is hard to tell given how much your body has been shaped by your journey.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quite observant.¡±

    ¡°It helps in my duty as a Keeper. We are not just keepers of the Sanctuary, but of the people who visit, you understand.¡±

    ¡°So¡­¡± Amaris drummed her fingers on the table. ¡°You¡¯re ¡®keeping¡¯ me right now, then?¡±

    ¡°For as long as you are under the Sanctuary roof.¡±

    I really never thought too deeply about these people or what they do, did I? ¡°I¡¯m almost sorry that I have to go, keep moving.¡±

    ¡°Already?¡± Ashton smiled warmly and shook his head. ¡°It is getting late, you would not make it far before the sun sets. I see you have accommodations on your back, but consider staying with us for the night. There will be no charge.¡±

    Amaris¡¯ smile dropped. He was right, it would be nice to have an actual bed, a room, and something other than a river to bathe in. But¡­ who knew if, by staying here, she would bring the curse on him and the rest of the Sanctuary? She¡¯d stayed in hotels before, and nothing had happened, but what if¡­

    ¡°Child, you would be no burden to us, we have housed much more¡­ interesting individuals in the past. And, if you leave now, I wouldn¡¯t get to give you a full tour of the Sanctuary.¡±

    Alright, that settles it. Amaris put on her best smile. ¡°You¡¯ve convinced me! I¡¯ll stay. Now, how about that tour?¡±

    As it turned out, most of the ¡°tour¡± wasn¡¯t very exciting. There were storerooms, bedrooms, a meeting room, a meditation room, and a library filled with a mixture of religious, educational, and other books. It was slightly larger than she expected since it had to serve over a dozen Keepers, but otherwise it was just like any other place.

    Except for the basement under all the other basements. The last room¡­ it was something else. Here, deep beneath the rest of the Sanctuary, was a single circular room lit only by seven large candles. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and magenta¡ªas it should be.

    Amaris had heard of places like this, the ¡°hidden lights of the Sanctuary¡± that burned beneath the earth with the seven colors of creation. But she¡¯d never actually seen one, and it was somehow both more and less than she had expected. Less, in the way that the room was rather plain and had no fancy designs or ornate carvings¡ªit was just made out of stone like the rest of the Sanctuary¡¯s lower floors. However, the candles themselves were impressive: each occupying a point on the far edge of the room, their flames illuminating the vibrant colors of the wax. To add to this simple sense of awe was a simple glass cube in the center of the room that refracted the light every which way. It was not a prism¡ªfor no rainbows were created, and such beams would not have been welcome anyway since they did not display the unifying color, magenta.

    Amaris looked to Ashton and, finding no concern in his eyes, she slowly approached the glass cube. She dared not touch it, only permitting herself to approach and appreciate its simple beauty.

    ¡°Why a cube?¡± Amaris asked, eventually. ¡°Why not use Dia¡¯s pyramid?¡±

    ¡°Dia herself is represented by the room above. The cube, dear Amaris, represents us.¡±

    ¡°I always thought we were the sphere¡­¡±

    ¡°Other Sanctuaries have spheres, that is true,¡± Ashton admitted. ¡°The records use both. I have read much on the subject. Some suggest that that which represents us is not meant to have a definite shape, just as it has no color.¡±

    Amaris let out a chuckle. ¡°Oh, I remember mom and dad having playful arguments about what counts as colorless. Are we white, black, or clear? It always seemed¡­ silly.¡±

    ¡°In many ways having an argument about such minutiae is quite silly. But¡­¡± A sad look came over him. ¡°There have been wars fought over such seeming trivialities.¡±

    ¡°Are we cubes or spheres¡­?¡± Amaris tilted her head to the side. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s for you and your Keepers to worry about. Let me know if you find a definite answer, hmm?¡±

    Ashton gave her a wry smile. ¡°I shall endeavor to uncover the mysteries for your sake, Amaris.¡±

    ¡°Good. Watch us actually be icosahedrons.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Math thing, sorry.¡± Amaris chuckled awkwardly.

    ¡°Perhaps you can tell me more of this math while I show you to your room?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ alright, see, there are five Uniform Solids. One of them is Dia¡¯s pyramid, the other is the cube, and then there¡¯s the octahedron, dodecahedron, and icosahedron; you can see many of these in crystal formations¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Amaris woke up, discovering that she had not only wrapped herself up in the blankets like a cocoon but also rolled off the mattress onto the floor below¡ªand given how far she was from the bed she¡¯d somehow managed to do this without waking up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to sleep properly anymore.¡± She didn¡¯t let this deter her, however. She stood up, made the bed, and did her usual morning routine of slipping into her boots and checking over her supplies. She gave Pitch the usual greeting and feeding, taking a few minutes to give him the proper amount of head scritches.

    ¡°Well, Pitch, this place is nice, but we should get going. Don¡¯t want to stay too long, or else¡­ you know.¡± She slipped her backpack on, with Pitch currently slithering around her arm. ¡°Still, it was nice. I missed this.¡±

    She silently slipped out of the guest room, making as little noise as possible¡ªshe¡¯d rather not make a fuss about leaving. Luckily, everything was stone, and stone didn¡¯t tend to creak when walked on, so she was somewhat easily able to muffle her motion, even as she climbed up the stairs.

    Amaris made it all the way back to the main hall unseen, discovering that the sun hadn¡¯t even risen yet, though the dull lights of the morning were beginning to appear on the horizon. The Sanctuary itself was well lit by a large number of mushrooms and lamps, though only half of the lamps were ablaze. There was a shadowy figure moving about the edge of the chamber, lighting one lamp after another.

    Amaris tensed. Was this guy an enemy? Some vile fiend setting up an arcane ritual to attack the poor Keepers of the Sanctuary? Did he think she was trespassing and was prepared to launch an all-out assault?

    ¡°Oh, Amaris!¡± Keeper Ashton removed his hood. ¡°You¡¯re up early. Come, walk with me while I prepare the hall for morning meditation.¡±

    Amaris reasoned that she didn¡¯t have to go quite yet, and so walked alongside him as he continued to light the lamps. ¡°Do you guys always get up before the sun?¡±

    ¡°It depends on how the sun feels, to be honest. In this part of the world, the circadian rhythms are not¡­ consistent.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I noticed. I only had eight hours of daylight one day, seemingly out of nowhere.¡±

    ¡°One of the many mysteries of the heavens above¡­¡± Ashton noted with a solemn nod. ¡°There are occasional prolonged nights that worry the farmers when they occur. But Dia has never permitted one to last long enough to starve us.¡±

    ¡°Then why¡¯d you settle down here?¡±

    ¡°Me? To help build a Sanctuary in a distant land. Most of the others either followed us or are natives of this ecosystem. J¡¯loons and shroomites would not fare well on the journey to the rest of civilization. The great Shard Desert is difficult even for humans to pass.¡±

    Amaris couldn¡¯t help but smirk. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have a challenge.¡±

    ¡°I am not worried about you. The way you hold yourself says that a simple desert would be nothing to you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Amaris fell silent, shuffling alongside Ashton. ¡°Ashton¡­ can I ask you something?¡±

    ¡°Anything, child, though I do not promise an answer.¡±

    Fair enough. ¡°I¡¯m just a kid. Am I¡­ messed up?¡±

    Ashton took a moment to finish lighting the next lamp and stopped, thinking. ¡°I believe any professional doctor would probably consider you damaged in some way, if that is what you are asking. However¡­ there is something to be said for the maturity gained through suffering. You are a strong girl, and I don¡¯t just mean physically. You have asked thoughtful, introspective questions most your age wouldn¡¯t even consider.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve always been thoughtful.¡±

    ¡°There is a difference between playing with a math puzzle and wondering if your experiences have psychologically damaged you.¡± Ashton leaned down to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been through, and I¡¯m not asking you to tell me. But I can see that it has been hard.¡±

    Amaris didn¡¯t entirely understand why she was tearing up at this.

    ¡°Amaris¡­ you¡¯re safe here. Don¡¯t worry. Nothing is going to hurt you.¡±

    ¡°What if¡­ what if I hurt you?¡±

    Ashton smiled sadly. ¡°It is always an honor to suffer for a good cause, Amaris. You do not need to worry about me or any of the other Keepers. We have chosen this part of the Choice.¡±

    Amaris let out a short chuckle. Pitch slithered up her neck and started licking her face¡ªand Ashton didn¡¯t so much as recoil in fear at the snake¡¯s presence.

    ¡°Such a fascinating and regal creature¡­ is he your companion?¡±

    ¡°The one and¡­ only.¡± Amaris forced a smile. ¡°He¡¯s Pitch. My parents got him for me and even made this entire enclosure that could fit in my backpack. Dad¡¯s a bit of an engineer; it¡¯s held up very well.¡±

    ¡°I would very much like to meet this father of yours, he sounds like an interesting man.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he is¡­¡± Amaris shook her head. ¡°But I don¡¯t even know where he is. Or home. Or anywhere I¡¯ve been. I¡¯m¡­ quite lost. Very, very, stupendously lost.¡±

    Ashton stood back up with a curt nod, turning back to lighting the lamps. ¡°I¡¯ve often found that when I¡¯m lost, a good, deep meditation does wonders.¡±

    ¡°I meant physically lost.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure that is the only kind of lost you are?¡±

    Amaris considered this for a moment. No, she really wasn¡¯t sure. And the partial meditation yesterday had been so relieving. But she didn¡¯t want to wait around until the next service¡­

    ¡°You can join me and the Keepers for morning meditation if you remain silent.¡±

    ¡°R-really? Won¡¯t the others find that improper or against the code or something?¡±

    ¡°There is no written law regarding such, only custom. And as you have told me, the customs vary somewhat across the world. Come, sit with us this morning.¡±

    Amaris didn¡¯t hesitate this time. ¡°All right. Where will I sit?¡±

    ¡°Right next to me.¡±

    Amaris beamed at the old, kind Keeper. Why couldn¡¯t you have been the Keeper back home? Keeper Harold was such a bore¡­

    ~~~

    After morning meditation came breakfast, which was largely moss cubes and eggs. Ashton guided her into the dining room and, despite it being absolutely packed with other Keepers, Amaris found herself welcomed. Ashton introduced her to many of the others: his best friend, a shroomite named Avocado; and the ¡®self-proclaimed theologian¡¯ Wurph the j¡¯loon. Wurph quite appreciated Amaris¡¯ inherent curiosity.

    ¡°You know, for one so young you have a knack for finding the right questions,¡± Wurph said as he shoveled some kind of bluish gel into his mouth; food Amaris had, in no uncertain terms, been told was toxic to non¨Cj¡¯loons. ¡°I believe I¡¯d been here two years before I fully understood why magenta is missing from the rainbow. No, I don¡¯t mean the scientific reason, which, going from your expression, you are very aware of.¡±

    ¡°Physics is closely related to math,¡± Amaris admitted as she shoveled a moss cube into her mouth without really thinking, ending up with a minor gag reflex. She managed to get her involuntary response under control. Never eat those without being prepared for it.

    ¡°Regardless, magenta is associated with unity, connections, and complexity. Rainbows, by nature, exist as a chromatic line from one end to the other, but magenta ties it together. Its placement is clearly one of unity. But, as you pointed out, there must be more to it. Why were rainbows designed to exclude the color, and why were we given the capacity to experience it? It is rather simple: magenta represents our inability to fully unite in our own power. It is a natural symbol of the required reliance on Dia to bring true unity in the face of the world¡¯s natural chaos and disorder. To complete the circle we need that which does not exist in a physical sense, but was bestowed upon us in a spiritual one.¡±

    Amaris blinked a few times. ¡°I¡­ think I knew that somewhere in the back of my mind?¡±

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    Wurph chuckled. ¡°Do not worry, little one, you are not a Keeper who specializes in the great mysteries. It is not as fruitful of an endeavor as you might think.¡±

    ¡°Well, since I have you here, what about the stars? I¡ª¡° Amaris forced herself to trail off. She¡¯d almost went into her experiences of being launched into the sky, and as nice as these people were, she didn¡¯t want to burden them with that. However, Wurph was able to go into a miniature rant about the nature of the cosmic heaven as opposed to the spiritual heaven and the between lands until he got out a complex chart and started illustrating the entire cosmic connectedness of the universe.

    At which point Amaris got a little bored.

    Ashton must have noticed her glaze over because he quickly finished his meal, stood up, and cleared his throat. ¡°I do believe it is time to move on with the rest of our day.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Yes.¡± Wurph¡¯s body shivered. Amaris had no idea what emotion that was supposed to represent in his kind. ¡°I look forward to continuing this conversation, young Amaris. But for now, I must record the nature of the hexagon¡­¡±

    Ashton led Amaris out of the Sanctuary. He kept walking through town and Amaris just followed him around. In the back of her mind was a sense that she should be going, but she pushed that aside with the fact that she could just walk away at any time. Might as well spend some more time with Ashton, right? Once she left she could never come back.

    Ashton¡¯s first stop was the poor section of town with people huddled around fires next to shoddily constructed houses. He went around to the various people and gave them blessings while asking how the work to rebuild their homes was going. Unfortunately, not well, since the only architect in town could only work on one house at a time, even for charity. Ashton promised he¡¯d look into getting the Keepers to organize something if they could.

    ¡°Is it really that hard to make sure everyone has a home?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°Yes and no,¡± Ashton said. ¡°We Keepers will do all we can to feed everyone, and there is enough to go around. But there is a certain pride in people that prevents them from taking too much assistance.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s dumb.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell me you¡¯ve never refused help just because you wanted to prove that you could do it on your own?¡±

    Amaris had no response to this.

    Ashton made his way to the school next and Amaris continued to follow. The school only had young children¡ªthe oldest of which were about Amaris¡¯ age¡ªand only two classrooms. The kids were currently playing outside in the mushroom yard while a haggard-looking man stood at the door, trying his best to make his hair presentable.

    ¡°Mr. Rey,¡± Ashton greeted.

    ¡°Oh, Keeper¡­¡± Rey looked down at Amaris and frowned. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve got another kid, Mrs. Effini is sick today and I¡¯ve already got my hands full teaching her half.¡±

    ¡°Amaris is not here to learn,¡± Ashton informed him. ¡°I do believe she knows significantly more than most of us do in the academic disciplines.¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡± Rey rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Then maybe she could teach math for me.¡±

    He was clearly joking but Amaris lit up like a firework. ¡°Can I? Can I?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the topic? Differential equations? Statistics? Real Analysis?¡±

    ¡°¡­They need to learn about square roots.¡±

    Amaris processed this for a moment. ¡°I can do that. They already know about exponents then?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Rey stared at her like she was an alien from another planet. ¡°Yes? I think?¡±

    ¡°Then let me at ¡®em!¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t hurt,¡± Ashton suggested to Rey.

    And so Amaris was placed in front of a blackboard with a piece of chalk and a step stool to stand on. ¡°All-right class, so¡­ how many of you think math is boring?¡±

    Almost everyone raised his or her hand.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m here to prove you wrong!¡± She scribbled a 2 on the board, raising it to the second power. ¡°So, as a review, what¡¯s this mean?¡±

    ¡°It equals four¡­?¡± one of the older kids said, clearly finding it odd to be talking to someone close to his age as a teacher.

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Amaris said, getting a little giddy. ¡°Two squared, two times two, is in fact four. But, here¡¯s the fun thing¡ªwe can also do this backward!¡± She slid over to another section of the board and wrote down ¡°¡Ì4=2¡± and explained that it was the square root, proceeding to give lists of many of the square numbers the class was probably familiar with, including drawing up several large squares to showcase it all¡ªending up with a clever little thing called a ¡°squared square¡± which was a square made entirely out of squares, in which the roots were used to find the side lengths.

    ¡°But now, everyone, what if we do this?¡± She wrote ¡°¡Ì2¡± on the board. ¡°Hmm¡­ what times itself equals two?¡±

    One of the smarter kids raised her hand. ¡°Some fraction!¡±

    ¡°Close! A fraction would be a good approximation, actually! But when we take square roots of numbers that don¡¯t divide evenly, we get¡­¡± She waved her hands ominously. ¡°Irrational numbers!¡±

    Given the tone with which she had said it, the kids all gasped in fear. With a smug grin, Amaris continued. ¡°The value is something 1.4142 but it goes on forever and ever with no pattern. But we have a saving grace: we can just write this number as root 2 the entire time! Who cares about writing it out exactly, we can work with it. Of course, this means¡­¡± She wrote down ¡°¡Ì2¡± = ¡°2/¡Ì2¡± and ¡°1/¡Ì2 = ¡Ì2/2.¡±

    ¡°Weird, right?¡± Amaris asked. ¡°Well, you see, the reasoning behind it is rather simple¡­¡±

    She kept going like this for quite some time, trying to bring out every interesting factoid she knew about simple roots and squares out for the class to see. Not all of them were interested, that was fair, but since she was in the position of teacher they weren¡¯t just dismissing her like the kids back home used to. Or, heck, even most of the girls at Genk and Jenny, who had little care for math.

    Eventually, she came out of the classroom for lunch and said she could do more if Mr. Rey wanted, and he consented. The poor guy was clearly overworked¡ªbut hey, that was her gain.

    Amaris wasn¡¯t as well acquainted with the other topics of various scientific disciplines, but she managed to push her way through. And at the end of it all the kids, while all fully convinced she was weird beyond belief, appreciated her excitement.

    ¡°I never get to be excited about math anymore,¡± Amaris said, scratching Pitch¡¯s head as she walked out of the school. ¡°That¡­ man, maybe I should become a teacher, put all those stuffy boring adults out of business. Knowledge is fire! And you need to dance to it!¡±

    ¡°I see you enjoyed yourself,¡± Ashton said¡ªevidently he had been waiting outside for her.

    ¡°Ashton, were you waiting all day?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, I just knew school was about to get out and dropped by. I am glad to see you found a calling in there.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see, we¡¯ll see. Maybe I can become a traveling professor¡­¡±

    She followed Ashton without really thinking around the town as he dropped by various people to say hello and occasionally introduce Amaris. Eventually, however, he returned to the Sanctuary.

    It was time for the evening service and meditation again.

    Where did the day go? Amaris asked herself, quite baffled at how caught up she¡¯d gotten. However, she wasn¡¯t on edge, she actually found attending the full service and meditation ceremony to be exactly what she needed to wind herself down after such a¡­ surprisingly pleasant day.

    Wurph was the speaker for the opening and closing ceremonies. While the closing was the same, word for word, as yesterday, the opening had with it a unique message. He spoke on the ability to choose being a divine gift and right.

    Afterward, Ashton stood at the doorway, waiting for her.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Amaris rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Guess I stuck around, huh?¡±

    ¡°Would you like to stay for dinner?¡±

    ¡°¡­Sure.¡±

    ~~~

    Amaris woke up in the middle of the night, this time still on the mattress. After dinner, Ashton had asked her to stay again, and she¡¯d consented since it was late and there was a bed with her name on it. However, as her currently awoken state attested, she was having a significantly harder time sleeping.

    I was supposed to be gone already.

    Amaris stared up at the ceiling, finding that continued sleep eluded her. Pitch happily slept in his enclosure, which left Amaris utterly alone with her thoughts.

    I should have left already.

    Why?

    Normally, at this point, she¡¯d let out an annoyed huff and tell herself to stop having internal arguments that never went anywhere good. Tonight, however, she couldn¡¯t muster the willpower for it. Her thoughts continued to run rampant.

    I¡¯m a danger to them.

    They¡¯re the sort that¡¯s willing to take that kind of risk.

    Ashton doesn¡¯t know.

    Do I think he¡¯d reject me if I told him?

    No. No, if anything, it¡¯d become more of a reason to watch over me.

    So why not stay?

    Amaris was fully awake now. Why not stay? She didn¡¯t like the question at all. Because the only reason she could think of not staying was that, if she did, she would never get home. But she was never getting home as it was; she¡¯d already admitted that to herself! It was impossible to find it in the expansive world. Why not stick around anywhere that was nice?

    Why not here?

    Why not stay?

    I¡¯m a danger to them didn¡¯t seem to be all that powerful of an argument anymore. Her curse would affect everyone she came into contact with, and she wasn¡¯t prepared to live as a hermit and go insane from lack of human contact. It might even be argued that, if she stayed in one place, fewer people might be affected by her curse. There was no way to be sure how the curse worked without gathering lots of data and, even then, the influence would be rather subjective.

    So if there was no way to really tell if harm would be greater by interacting with more or less people¡­ the best assumption was that there was no difference.

    Ergo, I could stay, or I could go. Probably won¡¯t make any difference overall. But then she remembered Jenny getting continually mutilated, smashed, and cut by everything they encountered. Was that just her natural recklessness, or was Amaris¡¯ curse really that lethal? Of course, if it was that lethal, why was she still alive?

    Amaris sat up in bed, more than a little horrified. Why was she still alive? The sheer number of close calls she¡¯d had was absurd, and she¡¯d been injured many times. And yet, here she was, alive against all odds.

    She attempted to run the numbers, connecting statements, conclusions, and information¡ªtrying to get to the end of this mental tangle. There had to be an answer, there had to be. Suffering would be most likely minimized if only she¡­ if only¡­

    The mental tree of logic she¡¯d been building collapsed under its own weight of complexity. Amaris flopped back down onto the bed, staring dead-eyed at the ceiling. She couldn¡¯t do it, she couldn¡¯t think her way out of this. And it wasn¡¯t a matter of just ¡°thinking a little longer¡± about it, it was simply too much to keep in mind at once. The further she¡¯d thought the more things she¡¯d needed to keep track of, and then¡­ no more.

    There was no math equation for this. And the wisdom of her parents didn¡¯t really apply here, so far as she could tell. She had nothing.

    ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± she asked, aloud.

    She didn¡¯t know. She wasn¡¯t sure it was possible to know. This made her angry. Why were things like this? Why couldn¡¯t she just fixate on the problem and get to a hard, fast, satisfactory solution? 1+1=2, Q.E.D. Not a cloud of uncertainty without a single signpost.

    With an angry huff, she got out of bed. She started grabbing her things: bow, quiver¡­ but didn¡¯t grab the backpack. It would just disturb Pitch. Without putting on her coat or even bothering with her boots, she left her room and marched through the empty Sanctuary halls until she was outside. The mossy ground squished beneath her bare toes, sending a shiver up her entire body.

    The crescent moon was high in the sky, casting the entire town in soft light. Using it as a guide, Amaris strung her bow, looking for something to aim at. Finding a random fence post she released the arrow, striking it dead-on.

    She let loose a few more arrows, hitting the post again and again.

    It didn¡¯t make her feel any better and it was a terrible distraction.

    Dejected, she marched over to the post and reclaimed the arrows, turning back to the Sanctuary. Even in the moonlight, the triangle glistened a beautiful blue. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off it.

    ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡±

    What do you want to do?

    Amaris sighed. That thought of hers didn¡¯t help her at all. She didn¡¯t know what she wanted to do. There was no new information to be drawn, no conclusions to reach, nowhere to go. She wanted to stay; she wanted to go. That was the entire reason she had such a problem in the first place.

    She walked back into the Sanctuary, no closer to any personal answers. She prepared for a long, restless night as she descended the stairs back to her room.

    At which point, she heard a laugh coming from further down the stairs. Immediately, she was put on high alert, stringing an arrow in her bow. She considered rushing to her room to get the rest of her supplies, but she disregarded the thought¡ªwhatever this was, if it was anything, she might need her agility.

    All thoughts of her personal uncertainty were gone, replaced with the instinct of survival. Another Predateor, another witch, another Toad? Granted, it was probably nothing. But Amaris couldn¡¯t afford to ever assume it was nothing.

    She didn¡¯t have to go down there and look, strictly speaking. Maybe some of the Acolytes were just having a late-night joke¡ªor maybe it was a monstrous behemoth she should run away from as fast as she could. Despite this, Amaris knew it was generally better to know what one was facing as opposed to not.

    Also, she was curious to a fault. Being aware of this did not make the curiosity go away, so she descended the stairs as quietly as she could, armed and ready. With bare feet, she was remarkably quiet.

    No more laughter came from the bottom of the stairs, but now that she was straining her ears, she could hear chattering down in the lowest basement with the colored candles. As she continued down, she began to make out the distinctive voice of Keeper Wurph.

    ¡°¡­and it seems to me that we are being given another Choice, my fellow Keepers. Here, we have an opportunity to use the trust of the people to bring about a brand new age. Now, I know many of you are uncertain¡­¡±

    Amaris got down as low as she could while still retaining control over her bow, looking through the crack in the stairwell and the ceiling of the candle room. All seven candles were lit, as usual, and the glass cube was exactly where she remembered it. However, surrounding the cube was a hexagon painted on the ground with some kind of neon yellow pigment that harshly refracted the light given off by the candles. Six lines were drawn inside the hexagon, looking a bit like teeth or perhaps sideways closing eyes. Keeper Wurph floated just above the hexagon design¡ªand on his head was affixed a star-shaped mask with six eyes.

    Amaris froze. No¡­ that¡¯s not¡­

    Virtually all the other Keepers in the room were also wearing the six-eyed masks; even the j¡¯loons like Wurph, despite not having a traditional face to put it on. All the masks were of different shapes and materials, but one thing was sure: they all had six eyes.

    ¡°¡­But you have trusted me to study the way of the Choice,¡± Wurph continued. ¡°And I have come to the conclusion that this is the only real choice we can make now. Come. Let us begin the summoning ritual.¡±

    Chanting began in a language Amaris couldn¡¯t identify. She noted that there were a dozen people down there¡ªtoo many for her to take with any reliability. What she needed to do was warn the town. She vaguely remembered the location of the mayor¡¯s office; he could probably round up some people to take care of this¡­

    Carefully, she walked back up the stairs. Now was probably a good time to get her things back, just in case everything went south.

    How could I have thought that this place was safe? She ground her teeth. Of course my curse won¡¯t let me have anything. This was all a trick from the beginning. What was I thinking!?

    She continued up the stairs until she got to the correct basement and made a sharp turn back to her room¡­ only to find Keeper Ashton walking through the hallway.

    Amaris froze.

    ¡°Amaris? What are you doing up?¡± Ashton asked.

    Amaris narrowed her eyes. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡±

    ¡°Evidentially, you look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost.¡± He took a step toward her¡ªprompting Amaris to take a step back. ¡°Amaris? What¡¯s happened?¡±

    ¡°Little jittery.¡±

    ¡°Amaris, what have you seen?¡±

    He¡¯s onto me. She bit her lip as her eyes began to water. It was an act the entire time.

    She would have run right then and there had Pitch not been on the other side of Ashton. With a slight whimper, she pulled her bowstring back and pointed it right at Ashton. ¡°Let me through.¡±

    ¡°Amaris!¡± he shouted in absolute shock.

    ¡°Just¡­ let me through.¡±

    He threw his hands into the air and pressed himself against the hallway wall. Slowly, without taking the bow off of him, she moved past him. Get to my room, grab Pitch and everything else, then run.

    ¡°Amaris, tell me what¡¯s happened, maybe I can help.¡±

    He sounds so genuine. Amaris clenched her jaw even tighter¡ªshe couldn¡¯t let herself fall for this. The Keepers were up to something evil, and that meant all bets were off.

    ¡°Amaris¡­¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ stop talking.¡± Amaris didn¡¯t dare remove her hands from her bow to wipe her eyes, so the tears flowed freely. ¡°You can¡¯t¡­ fool me anymore.¡± With a heavy sniff, she took off in a run toward her room.

    Suddenly, she was encased in an ethereal red bubble that levitated her off the ground. He got me. Ashton. I should have shot him. The thought was almost unbearable, but she maintained composure. She managed to turn herself around while inside the levitating bubble and point her bow back at Ashton¡­ who was also in a red bubble.

    ¡°You know,¡± Keeper Wurph said, drifting into the hall. ¡°Loud anguished shouting actually interrupts rituals. It is quite annoying, especially when people get excited.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ what is the meaning of this?¡± Ashton demanded.

    ¡°Come down with the rest of us, dear Ashton, and see what¡¯s been brewing under your nose.¡± Wurph chuckled. ¡°Though I do wonder why you aren¡¯t out cold on that bed of yours, we made sure everyone was sleeping.¡±

    ¡°I woke up¡­ sensing a disturbance. Wurph, what are you doing!?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you really are in-tune, aren¡¯t you¡­ though, really, it makes no difference now. Come, both of you.¡±

    Amaris caught Ashton¡¯s bewildered, fearful eyes.

    He was never with them.

    Amaris couldn¡¯t take this. She broke down into bawling tears, unable to rid her mind of images of an arrow-studded Ashton. I could have done that! Me! To an innocent man who has shown me nothing but kindness!

    ¡°Some kid you¡¯ve found, Ashton,¡± Wurph said as he floated down the stairs, the two red bubbles bobbling behind them. ¡°And quite the troublemaker. If you hadn¡¯t shouted I likely never would have known she was awake. I wonder how much she¡¯s seen¡­¡±

    Ashton was silent, and Amaris was in no condition to provide a retort.

    Wurph took them all the way to the basement in full view of the rest of the mask-wearing Keepers, at which point the red bubbles popped, depositing the two prisoners on the ground.

    Amaris was a bawling, heaving mess. Ashton, meanwhile, was utterly bewildered by what he was seeing. ¡°What in the world¡­? How¡­ how could you have gone this far wrong?¡±

    ¡°Look, Ashton, I like you¡ªreally, I do.¡± Wurph drifted toward the bearded Keeper, placing a tentacle on his shoulder. ¡°You had a dream to establish a Sanctuary this far away from modern civilization. It takes something special to do that, and even more to succeed. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Wurph shook his head and sighed. ¡°From the beginning, this Sanctuary was intended for a higher purpose. In the developed world, there are those who would¡­ object to our investigations. This far out, we can be free.¡±

    ¡°Free to betray everything we stand for?¡±

    Wurph let out a trill-laugh. ¡°My my, you are reading too far into this! This is no blood sacrifice, no brutal beginning of conquest. It is simply a motion to contact the darker side of the Choice, the remnant. Amaris!¡± Wurph twisted to the side, no longer looking to Ashton. ¡°Do you know the significance of the Six-Eyed One?¡±

    Amaris shook her head slowly.

    ¡°I had hoped that distant lands would teach the wrongly forbidden arts more freely, but I suppose my hopes are in vain.¡± He turned to the hexagon on the floor. ¡°The Six-Eyed One is an entity that exists outside the Seven Colors, and one that can provide us knowledge not found in our meditations.¡±

    ¡°Wurph¡­ I implore you, do not do this,¡± Ahston said, getting on his hands and knees. ¡°Dia keeps some things hidden for very good reasons.¡±

    ¡°We have already made the Choice, Ashton. What are the consequences of choosing wrong now?¡±

    ¡°Wurph¡­¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you will see once we are complete here. Perhaps not. Either way, you can no longer stop us.¡± He turned to the rest of the masked Keepers. ¡°If either of them makes a loud noise, gag them. Otherwise, let us restart the chant.¡±

    The ancient, unfamiliar words returned, swirling through the air in a haunting refrain. The interior of the hexagon began to darken, becoming a black so thick the shadow of the basement seemed bright by comparison.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Amaris whispered to Ashton.

    ¡°You are forgiven, young Amaris,¡± Ashton said with a sad shake of his head. ¡°I would not have trusted myself after witnessing this.¡±

    Amaris scooted closer to him and pulled him into a hug. She noticed he did not return it¡ªand that his muscles were very tense. As if he were waiting for something.

    Does he have a plan?

    The shadowy hexagon slowly lifted out of the ground, enveloping the central altar like tar flowing upward, eventually consuming the entire cube. As the mass grew in size, occasional flashes of yellow could be seen, criss-crossing through the darkness almost like circuitry on a hexagonal grid. With a lurch, a tentacled limb twisted out of the mass, slamming onto the ground with such force that cracks ran though the stone. At the edge of the tentacle angular fingers formed, scraping deep cuts into the floor.

    Another limb erupted, and then another, and another, until six of them were splayed around. Six massive yellow gashes appeared on the being¡¯s top, arranged like eyes on a face, a dead-ringer for the many masks being worn by the Keepers. The eyes had no pupils, but they opened and closed with shockingly organic blinking motions.

    It skittered around, rotating until one of its legs was facing Wurph directly.

    Wurph bowed slightly. ¡°Oh being from beyond the Seven, we humbly beseech you for your knowledg¡ª¡°

    When the creature spoke, no mouth moved. Rather, Amaris felt the sound come from vibrations in her bones, giving the words a rattling, haunted feel.

    ¡°Hubris is always so delicious.¡±

    Wurph had no time to make a move. One of the creature¡¯s many limbs lashed out, popping him unceremoniously, releasing a gush of faint red fire from his interior gasses.

    The rest of the Keepers started screaming, running for the stairs¡ªbut it was not designed for such a large volume of people and the passage jammed, making an easy target for the monstrous beast. It jumped across the room, a tendril of darkness attaching it to the central altar. With one quick swipe, the fleeing Keepers were no more.

    ¡°Oh, I could answer your questions. But I won¡¯t. Because I know who you serve, ultimately.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make you afraid?¡± Ashton asked the beast, standing in such a way as to draw attention away from Amaris.

    What is he doing?

    The beast seemed to find Ashton¡¯s question curious. ¡°Your kind are always so sure of protection, and yet by your own admission death is but a return. Why are you so certain to avoid that which is a blessing?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re oversimplifying,¡± Ashton said. With a quick motion, he took a glass bottle out of his robes and threw it. The brilliant-white liquid inside sloshed around as it flew, revealing a symbol on the bottle formed from a hook and a straight line over a dot. The glass shattered, dousing the creature in the glittering concoction.

    The beast shrieked as the doused areas were suddenly transformed into beautiful wildflowers that continued to spread along the dark tar like a disease. ¡°Hypocritical monkey!¡± It lashed out wildly, hitting Ashton and a few others with a blunt strike that sent them flying. Ashton went directly into one of the walls, passing out from the impact.

    He¡¯s old. That can¡¯t be good for him.

    The worst part was that the potion he¡¯d thrown didn¡¯t finish the job¡ªthe darkness was able to fight against the flowers, bringing their spread to a standstill. The creature was merely preoccupied. ¡°Flowers¡­ ironic, but not ironic enough to spare your lives¡­¡±

    Amaris carefully pulled out a pink-tipped anti-magic arrow and placed it in her bow, keeping its slight glow out of sight of the creature until the last moment¡ªat which point she whipped the arrow to the side and shot the tendril connecting the creature to the altar it was summoned from. The darkness disintegrated into absolute nothingness from contact with the arrow, severing the creature from its source.

    This immediately robbed it of the power it was using to fight the flowery infection. ¡°How in the¡­ you.¡± As the darkness continued to be overrun by the flowers, the creature used its remaining limbs to turn itself toward Amaris. ¡°You have been touched by a fool.¡±

    Amaris loaded another anti-magic arrow and pointed it at the creature. ¡°Don¡¯t come any clo¡ª¡°

    She had failed to take into account that the beast had nothing left to lose, so it jumped at her with two fully functional limbs. Amaris let the arrow fly, hitting dead center¡ªbut the mass was so large it continued at her. Parts of the shadow transformed into fire or bursts of light rather than nothingness, but this did nothing to hinder its progress.

    Instinctually, Amaris jumped off the ground and twisted herself sideways. The creature¡¯s swipes went above and below her but didn¡¯t touch her at all. However, she was unable to land in a good position, tumbling awkwardly along the ground; exposed.

    The creature rushed to claw Amaris right through, but at this point the flowers won. The grassy roots severed the glob of darkness from its center, allowing it to fall harmlessly over Amaris¡¯ legs. Thick, slimy goop of darkness mixed with a healthy amount of roots and flower petals was enough to make Amaris gag as she scrambled out from under it.

    The creature wasn¡¯t moving anymore, so Amaris decided the fight was over and ran to Ashton. ¡°Ashton! Ashton!¡± She lifted him up, finding a pulse and breath but getting no further response from him. ¡°Somebody get a doctor!¡±

    The Keepers that remained stared at her in shock, clearly not sure what to do with this situation.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care that you tried to summon a demon-thing, just get help! Now!¡±

    None of them moved. Whether it was out of fear, delirium, or anger, Amaris couldn¡¯t tell. However, at this point, some of the Keepers who had been asleep started to descend the stairs, bewildered.

    ¡°You!¡± She pointed angrily at a fat shroomite that was coming down. ¡°Keeper Ashton has been badly hurt! Get a doctor! Now!¡±

    Despite the visible carnage, the shroomite did as instructed and ran back up the stairs as his fungal feet would take him.

    ¡°There, help¡¯s on its way¡­¡± Amaris put her hand on Ashton¡¯s face, looking him over. ¡°Stay with me, now... Please¡­¡± She let out a shaky, heaving breath. ¡°The curse can¡¯t take you too¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Keeper Ashton¡¯s next conscious sensation was that of a somewhat intense burning in his chest.

    Thank you for sparing me.

    With a deep, pained grunt, he opened his eyes. He was graced with the pleasant image of Amaris looking down at him with hopeful concern.

    ¡°Amaris¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank goodness¡­¡± Amaris let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I was beginning to think you¡¯d never wake up.¡±

    ¡°It will take more than a dark monster to end me¡­¡± Ashton didn¡¯t even try to get up, he knew that anyone with this many bandages on them needed to stay still as much as possible. Instead of focusing on himself, he turned his gaze to Amaris, noting that she wasn¡¯t wearing her normal clothes¡ªno backpack or bow either. The only carry-overs from her previous outfit were the tattered remains of her original shirt hung around her waist and Pitch, sleeping around her neck. Everything else had been replaced with the silvery robes of a Keeper Acolyte, complete with the triangle necklace.

    ¡°Amaris¡­? What is this?¡±

    ¡°There¡­ was a lot of chaos after what happened. I needed to watch over you, and¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s been nice, belonging somewhere for a while. Having a purpose. Doing my best to keep everyone¡¯s hopes up. It¡¯s¡­ strange. But I think they needed me. With most everyone in jail everyone else needed another set of hands around, and, well¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Ashton nodded. ¡°What is their sentence?¡±

    ¡°The mayor wanted you to be awake before making a decision. They¡­¡± Amaris looked distant for a moment. ¡°None of them were prepared for that. How could they have been so stupid?¡±

    ¡°Amaris¡­ what they did was wrong, but do not deride their intelligence. All of us wish to justify what we do, from the dumbest to the smartest. Wurph¡­ was astoundingly intelligent, and yet his thirst for knowledge gave him ample justification to seek answers in all the wrong places.¡± Ashton took a long, deep breath. ¡°It is my experience that the smarter someone is, the more likely they are to make that mistake.¡± He locked his eyes with Amaris. ¡°Be careful, my child.¡±

    Amaris nodded slowly.

    ¡°I must ask¡­ do you really want those robes?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Amaris admitted. ¡°I took them because it was necessary and I was needed. But I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll hurt you again if I stay too long or¡ª¡°

    ¡°Amaris¡­ this was not your fault.¡±

    Amaris shook her head, placing her hand on Ashton¡¯s. ¡°Ashton¡­ I¡¯m cursed. Cursed to have my life be interesting. Everywhere I go, things like this happen and will keep happening.¡±

    Ah¡­ Ashton closed his eyes, pondering this.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m telling the truth, Ashton.¡±

    ¡°I believe you,¡± Ashton said. ¡°But Wurph had been planning this for multiple years. Amaris, had you not come, it would have happened anyway.¡±

    Amaris frowned, opening her mouth to object.

    ¡°And even if you would cause more problems by being here, it would be unimaginably cruel to force you to face them on your own. I am more than willing to be injured by whatever insanity comes my way, believe me.¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°My question is if you want to stay. If you want to become a Keeper.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Amaris said, hanging her head. ¡°I keep thinking about it, examining the tree of possible options of what¡¯s good and what¡¯s bad and I¡¯ve got nothing. Nothing. It¡¯s like there isn¡¯t an answer and I need there to be an answer.¡±

    ¡°Amaris. Calm down.¡± Ashton smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t need there to be an actual answer. If there appears to be no better way¡­ ask your heart.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not seriously telling me to just follow my heart,¡± Amaris deadpanned.

    ¡°Actually, I am!¡± Ashton couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, painful though it was. ¡°The heart may be misleading and its whims fickle, unreliable, and often deceptive. But it has its uses. It knows best what you want.¡±

    Amaris stared at Ashton for quite some time. He said nothing¡ªAmaris needed to process this in her own time, and it wasn¡¯t like he had anywhere to be. He had no idea how much time passed, and he didn¡¯t particularly care, for it was what this young, troubled girl needed.

    When she eventually spoke, it was almost in a whisper. ¡°I want Mom and Dad¡­¡±

    ¡°Then go search for them.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ but I don¡¯t know where they are, I¡¯ve been searching and searching and... the world¡¯s too big! The chances are so absurdly small!¡±

    ¡°Hmm, then wouldn¡¯t it be interesting if you ended up finding them?¡±

    Amaris stared blankly at him. ¡°It can¡¯t be that simple.¡±

    Ashton gave her a wry smile. ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­ because¡­¡± Amaris broke out into a dumb smile and giggled. ¡°Because no reason whatsoever.¡±

    ¡°Oftentimes in life, you¡¯ll find it helpful to ask, every now and then, if what you¡¯re thinking is true. You¡¯d be surprised how many things we come up with are blatantly false and fall apart with the slightest scrutiny.¡±

    Amaris put her hand to her chin. ¡°Well, this has given me a lot to think about¡­¡±

    ¡°Let me know what you decide.¡±

    ¡°I know I¡¯m staying at least until you¡¯re all better.¡±

    ¡°That could be several weeks. Months, even.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯ll give me plenty of time to think, then!¡± She winked at him. ¡°Now, you stay right there, I¡¯ll cook up some moss cube lunch for you.¡±

    ¡°Have you become a chef while I was out?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve done a little bit of everything...¡± She gave him a slight bow and laid her hand on his forehead sideways in a blessing before scampering off.

    She¡¯ll choose to go, Ashton thought, closing his eyes. She¡¯d make a great Keeper¡­ but she has a much greater destiny than that.

    ~~~

    Amaris closed her eyes, thinking for a moment as she dredged up the old memories. ¡°Go forth to your homes, remembering what Dia has done for us in all that is, was, and will be. Wherever we go, She is with us, guiding us through our Choice.¡±

    She opened her eyes, smiling at the congregation of evening mediators in the Sanctuary. ¡°And goodbye, everyone.¡±

    It had been a bit unusual to have a mere Acolyte lead the congregation in meditation, but everyone knew that was her last day there¡ªit was symbolic, Ashton had said. As she descended from the center of the Sanctuary, she stopped to shake hands with the many people of the town she¡¯d come to know over the last few weeks¡ªmany of which called her a hero. She tried to dismiss these notions, but single-handedly stopping a monstrous lizard from flattening the town tended to give people ideas.

    Her curse most definitely had brought threats to the town, in the form of the aforementioned reptile, but also in a malevolent thief, a strange fungal rot in the crops, and an ancient evil tree. However, it had also brought other amazing things. A traveling salesman with a brand new kind of crop, a visit by a beautiful balloon creature of great wisdom, and a wedding of two people who would have gone on hating each other without Amaris¡¯ presence.

    Interesting did not always mean terrible. Deep down, Amaris had known this since the time with Coleus. But now, after having spent some time with these people, she was consciously aware of it. The curse brought with it good and evil¡ªall it ensured was that things were never the same.

    She was getting somewhat good at detecting the destructive occurrences and doing what she could to stop them. Already, the musicians of the town were writing songs of ¡°the wandering girl cursed with life.¡±

    It would not have been hard to stay here. She would have a nice life with people who respected her and wanted to help her.

    But, in the end, she wanted her Mom and her Dad. With any luck, the curse would eventually lead her right to them. All she had to do was keep looking.

    When she stepped out of the Sanctuary, she took off her Acolyte robes for the last time, offering them to Ashton. He took the robes, but removed the triangular necklace and gave it back to her. ¡°Keep it.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m not¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyone of Dia¡¯s can wear the necklace, Amaris.¡±

    Amaris made no further fuss about it, taking the precious accessory and placing it around her neck. She then accepted her backpack from him, complete with tent and quiver. Naturally, the backpack itself was now lined with an excessive amount of moss fruit and moss cubes, as well as a proper frying pan and miniature cooking utensils.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting late¡­¡± Ashton said with a grin.

    ¡°Oh no, we talked about this!¡± Amaris chucked. ¡°I¡¯m going now. Not gonna end up staying more and more and more and more days, gotta cut the cord! Marching into the night!¡±

    Ashton bowed slightly in respect. ¡°You can¡¯t blame an old man¡ªhabits die hard.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll blame the habit then.¡±

    Ashton chuckled, then laid his hand sideways on Amaris¡¯ forehead in a blessing. ¡°May you find your parents, Amaris.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. For¡­ everything, Ashton. You have no idea what it means to me.¡±

    ¡°And thank you, Amaris, for breathing a little life into this town of ours.¡±

    ¡°Not going to thank me for saving it?¡±

    Ashton leaned in and tapped her on the nose. ¡°Nope!¡±

    ¡°Good call.¡± Amaris winked, then set off on her way. Before she got out of sight, she turned around and waved while walking backward. Ashton waved back, as well as several of the Keepers¡ªincluding a few that had been part of the summoning ritual and graciously forgiven. Next to them were some of the children she¡¯d taught and a few townsfolk she¡¯d gotten to know.

    I¡¯ll come back here one day, if I can, Amaris told herself. Let them know how it all went.

    With a spring in her step, she walked down the road to the desert and the promise of further civilization. She had no specific goal in mind. No concrete leads of any sort.

    Yet, she felt surer than ever that she¡¯d find her parents.

    I¡¯m coming home. Just you wait.

 May You Never be Forgotten

    EPISODE XI

    May You Never be Forgotten

    It was blacker than night, yet had a sheen that could compete with the stars themselves.

    It sat on a rather undignified pedestal: a rotting wooden crate covered in sand.

    It remained perfectly clean despite this, not a trace of dust or rot on it.

    It was a cube.

    A door opened, bathing the cellar in the light of evening. The cube grew no brighter, remaining its dark yet somehow glistening self in defiance of the direct sunlight.

    Nervous footsteps rang out in the silence, crushing the sand out of the way. The visitor raised a gloved hand, placing all the digits on the cube¡¯s corner. Retreating back, the visitor removed the glove, placing a bare hand on the cube.

    It reacted immediately. White lines appeared on the six faces, dividing the squares into smaller squares and then even smaller ones until the entire cube was white. It levitated into the air, pulsating the very space around it like reality was a mere pond.

    There was a pained scream.

    ~~~

    The sun was an uncaring master that baked the very earth until it begged for mercy with cries that were not heeded. The vast expanse of sand dunes rippled in the heat while the various cacti that dotted the landscape browned under the onslaught. A large rock jutted out of one of the largest dune, locally known as the ¡°Egg Frying Rock¡± since it regularly got hot enough to fry an egg. At the moment, no one was up there, but it was definitely hot enough to live up to its name.

    In the shadow of the ¡°Egg Frying Rock¡± was a small oasis produced from groundwater. The cactuses flourished here, but there were few other kinds of plants since they would have to be imported from elsewhere. There was a town there by the name of Mican, but it was a small place populated by worn wooden buildings and tired people constantly under the merciless power of the sun. None of the buildings were impressive, and there was no central government to speak of. It was almost a lawless place.

    The only location in Mican with any commotion was the local saloon, populated largely by grizzled men in wide-brimmed hats and pistols on their hips that wanted nothing more than to sit quietly and drink whatever alcoholic beverage was on offer that day. They generally didn¡¯t care what it was, so long as it could provide a buzz.

    It was somewhat common for the saloons¡¯ patrons to barge in by kicking the swinging doors, so none of the patrons were all that surprised when exactly that happened. What surprised them was who walked in. Strangers weren¡¯t exactly unheard of in town, but strangers who were young girls with massive backpacks, a bow, and a snake resting atop a wide-brimmed hat were so unheard of it made most of the patrons slack-jawed.

    Amaris took the facial wrap and goggles off her face, cleaning them of the various bits of caked sand that came from traveling in the desert. She took a nonchalant sip from her thermos and waltzed up to the bar like it was the easiest thing in the world.

    The bartender was a large, bald, beardless man with a glass eye. He narrowed his eyes at her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just get me some root beer,¡± she said, dropping some gold coins on the countertop. ¡°And however much water that¡¯ll buy. Can¡¯t hurt to top off my supplies.¡±

    The bartender was no fool; he took the money and gave her a mug of root beer before disappearing around back to get enough water.

    Amaris took out her GameBrick and started playing a game on it. Absolutely none of the patrons had ever seen such a device, and they continued to stare at the strange root-beer drinking girl with the snake. She even fed the thing with some of the root beer¡¯s froth!

    It was just too much for one of the younger men; specifically, the one in the cleanest, whitest suit in the entire saloon. He stood up, making sure his chair made as loud of a screech on the ground as possible in order to draw Amaris¡¯ attention.

    She didn¡¯t lift her head up from her GameBrick.

    The man took this as a direct insult to his pride and strode over. ¡°Where¡¯re your folks, girl?¡±

    ¡°Dunno,¡± Amaris said, barely glancing up at him.

    ¡°What would they say if they saw you here?¡±

    ¡°Probably commend me for making sure my water reserves are continually replenished.¡± Still, no more than a glance at him.

    He bared his teeth. ¡°Look, girl, clearly you don¡¯t know anything about how things work in these pa¡ª¡°

    ¡°Only men are allowed in saloons except for making particular purchases when no man is available, which is precisely what I am doing. Furthermore, you are a member of the White Hats, the self-declared ¡®peacekeepers¡¯ of Mican.¡± She set her GameBrick down and finally looked him in the eyes. ¡°I know precisely what I am doing, sir, and I would rather you let me conclude my business in peace rather than try to run me out with threats.¡±

    He huffed. ¡°You think yourself an aristocrat, do ya? Some kind of educated namby-pamby?¡± He slammed his fist on the countertop. ¡°I don¡¯t give a bile gopher¡¯s left tooth what you think is or is not legitimate. What I say goes, and I say whatever kind of freak you are ain¡¯t welcome here.¡±

    ¡°I shall leave as soon as my water is delivered,¡± Amaris said. Pitch hissed in agreement.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understood¡­ I said you ain¡¯t welcome here.¡±

    Amaris raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you going to give me a refund then? It hardly seems fair t¡ª¡°

    The White Hat whipped out his gun. Amaris twirled around on her stool and kicked the gun right out of his hand, sending it spinning unceremoniously onto the floor. Long after the sounds of the clattering gun had ceased, the man continued to stare at his empty hand in disbelief. Amaris, for her part, locked eyes with him and took a long, loud sip of her root beer.

    ¡°Nobody comes into my town and gets away with that¡­¡± the White Hat hissed. ¡°Get h¡ª¡°

    Amaris was moving before he even gave the order. She twisted out of her stool, leaving her backpack on the ground so she could leap through the air. The two men that had been sitting closest to the White Hat were in the midst of standing up when she kicked the table up, smashing into both of their foreheads. Twirling out of this motion, she strung her bow and aimed it right at the only other person who was getting up to defend the White Hat.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Amaris said.

    He didn¡¯t listen. He reached for his gun. Amaris let the arrow fly, hitting the gun directly and wrenching it out of his hand with enough force to sprain the wrist.

    ¡°Good thing I didn¡¯t hit your hand, that would have been messy.¡±

    She caught the White Hat rushing for his gun on the ground. She took a single step forward, placing her foot on the weapon. Seeing that he was not going to reach his gun, he thrust his fist toward Amaris¡¯s head. With a bored look, she ducked to the side and kneed him in the gut, toppling him over.

    At this point, the bartender came back with a bucket of clean water. He was clearly surprised at the scene he had returned to but made no comment.

    With a wink and a smile to the men in the saloon, Amaris returned to the bar and filled her various containers with water. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± She gave him a thumbs up and left the saloon in much the same way she had entered, with a dramatic kick to the doors.

    Immediately, she left town, going south. There was no road in the massive dunes, but she knew how to keep her direction straight relative to the sun at this point. There weren¡¯t any trees to get in the way here. After trudging through a few dunes, leaving the oasis behind, she couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore.

    She burst into laughter, losing her footing in the process and unceremoniously rolling all the way down a rather large dune. She didn¡¯t care that she had sand everywhere now and that it would be almost impossible to clean before the next town, the encounter had just been so funny.

    ¡°Did you see me, Pitch? A cute unassuming little girl, making a bunch of grizzled men make fools of themselves! I mean¡­ you don¡¯t see that on the TV, do you?¡±

    Pitch hissed.

    ¡°No, no you don¡¯t, that¡¯s right!¡± She stood up but couldn¡¯t stifle all the giggles. ¡°Maybe that¡¯ll teach them to give ladies more respect. I doubt it, but hey, I can dream.¡±

    Still finding the entire scenario absurd, Amaris took out her map of the area. She was actually almost out of the desert, despite appearances to the contrary. The dunes were scheduled to give way to mesa and much larger settlements. In fact, the next one on her journey, Unrust, was of a decent size. It was still a pioneer town, like the vast majority of settlements out here, but if her information was to be believed it still had proper trade routes and even roads back to the rest of civilization.

    With roads, Amaris could find a way to access the best world maps and maybe get some idea of where to go from there. It wasn¡¯t much of a plan, but it was something.

    Though, to be fair, even if she didn¡¯t have a plan she¡¯d still go that way just to end the suffering brought on by continual sandstorms battering her everywhere. Even covered up as she was, the sand still got in the most uncomfortable places. Annoyingly, she couldn¡¯t travel as far as she could have in the forests: the heat made her take regular breaks, continually watching her hydration and energy levels. Technically speaking, she¡¯d had enough water to make it all the way to Unrest without stocking up at Mican, but the desert was a brutal place and she would much rather be safe than sorry.

    Plus, she¡¯d gotten something much more valuable than water during her stop: a spark of joy, fueling her to keep walking the decidedly boring desert.

    Sand dunes and half-dead cacti could only keep her entertained for so long. And the end of that had come a long, long time ago.

    ~~~

    Tumbleweeds rolled, cacti became greener, and the dunes became small enough that somewhat regularly bare rock could be seen, dotted with the occasional dry bush. The temperature went down from ¡°easily able to fry an egg¡± to ¡°the egg would only partially fry.¡±

    Amaris knew she was on the right track when she found evidence of a footpath on a larger, dune-less area of the biome transition and evidence of prickly pear harvesting. Unrust couldn¡¯t be much further away.

    It had taken her a day and a night to make the journey, taking the morning and the evening to sleep before extreme temperatures could set in. Night traveling was a lot less about managing water level and protecting oneself from the sun and a lot more about turning on the heat lamp and staying completely wrapped up.

    Currently, though, it was midday, and Amaris had a town to get to.

    She saw the Rusting Ribs long before the town itself¡ªmassive metallic structures that scraped the sky with their claw-like shapes. Each Rib was absolutely covered in rust that slowly wore away at the metal, hence the name. She¡¯d expected to see it since the story of how Unrust was founded in the shadow of these ancient structures was a common tall tale across the desert, but she had not expected them to be quite so tall. They made skyscrapers look kind of pathetic.

    It took two more hours for her to get close enough to see the actual buildings of the town, which were made of a mixture of metal and wood. Unlike the previous town, the wood wasn¡¯t rotting and several of the buildings actually looked respectable. There were also actual roads. Granted, the roads were little more than patted down earth with some stones in them, but it was a far cry from the sandy streams Amaris had been forced to deal with lately. There were even a few steam trails rising into the sky, evidence of some steam-powered industries in the area.

    She briefly wondered if any of the electricity in this area of the world would be compatible with her devices. She didn¡¯t need it: she had a miniature solar panel and a lot of rechargeable batteries back from her time in Genk. But still¡­

    Wait a moment. Why were the batteries and electricity in Genk compatible with her GameBrick and her heating lamp in the first place? She understood enough about how electricity worked to know that the ways it was transmitted needed to be standardized¡­ and yet, home and Genk had had the same or close enough to the same convention to be compatible.

    That doesn¡¯t make any sense¡­

    She shook her head¡ªthere was no point dwelling on that now. She had a town to reach.

    A man in a soft gray suit, round hat, and circular spectacles came up to her from behind. ¡°Greetings.¡±

    ¡°Oh, hi,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°On your way to Unrust?¡± He was a middle-aged man with a long, depressed face who was remarkably clean for someone out in the heat like this.

    ¡°Yep! Looking for some proper civilization. Been nothing but desert and sand for a while now. ¡­I know that¡¯s redundant.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ I suppose Unrust is a bit¡­ rusty, to be called proper civilization?¡± He shuffled his feet nervously.

    ¡°Mmm.¡± Amaris shrugged. ¡°I actually don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work or not, it all depends on what I find when I get there.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t find much I¡¯m afraid.¡± He sidestepped a tumbleweed, moving to her other side. ¡°There was once hope for great industry, but as far as I am aware, nothing happens there anymore.¡±

    ¡°Such a shame¡­¡± Amaris shook her head. ¡°You live there?¡±

    ¡°In a sense¡­ I¡¯m Orville, Orville Inkwell.¡± He took off his hat and greeted her.

    ¡°I¡¯m Amaris Kelvin. And this is Pitch.¡± Pitch lazily licked her finger.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re young, aren¡¯t you? Traveling all on your own?¡±

    ¡°A bit, yeah. Wandering around, hoping I find something.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m used to it by now.¡±

    ¡°I wish I could help¡­ but the people of Unrust don¡¯t like me very much, I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯ve got it all under control.¡±

    Orville smiled warmly, but with a hint of sadness. ¡°I can¡¯t help but believe you. I wish you luck, Amaris.¡±

    ¡°And I wish you luck too, Orville!¡± She gave a thumbs-up¡­ to thin air. There was nobody there.

    Amaris blinked a few times. ¡°Um¡­ Orville?¡± She looked around, confused. There was nothing around for him to hide behind in the flat land. Looking down, she saw only her footprints in the sand-dusted ground.

    ¡°Pitch, did you see anything?¡±

    Pitch let out a hiss in response.

    ¡°Great¡­¡± Amaris pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. Something had just been talking to her. A hallucination, a ghost, or what, she didn¡¯t know and didn¡¯t know how to tell.

    At the very least, he was pleasant. And he didn¡¯t ask her for anything so he probably wasn¡¯t nefarious. Probably. However, at this point, she couldn¡¯t be too careful. Something was afoot, and she needed to be ready for it.

    Maybe today I get to help put a ghost to rest¡­ He mentioned that the people didn¡¯t like him. Maybe this is like the skeletons again. She took out her notebook and flipped to her drawings of the skeletons, finding more than a few imperfect lines in her sketches that momentarily distracted her, keeping her locked in the pages much longer than she otherwise would have liked.

    After reminding herself of her many encounters and making note of a few inaccuracies, she looked up. She was at the entrance of Unrust. For the most part, it seemed like a normal town, although the populace appeared to be a bit cheery for living in the shadow of a rusty, decaying relic. There were only humans; she didn¡¯t note a single other species among them.

    What she did see was a large hastily painted sign out front of the town. It was a crude drawing of a man in a gray suit with a red x painted over him. There were also words, painted in the same red, that said ¡°DON¡¯T LISTEN TO HIS LIES!!¡±

    Amaris swallowed. ¡°Gonna be one of those days, I see¡­¡±

    On alert, she walked into town, finding the population to be extremely friendly, greeting her with waves and polite hellos at the slightest provocation. It was a jarring change from the antisocial gruff towns that dotted the rest of the desert, but it was welcome. She didn¡¯t feel like the people were going to turn around and shoot her for being different.

    First things first, she made her way to the saloon. Inside she could hear hearty laughing and singing, but outside there was a small kiosk constructed out of rusted metal with a sign that read ¡°Irene¡¯s Attitude Solutions.¡± There appeared to be no items for sale, but there was a young woman sitting behind the counter, and she was decidedly unhappy. Not because she lacked a smile, but because hers was one of the fakest smiles Amaris had ever seen¡ªplastered on her face out of some kind of necessity or delusion. Her eyes and body told a different story; small pupils, gloved fingers constantly drumming the kiosk in anxiety, and an inability to sit still. Her figure was exceptionally thin and had her body not been so angular, the form-fitting sleeveless dress might have been considered sensual. The black of the dress matched her large, overly feathered hat that was slightly too large for her head.

    In short, she stood out from the rest of Unrust like a sore thumb.

    Amaris didn¡¯t really try to fight her curiosity. ¡°Um¡­ hello?¡±

    The woman jumped, her eyes darting around wildly until she looked down at Amaris. Something about Amaris made her calm down instantly and, while still exceptionally twitchy, the woman found it within herself to launch into a rather boisterous speech. ¡°Hello there, little one! I¡¯m Irene, and welcome to Irene¡¯s Attitude Solutions!¡± She held out her hand as if gesturing at something, but there was nothing but air. ¡°Does life have you down? Do the hardships of frontier civilization beat you into depression? Well, then have we got the thing for you!¡±

    Amaris was having none of this. ¡°Thanks, but no thanks.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank Dia,¡± Irene said with a sigh of relief. ¡°You¡¯re a lifesend.¡±

    ¡°Did you not¡­ want me to buy anything?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all anyone ever wants!¡± Irene wheezed, slumping down until her chin was resting pathetically on the kiosk¡¯s countertop. ¡°Even if they don¡¯t need it, that¡¯s all that matters. Just come to Irene, everything will be fine. Did you know you only need one treatment and it lasts forever? But noooo¡­¡± She suddenly stood up straight and pressed her hands together. ¡°Enough about that! I never get to talk about anything else so let¡¯s talk about something else!¡±

    ¡°All right¡­ what¡¯s the deal with the sign at the front of the town?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that guy?¡± Irene shrugged. ¡°Local superstition. I¡¯ve never seen him, but apparently he only appears in your miiiiind.¡± She twirled her finger around her head.

    You¡¯re one to be implying other people are loopy. ¡°Why are they so convinced he¡¯s lying?¡±

    She shrugged with an even more exaggerated motion than before. ¡°I dunno, because the legend says so?¡±

    ¡°¡­And the legend¡¯s not very specific, is it?¡±

    ¡°Not at all! Just a random tall tale about a ¡®mind demon,¡¯ y¡¯know?¡±

    ¡°Not¡­ really.¡± Then again, for all I know, this is normal.

    ¡°Anyway, I think it makes for interesting poten¡ª¡°

    A gunshot rang out from inside the saloon. Irene immediately ducked below her kiosk, shivering in fear. Amaris had the opposite reaction: she charged into the saloon and kicked the door open.

    The scene was the polar opposite of the last saloon she was in. The inhabitants, while mostly men, had huge smiles on their faces and were jumping around and dancing. A few women were there, doing much the same. The commotion had come from a gunslinger doing an excited dance with his pistol, shooting into the air with elation. He was still shooting when Amaris barged in, making more and more holes in the ceiling that was already filled with quite a few holes, but the bartender didn¡¯t seem to mind¡ªin fact, he seemed to be egging them on as he cleaned a glass with his wiry beard.

    ¡°Yeee-haw!¡± the gunslinger declared, spinning the gun around his finger. ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve got a stranger in town!¡± He pointed the butt of the gun at Amaris, grinning. ¡°You all know what we do with strangers, right?¡±

    ¡°Right!¡± the patrons cheered in unison.

    Amaris took a defensive stance, ready to draw her bow at a moment¡¯s notice. It turned out to not be needed as the welcoming committee appeared in the form of the bartender producing a massive tankard of ale and gesturing for Amaris to have some.

    ¡°Wh¡­ I don¡¯t drink!¡± Amaris smiled awkwardly. ¡°See, I¡¯m a little young and I don¡¯t weigh very much, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Nonsense!¡± the gunslinger declared. ¡°What kind of person doesn¡¯t drink? It¡¯d be like taking Dia¡¯s name in vain!¡±

    ¡°You do that all the time,¡± one of the women pointed out.

    ¡°Oh yeah¡­ so I do!¡± the gunslinger let out an elated laugh. ¡°Well tie me up and make me Her slave, looks like I¡¯ve got some repentin¡¯ to do! Woo!¡± He picked up his own tankard and downed several chugs of ale.

    Drunk people are even more stupid than I remember. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± She walked up to the bartender. ¡°I¡¯m traveling through these lands and I¡¯ll need a refill of water, kay?¡± She dropped some coins on the counter that the bartender accepted without even looking. After that, the patrons collectively took virtually no more notice of Amaris, returning to their laughs, cheers, and dances.

    She found it fascinating. The drunk mind apparently had no attention span, a disposition for big smiles accompanied by excessive laughter, and an intense desire to move. She hadn¡¯t exactly been around enough drunk people to know what was supposed to happen, but she was fairly certain this wasn¡¯t quite right. This was less inebriation and more ¡®happy juice.¡¯ There was more than just alcohol at work here, even more reason not to drink whatever was in the tankard she¡¯d just been offered.

    Fortunately, since the patrons were so caught up in their festivities, nobody was trying to make her drink anything. The bartender brought her the water she needed and she filled up her stores, thanking the bartender.

    ¡°Wait¡­¡± She tilted her head, examining the wiry old man with a beard half his height. His toothy smile was bigger than any of the others in the saloon, and yet his breath didn¡¯t smell like alcohol. Which made sense, seeing as a bartender who kept sampling his product would likely have problems serving it eventually. However, he was still smiling.

    Now that she was thinking about it, everyone in the town had been smiling and overly happy. Except¡­ Irene. And Orville, but Amaris wasn¡¯t sure he counted.

    It was at this point the gunslinger let out a ¡°whoop!¡± and jumped onto his table, dancing and shooting his gun all over the place, punching holes in the wall, ceiling, and even a few beer bottles and the clock.

    The last bullet hit a random guy square in the forehead.

    There wasn¡¯t much visible blood, so it took Amaris a few seconds to register that the man falling out of his chair had just been shot. She let out a short shriek, jumping onto her stool. For a moment, everyone in the saloon looked to her, then followed her gaze to the now very dead man laying on the ground.

    He still had a smile on his face.

    ¡°Oh, looks like I got Ol¡¯ Bart,¡± the gunslinger said with a shrug. ¡°Oh well. Looks like he had fun though, right?¡±

    ¡°Hear hear!¡± everyone else called, and the festivities resumed without missing a beat.

    Nobody even so much as took care of the body. It was like it didn¡¯t exist in their minds.

    Amaris ran out of the saloon, gasping for breath. ¡°Come back soon!¡± the bartender waved like he hadn¡¯t just seen a man get shot. As she left, Amaris noticed that Irene wasn¡¯t at her stand anymore. She got out of here. Smart. Yep. Getting out of here, great idea, don¡¯t look back, just keep running¡­

    She didn¡¯t even bother to put her face wrappings or goggles back on, she just ran. Usually, when people run away at full speed with a massive backpack, they collapse in a heap before they can really think to do anything else.

    The sad fact of the matter was that Amaris was used to this by now, and the all-devouring fear inside of her was soon replaced with coherent thoughts. The first ones were about survivability¡ªrunning at full speed in this climate was a death sentence; she had to slow down, take some water, recover her stamina. Having recognized her own self-inflicted peril, she was able to slow herself down and find some shade from the Rusting Ribs. Making sure she was decently far from everyone out and about, she took care of her hydration needs and rested.

    In her break, she thought. Something was wrong with these people. Everyone she saw was happy. When she¡¯d arrived that had seemed a welcome change, but she couldn¡¯t believe how stupid she¡¯d been. Entire towns weren¡¯t filled with nothing but happy people, much less frontier towns with limited resources in a harsh climate!

    People weren¡¯t this way naturally. Something had to have been done to them. Something that, potentially, could be reversed¡­

    No, no, not again, don¡¯t go there¡­

    It was no use resisting. The more she thought about running out of town, the more she realized that this probably wasn¡¯t their fault, that it was some kind of curse, and it was making them so careless as to kill each other.

    Amaris looked down at the blue triangle hanging around her neck. Lifting it up, she let its cyan color catch the light of the sun.

    Taking a drawn-out breath, she stood as straight as she could manage. ¡°Right. Pitch? We¡¯re gonna try to help these people. Somehow.¡±

    Pitch poked his head down over the brim of her hat and flicked out a tongue.

    ¡°Starting with Ire¡ª¡°

    Orville was standing at the base of the Rusting Ribs, looking right at her through his spectacles.

    ¡°Scratch that, new plan.¡± She pulled up her sleeves and marched right up to the base of the Rib.

    ¡°Have they gotten to you yet?¡± he asked, with a slight waver to his voice.

    ¡°Something is very wrong with this town, buddy. I want to know what.¡± She crossed her arms in defiance.

    As previously, his suit was completely clean. The same could be said of his glasses, but he took them off and polished them anyway. ¡°I am.¡±

    ¡°Right, so, why have you made them so trigger-happy they¡¯re killing each other? Hmm? What do you have to gain?¡± She pulled out her bow and aimed it at him¡­ feeling strangely disoriented in the process.

    ¡°What? They¡¯re killing each other?¡± He took a step back, aghast. ¡°Why!?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, you tell me!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know! The last murder was five years ago when Oregano Kid came to town!¡±

    ¡°¡­So the trigger-happy dance parties in the saloon are recent?¡±

    Orville looked at her like she was insane. ¡°Trigger-happy dance parties? That saloon has never seen a cheerful toast, much less anything that could even be compared to an actual party!¡±

    Amaris raised her bow again. Wait, when did I lower it? She shook her head, narrowing her eyes. ¡°When was the last time you were in the saloon?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t really give you a time?¡± Orville rubbed the back of his head. ¡°It seems recent to me but that was diving quite a ways back.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, what?¡±

    ¡°I, uh, well¡­¡± he grabbed his collar and tugged at it nervously. ¡°Look, you¡¯re the only one who¡¯ll talk to me right now and I don¡¯t want to ruin it with weird mumbo-jumbo you probably won¡¯t believe. I¡¯m just¡­ Orville.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been kidnapped by a giant toad, hunted by a monster made of brass that trapped me in a time loop, fell into an ancient alien spaceship, helped forge diplomatic relations between a graveyard full of skeletons and their neighbors, and saved a bunch of cats in an alternate dimension from some freaks that stole their sun.¡± Amaris narrowed her eyes. ¡°And now I¡¯m trying to figure out what¡¯s wrong with this town so I can help them. So, Orville, try me.¡±

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°That was hard to get out of you¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop being so cryptic!¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, okay!¡± He held his hands up in surrender. ¡°I just perceived that little speech of yours differently, is all. See¡­ I don¡¯t actually exist.¡±

    ¡°Oh that¡¯s a la¡ª¡° Amaris realized she was pointing her bow at nothing, and not even where Orville had been a moment ago. ¡°¡­Very funny.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really think so,¡± Orville said, appearing suddenly right next to her. ¡°See, I¡¯m not actually here. I can never exist. I only exist in memories. Past memories.¡±

    Amaris blinked. Then she lowered her bow. She opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, frowned, and then shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure which of my many questions to ask first.¡±

    Orville rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Well¡­ I only exist in memories. Every time you think you¡¯re talking to me, that¡¯s just an altered memory of me. You actually said those things to nothing¡ªoften realizing in the middle of a sentence that you were talking to nothing so I had to go back and adjust myself into your memories again so you¡¯d keep talking but that didn¡¯t work since I can¡¯t exist in the present and so I had to back up further and¡­ okay, long story short, that little rant of yours took a long, long time to get out of you.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ while you were saying that I was just¡­ staring at nothing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a little hard for me to tell?¡± Orville shuffled his feet awkwardly. ¡°See, I only observe memories by placing myself into them, and by doing that I often change them from what they really were. It is¡­ quite a mess, to be perfectly frank. And since I can only be in one memory at a time¡ªdon¡¯t ask me how long memory jumping takes, I still have no idea¡ªeveryone¡¯s under the impression that I¡¯m a hallucination or a ghost.¡±

    Amaris tilted her head. ¡°Well, are you?¡±

    ¡°A ghost? No. Well. I don¡¯t think so. Ghosts can exist in the present, right?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never met one.¡±

    ¡°But, you said¡­ skeletons. Those are ghosts, right?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ no. Not at all.¡±

    ¡°How do you know if you¡¯ve never met a ghost?¡±

    ¡°I have no clue.¡± Amaris felt the need to put her hand to the bridge of her nose but found that her hand was already there. ¡°Okay, this is immensely disorienting.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me. How do you think I feel?¡± Orville sat down on a nearby rock, taking off his hat and running a hand through his hair. ¡°I live like this, with everyone convinced I¡¯m a mind-demon ghost-thing that¡¯s evil and going to kill everyone.¡±

    Amaris rocked back onto her heels and sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t have anything to do with the excessive creepy happiness, do you?¡±

    ¡°I sure hope not!¡±

    ¡°Right. So, follow-up question.¡± She tried to grab his collar and found to her surprise that she actually could, and it felt perfectly fine. ¡°How do you not know something¡¯s wrong with Unrust?¡±

    Immediately after this Amaris found herself facing the other direction and suffering from a bout of nausea.

    ¡°Yeah, interacting with the closest-to-present memory of me can be¡­ unpleasant,¡± Orville admitted. ¡°Sorry, but I felt like you needed the tactile feedback.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ try to touch you¡­ got it¡­¡± Amaris breathed heavily, getting her gut under control.

    ¡°And to answer your question, well, I don¡¯t really concern myself much with the town that¡¯s doing its best to consider me a demon of doom. I spend most of my time with my love, Lila¡­¡± He held his hand to his heart and let out a deep, pained sigh. ¡°Oh Lila, my love, I sit in all your memories, ignored, but patient¡­¡±

    ¡°Aaaaah.¡± Amaris nodded slowly. ¡°Love-stupid. I see. Probably should get a doctor to check that out.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re getting better at finishing your sentences talking to nothing.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± That thought is mildly disturbing. Scratch that, very disturbing.

    ¡°And I don¡¯t expect a child like you to understand the nuances of love.¡± Orville crossed his arms. ¡°I am devoted to Lila, and I will be forever.¡±

    Amaris raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re right, but I¡¯ve read enough books and seen enough shows to know classic lovesick nonsense when I see it. Let¡¯s see, you¡¯ll be over her in a month and find some new girl¡¯s memories to haunt.¡±

    Orville looked at her with disgust. ¡°I have been at her side for five decades, Amaris.¡±

    Amaris blinked a few times. ¡°Okay, so maybe I am an idiot. But now that just sounds like you¡¯re stalking her memory. Creepy.¡±

    Orville deflated. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right¡­ but she refuses to acknowledge me. I am but a hallucination to her, something that doesn¡¯t exist¡­ All I do when I visit her present memories is make her cry or scream¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, definitely haunting.¡±

    ¡°B-but I restrict myself to her past, now! Appearing, watching everything that ever occurred in her life¡­ and¡­ and¡­ and this is just making you more and more convinced that this is messed up.¡±

    ¡°No, really, what gave that away?¡± Amaris deadpanned.

    Orville merely looked at the ground, despondent.

    Amaris sighed. ¡°Look, I¡­ I clearly don¡¯t understand how this thing you do works, I am just a kid, but I¡¯ve seen a lot. And being so obsessed with some girl¡¯s memories that you don¡¯t even notice that the entire town is on happy juice is probably a sign of something being at least a little off.¡±

    ¡°The entire to¡ª¡° He stood up suddenly, a big grin coming over his face. ¡°Ah-hah! That means she must be happy as well! Perhaps I can finally get her to talk to me!¡±

    ¡°Orville!¡± Amaris was shouting at an empty rock. ¡°Orville you get back here right now. I¡¯m not done talking to you! We¡¯ve got to work together to figure out what¡¯s wrong with this town and¡­ and¡­ wow I really am good at talking to nothing like I¡¯m talking to something.¡±

    Pitch was staring at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not insane,¡± Amaris grumbled, gripping the straps on her backpack. ¡°Back to the original plan, I guess¡­ find Irene.¡±

    ~~~

    Orville jumped himself back in Amaris¡¯ memory to the last time he¡¯d talked to her, at which point he felt rather stupid. He needed a memory connection to jump to another person, and it had been Old Man Strayer who had seen Amaris through his little micro-observatory in one of the Ribs. Amaris hadn¡¯t seen Strayer so Orville couldn¡¯t jump back that way.

    So, instead, he jumped forward along Amaris¡¯ memory, finding her in the saloon, staring at the body of Bart Tuckerson.

    Something really is happening to the town¡­ Orville shivered. This was one of the worst parts about surfing the memories. Traumatic events were often the most memorable, and he tended to appear in them regularly..

    However, this event served its purpose¡ªgiving him a connection to Jimmy, who was laughing his head off at the bar. That man never smiled in his life¡­ Orville pushed back through Jimmy¡¯s memory a long way, back to when he lived on Outrider Street, and in this time Jimmy was scowling just as much as Orville expected.

    Here, Jimmy¡¯s neighbor was Lila, who lived in a small little house with beautiful green paint. If only that house stayed like this¡­

    He waited in Jimmy¡¯s memory, jumping forward and back a bit until he caught sight of Lila¡ªat which point he jumped to her. Here, she was a young woman with a beautiful blue dress and a comically undersized hat that was more of an accessory than anything.

    She was staring right at Orville with horror.

    I¡¯ve already been in this memory. This must have been around when she first moved here.

    He jumped forward, as far forward as he could manage at once. Even this didn¡¯t get him all the way to the most recent memories, merely within a year or two. It was immediately evident that the house had seen better days¡ªthe windows were boarded up, everything was extremely dusty, and a haggard old woman with a drooping face sat in a chair with uneven legs. The dress was still blue, but it was a dull blue that had seen much better days.

    He was in the memory, so she responded to him with a glance.

    With a sigh, he shook his head. He could alter the memory however he wanted, make it so she remembered dropping everything and confessing her love to him, make it so she was suddenly young again¡­ and he had done these things, in the past. But they had never stayed with her. They had never been real.

    Instead, he just let memories like these play out ¡®naturally¡¯ without any guidance from him. Which¡­ generally just meant her eyes registered his presence and then refused to do anything else. Occasionally, she would start crying.

    He did his best to stay in the distance in these memories, but that only worked when he had been in her memories for a while. When he jumped around like this, the strongest place in the memory was always nearest to her.

    Orville walked outside the house. Her memory of its exterior was fuzzy in this era, so all he could see was the flaking green walls, but no specific scratches or marks. It was like looking through marbled glass. Orville knew what it looked like from other people¡¯s memories, but Lila¡­ Lila never left the house anymore, her memories were of no use.

    ¡°You used to be so full of life¡­ and now¡­ maybe, just maybe, you are again.¡±

    He jumped to the present, or, rather, the short-term memory. The only memory where meaningful interactions could take place and be anything more than just a dream.

    The house was every bit as worn down and decrepit as the previous memory, but Lila herself was dancing. Humming to herself the instrumental tune that had been playing when she and Orville first met. She was most definitely happy.

    ¡°L-lila?¡± he asked, stammering.

    ¡°Oh, Orville, my darling!¡± she declared, jumping at him with arms open wide.

    Orville did not permit her to remember touching him¡­ she passed right through, stumbling forward but not falling over.

    ¡°Orville! Oh, Orville, I don¡¯t care that you¡¯re a figment of my imagination, not anymore! How I could have turned a blind eye to you, I¡¯ll never know¡ªold me was a fool! But I am a fool no longer, I¡¯ve never felt more alive!¡±

    ¡°You¡­ are not Lila,¡± he said, matter-of-factly.

    ¡°Maybe not,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°And you are not Orville¡­ but why would anyone care about that?¡± She approached him with wide eyes and a big¡ªtoo big, impossible, horrendous¡ªsmile.

    ¡°No, no, this is wrong¡­¡± Orville said. What did I think was going to happen!?

    ¡°Orville, dear, you spent so long trying to get me to notice you! Come, enjoy your reward!¡± She opened her arms to him. ¡°Enjoy life with me, forever, as we were meant to.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you see that this is wrong!?¡± Orville shouted, holding a hand wide. ¡°There should be tears at our reunion! Uncertainty! And a deep¡­ deep connection! ¡­What even is this!? Lila, darling, can¡¯t you sense that something is wrong?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy!¡± Lila declared, without a falter in her smile. ¡°I¡¯m happy for the first time since you vanished! I no longer look at you and feel that the world is pointless!¡±

    Orville froze. ¡°L-lila. Be honest with me. When you saw me before¡­ did I really make you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, but that¡¯s water under the bridge,¡± Lila said with a dismissive hand.

    ¡°¡­I did this to you.¡±

    ¡°Did what? Orville? ¡­Orville, dear?¡±

    Orville shook his head¡ªhe¡¯d lost control of the short-term memory updates, he must have vanished from her perceptions. Even though scrubbing the short-term memory to keep a cohesive conversation was almost instinctual at this point, it was not a mindless task.

    And his mind wasn¡¯t very organized right now.

    ¡°Orville, dear, you¡¯re flickering in and out. It¡¯s one of the most amusing things I¡¯ve ever seen!¡±

    Orville was no longer looking at the woman who used to be his Lila. He was now looking at the decrepit old house of a woman who saw no point in life, who just sat waiting for nothing, reminded every time she saw a ghost that there was nothing for her anymore.

    ¡°I did this to you¡­¡± he said, whispering.

    ¡°Orville, what are you looking at?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lila.¡± He hung his head, unable to look at her. ¡°Amaris was right. I was blind. Blinded by myself¡­ fifty years, unable to see what I was doing to you. I¡­ I am just as much of a monster as whatever¡¯s making you all happy.¡±

    ¡°Irene¡¯s not a monster, she¡¯s a life-saver! Though¡­¡± Lila tapped her chin. ¡°If she turned out to be a monster that¡¯d make an interesting story, wouldn¡¯t it? Maybe I¡¯ll write that, break out the old typewriter.¡±

    She hasn¡¯t touched a typewriter since she moved here. This¡­ this is all wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.  He punched his hand into the wall, making a hole in the memory. How could I have been so stupid!?

    He retreated to the past, to a memory where she sat in a chair and refused to acknowledge his presence.

    It was in times like these that Orville wished dead men still had memories. Then he could take refuge in a memory with no fear of causing any damage. Then he could be alone.

    But he could never be alone.

    It was the way of things.

    ~~~

    After searching basically the entirety of Unrust, Amaris found Irene.

    Back at her kiosk in front of the saloon, looking as nervous as ever.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    Irene jumped like a scared rabbit made of dynamite. ¡°Hello there, little one! I¡¯m Irene, and welcome to Irene¡¯s Attitude Solutions!¡± She held out her hand as if gesturing at something, but once again there was nothing but air. ¡°Does life have you down? Do the hardships of frontier civilization beat you into depression? Well, then have we got the thing for you!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me again,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°Oh, good.¡± Irene deflated like a balloon. ¡°I¡­ oh my stars I was afraid they¡¯d shot you for something stupid. You okay?¡±

    ¡°I watched a random guy die,¡± Amaris seethed. ¡°And I¡¯d kind of like an explanation.¡±

    ¡°W-what can I say?¡± Irene tugged at her collar. ¡°The drink?¡±

    Amaris raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Uh, would you be convinced that maybe they¡¯ve always been like that?¡±

    ¡°Look, lady, what¡¯s making them all happy and trigger-happy? You appear to be immune,¡± or are the cause, ¡°and whatever you can tell me might let me help them stop¡­ that. I can tell you¡¯re terrified of them too.¡±

    ¡°I, well, uh¡­¡± She drummed her fingers against the kiosk faster and faster.

    ¡°You were right,¡± Orville said, walking up to the stand. ¡°I have been a fool all these years, taking advantage of the na?vet¨¦ of love and squandering its fruits for my own personal vendetta. I feel nothing but sha¡ª¡°

    ¡°Yeah, good, glad you¡¯ve had an epiphany, little busy right now.¡±

    Irene cocked her head. ¡°What?¡±

    Amaris put on a dumb smile. This is going to be pain. ¡°Ignore that, I¡¯m still asking why everyone¡¯s so happy. You know something, and I think it¡¯s in everyone¡¯s best interests t¡ª¡°

    ¡°You¡¯re ignoring me!¡± Orville wailed. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t believe this, it¡¯s happened to you as well! Without you or Lila what will I do? I¡­¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t just get to crawl away! Stay right there and I¡¯ll be with you when I¡¯m done talking to Irene!¡±

    Irene glanced at Pitch and then to Amaris, quickly realizing that Amaris¡¯ wasn¡¯t looking at the snake when she was talking. ¡°Um¡­¡±

    ¡°Look, Irene, answers, please?¡± Amaris put on the biggest, cutest smile she could manage. Orville don¡¯t you dare do anyth¡ª

    ¡°Irene?¡± Orville looked at who Amaris was talking to. ¡°Oh, you are¡­ wait, Lila said you were responsible!¡±

    Orville was no longer in Amaris¡¯ perception. However, given the dumb look on Irene¡¯s face, she knew exactly where he was. ¡°Okay, Irene, listen to me, he¡¯s not a bad guy he¡¯s just a little strange an¡ª¡°

    ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m a¡­ wait, where¡¯d he go?¡± Irene blinked¡ªand then her facial expression reset to what it was a few seconds ago. ¡°¡ªmean I¡¯m a monster?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s freaky¡­¡± Amaris said, blinking.

    ¡°I¡¯m a freak too!?¡± Irene shrieked.

    ¡°No, no, I was referring to the memory stutter thing that oh my gosh this is going to be impossible to explain.¡± Amaris facepalmed. ¡°Okay, so, he¡¯s a memory entity of¡ª¡° Amaris stopped herself when she saw Irene¡¯s expression reset again. ¡°Orville! You¡¯re just making this worse!¡±

    Orville appeared from behind the kiosk. ¡°I¡¯ve never tried to interact with two people at once before, okay?¡±

    ¡°How can you not have tried!?¡± Amaris asked, flailing her arms. ¡°If I had sweet memory powers I would test out every way I could use them!¡±

    Irene took her hat off, put it on, and took it off again, repeating this motion several times like it didn¡¯t make any sense.

    Orville adjusted his glasses. ¡°Amaris, this power of mine is terrible. I could alter anyone¡¯s memories as I wished. I do not have any desire to know the full extent of what I can do. Even limiting myself I still ruined Lila¡¯s life! Oh, Lila, darling Lila¡­¡±

    Amaris left him to his wallowing, turning back to Irene. ¡°Okay, so, can we move past Orville now?¡±

    ¡°His name is Orville?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on th¡ª¡°

    ¡°That¡¯s a dumb name for a memory ghost. It¡¯s also the name of that guy who stood up my great aunt on the most important day of her life.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Orville stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that I didn¡¯t stand her up, I was ju¡ª¡°

    ¡°Orville, you¡¯re in my memory, not hers,¡± Amaris groaned.

    ¡°Oh. Right. ¡­Wait, she said great-aunt, how i¡ª¡° Whatever Orville was thinking about, Amaris didn¡¯t catch the rest of it because he moved memories again, jarring Irene considerably.

    ¡°Wait, so am I going to start stuttering like her again?¡± Irene asked, looking more than a little queasy.

    ¡°I was stuttering?¡± Amaris pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°Uuuugh, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s Orville giving me a headache or just the impossible mess of this conversation.¡±

    ¡°So just talk even though I think I¡¯m talking to nothing.¡± Irene frowned. ¡°Well, I¡¯m doing it, right? ¡­But that¡¯s ridiculous and kind of silly and absurd. Stop interrupting me!¡±

    Amaris slammed her hands down on the Kiosk. ¡°Augh! Can we just stop!? I¡¯m trying to figure out what¡¯s wrong with this town and how to help it! How about we shut up for a split second and get some answers!?¡±

    ¡° ¡®Fraid not.¡±

    Amaris groaned. That hadn¡¯t been Orville or Irene. Now there was another person present; the gunslinger from the saloon. And he had a gun pointed at Amaris and Irene¡¯s heads.

    ¡°H-hey!¡± Irene said, lifting a hand at the gunslinger. ¡°Randy, you feel good, right? You don¡¯t need to do this¡­¡±

    Randy glanced back at the saloon. ¡°Hmm. Y¡¯know, I¡¯m not angry at you at all, and that trick of yours is mighty fine. But we got tradition, and that tradition is that the memory must die before it consumes us all.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Seems silly sayin¡¯ it like that, but I¡¯m sure y¡¯ understand, seein¡¯ as you both were talkin¡¯ to him and all.¡±

    ¡°Orville, I am going to kill you,¡± Amaris breathed.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, girl!¡± Randy let out a guffaw. ¡°Cuz if all who talk to him are dead, he¡¯s dead too!¡±

    ¡°For the record, I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s not how this works,¡± Orville said.

    ¡°Tell him that,¡± Amaris hissed. ¡°Scramble his brain so we can get away or something.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t like doing that¡­¡±

    ¡°He is going to shoot us!¡±

    ¡°¡­Fine.¡± Orville vanished, and a moment later Randy started repeating the same exact guffaw he had done a few seconds ago.

    Irene lowered her hands and clutched her chest. ¡°Oh¡­ oh my¡­ I was so sure I was a goner¡­ golly gee golashing gra¡ª¡°

    ¡°We can thank Orville later, I think we should run for now.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°The rest of the saloon is coming out.¡± Amaris grabbed Irene¡¯s hand and took off.

    At the same moment, the doors of the saloon burst open, revealing a dozen grinning gun-touting men and women. ¡°Looks like we got ourselves a proper hunt, boys!¡± a woman cheered.

    Gunshots whizzed over Amaris and Irene¡¯s heads.

    ¡°Got anywhere we can hide!?¡± Amaris asked¡ªknowing they were not going to be able to run very far in this heat. She¡¯d already experienced that today.

    ¡°Uh¡­ uh¡­ idea!¡± Irene took point, taking a sharp right into an alley. A bullet went right through Amaris¡¯ hat, narrowly missing Pitch.

    ¡°Man, I liked this hat¡­¡± Amaris commented.

    ¡°How can you be calm!?¡± Irene shrieked. ¡°We¡¯re being shot at!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m used to it.¡± Another point in the ¡°I¡¯m probably mentally scarred¡± column.

    They made another turn, bursting out of the alley into the scant market of Unrust. While it was filled with people, none of them were aware of the hunt and just waved happily as Irene and Amaris ran by.

    Amaris started to feel substantial pain in her legs. Good news: the gun-touting meatheads will shoot me long before I die of overexertion!

    ¡°This way,¡± Irene called, more to herself than Amaris since Irene had a death-grip on Amaris¡¯ wrist. They turned a corner into another alleyway, and the spindly woman suddenly ground to a halt.

    Randy was standing there, alone, with a toothy grin. ¡°That was a nice trick you had there.¡±

    ¡°Bwha-huh-how!?¡± Irene stammered.

    ¡°I watch everythin¡¯ that happens in this town, miss. I know you spend a lotta time in the sheds. Figured that was where you¡¯d be headin.¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°Think about this,¡± Amaris said, ¡°you¡¯ve been affected by the mind-demon yourself, and that means¡­¡±

    He chuckled, leveling the gun at her head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I haven¡¯t the foggiest idea what you¡¯re talking about, stranger.¡± He pulled his finger back.

    Amaris kicked up, knocking the pistol out of his hand just as he pulled the trigger, launching a bullet into the air. Irene followed this up with a decidedly dainty slap across Randy¡¯s face.

    Randy snorted, putting a hand on his hip. ¡°Irene, what was that?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ an¡­ at-t-tack?¡±

    ¡°Irene, that was the least dangerous atta¡ª¡°

    Amaris kicked him between the legs as hard as she could manage, twisting her leg as she did so as to sweep his legs out from under him. His smile didn¡¯t vanish, but the happiness could do nothing about the body¡¯s involuntary response to immense pain. A swift kick to the head dazed him¡ªbut didn¡¯t knock him out.

    ¡°I wish Jenny were here right now, she could knock him out like a light,¡± Amaris muttered.

    ¡°Who?¡±

    They heard gunshots from behind them and uproarious laughter from the market.

    ¡°Who cares? Move!¡± Amaris gestured for Irene to take them the rest of the way. Irene needed no more prompting to take off at a full run to their destination: a large sheet metal warehouse with a big padlock on the front. Irene quickly pulled a small key out of her bosom and jammed it into the lock. Such force made the lock jam and she had to jostle it around several times to get the lock to release. When it did, Irene grabbed the lock in one hand and thrust the door open with the other.

    Amaris and Irene ran into the warehouse, slamming the door shut behind them. Irene quickly slammed the padlock on the interior side of the door, locking it tight and plunging them into absolute darkness.

    Amaris flipped out her flashlight and turned it on. ¡°¡­How bulletproof is this warehouse?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m k-kinda hoping they get bored after a few shots,¡± Irene said, blinking rapidly in an attempt to adjust to the light being shone in her face.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they get bored. I¡¯m not sure they can feel anything negative!¡±

    ¡°Th-that¡¯s right, but their minds wander, and if everything¡¯s happy then, w-well, they don¡¯t tend to do any one thing for very long.¡±

    Amaris stared at her. ¡°Irene, what in the world have you done to this town?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Irene wailed, sliding to the floor and pulling her knees to her chest. ¡°I just wanted Auntie Lila to be happy, and then everyone was happy, and then I was stuck because everyone knew it was me and I just I don¡¯t know it¡¯s all gotten out of control!¡± She grabbed the edges of her hat and pulled it down to her nose.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just¡­ undo it?¡±

    ¡°Easily,¡± Irene muttered. ¡°Except then they¡¯ll all want to kill me for ¡®messing with their minds.¡¯ ¡°

    Amaris frowned. ¡°Well, then, I don¡¯t know, release them and run away or something!¡±

    ¡°Okay, hmm, one, where would I go? Two, if they¡¯re not happy anymore, revenge becomes a veeeery strong motivator! They¡¯ll hunt me to the ends of the world!¡± She grabbed Amaris¡¯ shoulders in desperation. ¡°You don¡¯t want to know Randy when he¡¯s not happy.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like him when he is happy.¡± Amaris shrugged Irene¡¯s hands off her shoulders and turned to stare at the locked door of the shed. Listening, she didn¡¯t hear any gunshots, though she did hear cheering. ¡°I think they got distracted.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving here until tonight,¡± Irene said.

    ¡°And what will we do then?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ uh¡­¡± Irene put her hands in her hair. ¡°I don¡¯t know! They¡¯re happy but they¡¯ll still remember that I was talking to Orville! And¡­ this is all his fault!¡±

    ¡°I highly doubt that.¡± Amaris paused. ¡°Okay, I only fifty percent doubt that.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the one who talked to me!¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re the one with the ¡®happy juice.¡¯ ¡°

    Irene blinked. ¡°¡­Juice?¡±

    ¡°I mean you sell something at that kiosk, right? I guess I¡­ kinda just assumed it was juice.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ no.¡± Irene held up her hand, waving her gloved fingers. ¡°I kinda just¡­ wave my hand and cause happiness.¡±

    ¡°¡­How?¡±

    Irene turned and pointed further into the warehouse.

    Amaris didn¡¯t even need to turn the flashlight to see the cube. In the darkness, it appeared to be a floating white outline with faces somehow darker than everything around it. It was a little larger than Amaris¡¯ head and gave off harsh shimmers despite the only light source in the entire warehouse being a small flashlight not even pointed at it.

    ¡°What is¡­?¡±

    ¡°No idea,¡± Irene admitted. ¡°Found it under the Ribs¡ªI fell down. Yes, it was painful. I brought it back here and¡­ touched it, and it did this to me.¡±

    Amaris flicked the flashlight beam onto and off of the cube several times, finding that it appeared the same no matter what she did to it. ¡°This is breaking so many laws of nature.¡±

    ¡°It gave me the ability to induce happiness, what makes you think it¡¯ll listen to the laws of nature?¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡­ is a good point.¡± Amaris approached it, eying it nervously.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it with your bare skin! That¡¯s when it¡­ got me.¡±

    ¡°As cool as happiness powers would be, I think I¡¯m going to pass,¡± Amaris deadpanned. She took out one of her anti-magic arrows and strung it into her bow.

    ¡°Uh¡­ what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Destroying it.¡±

    ¡°Wh-hey now!¡± Irene grabbed Amaris¡¯ arm and pulled the bow off target. ¡°This cube is the only thing keeping me alive right now!¡±

    ¡°Oh, really!? And I bet you aren¡¯t attached to yo¡ª¡°

    Orville appeared to Amaris, leaning on the cube. ¡°Hey, looks like they¡¯re gone.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch that!¡± Amaris shouted at Orville.

    Orville rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not really here, Amaris, remember?¡±

    Amaris took in a sharp breath. ¡°That¡­ is technically correct.¡±

    Irene groaned. ¡°He¡¯s back, isn¡¯t he? Hey you! You ruined everything!¡±

    Orville vanished from Amaris¡¯ perceptions. Given the stunned expression on Irene, he was giving her a mouthful.

    After about a solid minute of this, Orville appeared in front of Amaris again. ¡°Sorry about that, I had some¡­ things I needed to tell her. About me, about my beloved, about¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, loverboy,¡± Amaris interrupted. ¡°Maybe go back and, like, re-live the conversation Irene and I had when we entered the warehouse so you¡¯re all caught up. Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll wait.¡±

    Orville shrugged. Amaris couldn¡¯t see him anymore.

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think he had any idea what point he was trying to make,¡± Irene said, still staring at where she had seen Orville.

    Amaris sat down on the ground, not taking her eyes off the cube. ¡°I think between the three of us we have enough mental issues to fill an asylum.¡±

    ¡°The insane are generally just taken out and thrown into a ditch around here.¡±

    Amaris shivered involuntarily. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ not talk. Orville will be back eventually. Then we can decide about the cube.¡±

    The warehouse fell into silence.

    Several minutes passed.

    Amaris took a moment to drink some water, tossing the thermos to Irene after she¡¯d had her sips. The woman proceeded to chug almost the entire thing. How does she survive out here?

    Some time later, Amais got bored and started playing with Pitch. The action clearly unnerved Irene, but not as badly as the cube itself did. She was terrified of the object, despite her actions to protect it earlier.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Irene tapped her fingers on her elbows. ¡°How much longer, do you think?¡±

    Amaris shrugged. ¡°I got the impression it takes him longer to live through a moment than we do, most often. He makes us stutter and reset our short-term memories to have a cohesive conversation.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ is messed up.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll get no argument from me. Now shush, miss turns-the-town-into-happysville.¡±

    ¡°I was ju¡ªAUGH! Don¡¯t sneak up on me like that!¡± She gestured angrily at the empty space. ¡°No, we weren¡¯t talking, I was just asking how long we should wait. That doesn¡¯t qualify!¡± She stared blankly at the empty space. ¡°You have no cultural awareness whatsoever, do you? You don¡¯t interrupt an upset woman to tell her how good her speaking with nothing is getting!¡±

    ¡°Hey, he did that to me too,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°See? She agrees!¡±

    ¡°He is pretty hopeless.¡±

    ¡°You two were just talking over each other, what?¡±

    Orville appeared to Amaris this time, sitting on top of the cube like it was a chair. ¡°And as for you, Amaris¡­¡±

    Amaris held up a hand. ¡°Hold that thought. Let¡¯s figure out what we¡¯re going to do here. This town is messed up. I want to use my anti-magic arrows to destroy the cube to end it all. Irene does not.¡±

    Irene shook her head so hard that she made herself slightly dizzy. ¡°I¡­ that will probably cure them, Amaris, and then they¡¯ll hunt me to the ends of the earth!¡± She pointed to where Amaris saw Orville, an act that visibly surprised him¡ªshe must have been acclimating alarmingly quickly. ¡°You saw the conversation, right?¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± Orville said.

    Silence fell over the warehouse.

    ¡°Oh, uh, he said yes.¡± Amaris coughed awkwardly.

    ¡°Good!¡± Irene stood up, legs wobbling. ¡°And I¡¯d very much like not to die if you don¡¯t mind! Living is good!¡±

    ¡°Is your safety really worth the potential death of more people?¡± Amaris asked. ¡°They¡¯re unaffected by someone accidentally shooting someone else! What if one of their minds wanders off to become a serial murderer? Who¡¯s going to stop them if everybody¡¯s always happy about everything?¡±

    ¡°You can just¡­¡± Irene wiped the tears from her eyes. Then she lifted her hand and pointed her palm at Amaris.

    Uh-oh, was all Amaris had time to think.

    ~~~

    Irene lowered her hand to see a dumb grin on Amaris.

    ¡°You know...¡± Amaris said, stretching and leaning back as though the warehouse were a lounge chair. Her bow and arrow fell to the ground. ¡°I think I was supposed to be mentally screaming at myself to destroy the cube? But I don¡¯t want that anymore. This is pretty nice. Like, wow, I can replay that memory of Buddy getting vaporized over and over and you know it¡¯s actually kind of pretty.¡±

    Irene bit her lip. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll let you go later, you don¡¯t belong here.¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡± Amaris tilted her head. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure this would do wonders to help with my curse. Effectiveness of trauma drops to zero, woo!¡± She threw her hands into the air and giggled.

    ¡°Great, we¡¯re all cursed,¡± Irene grumbled.

    ¡°Curses are painful things,¡± Orville said, leaning on the cube. ¡°You sure you want to keep yours?¡±

    ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t have to listen to this.¡± She lifted her hand and directed her abilities toward Orville. Nothing changed in his expression whatsoever.

    ¡°I¡¯m not really here, whatever you did to Amaris can¡¯t affect me. That said¡­¡± He grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her close. ¡°The same does not go both ways.¡±

    Irene was suddenly back where she was standing a moment ago, head reeling. ¡°You don¡¯t¡­ exist. You can¡¯t make me do anything! I can hide inside this warehouse forever!¡±

    ¡°Can you?¡± Orville asked. ¡°You have food stores, yes, but eventually those will run out. Then what? Go outside and hope they forgot you?¡±

    Irene placed her hands on the warehouse wall, banging her head into it. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just go away and let me deal with this?¡±

    ¡°This is my problem now.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Irene demanded. ¡°You¡¯re a ghost of another era who doesn¡¯t know how to move on! You didn¡¯t even talk to me until today and I¡¯m Lila¡¯s grand-niece! You live in your own little bubble, you have no right to lecture me!¡±

    ¡°And you¡­ are lashing out.¡±

    ¡°No, really!?¡±

    ¡°This is the best movie ever, wish I had popcorn,¡± Amaris commented. She started ruffling through her backpack, looking for a suitable snack.

    ¡°That¡¯s messed up,¡± Orville said, gesturing at Amaris.

    ¡°And for all I know you¡¯re rewriting my memory every five seconds until you get a response you like,¡± Irene said, crossing her arms. ¡°You are, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not exactly how short-term memory communication works¡­¡±

    ¡°Fine, there are several other ways you¡¯re messed up. How long have you been haunting Lila?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not haunting¡­¡±

    ¡°Then what do you call it?¡±

    Orville sighed, leaning back against the wall. ¡°Being stupid, that¡¯s what.¡±

    Irene¡¯s fire died out. Instead of the usual emotional replacement of fear, she just felt sad for the memory-man. ¡°¡­I saw her being so¡­ so sad, all the time. And all I wanted was to just make her happy. And then¡­ the cube let me do it.¡±

    Orville let out a bitter laugh. ¡°I know what that¡¯s like. Be careful what you wish for¡­ you might get it.¡±

    Irene nodded, looking down at the ground.

    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible to just leave, you know,¡± Orville said. ¡°Amaris knows how to travel and the world is massive.¡±

    ¡°Leave¡­?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t leave. You know that. ¡­You¡¯ve been here longer than I¡¯ve been alive.¡±

    Orville turned to look at the cube, frowning. ¡°Maybe¡­ maybe it¡¯s time for us both to move on. Leave this place behind, start a new life. Away from painful memories, ruined towns, and excessive happiness.¡± He glanced at Irene with old, sad eyes. ¡°It¡¯s wrong to keep them like this, Irene.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I know.¡± Irene sagged. ¡°I¡¯ve always known, b-but I just kept saying I had to live, everyone was happier anyway, and that this was the way things had to be.¡± She leaned down, picking up the anti-magic arrow from the ground.

    ¡°Ooooh¡­¡± Amaris said, scooting to the edge of her seat. ¡°What¡¯re you gonna do?¡±

    ¡°Release myself from this mess.¡± Irene, for the first time in a long while, felt powerful and confident. With all the force she could muster, she rammed the anti-magic arrow into the cube.

    The pink arrowhead shattered into dozens of pieces and the shaft snapped in two. Irene¡¯s hand kept moving until it smashed into the unscathed cube as hard as it could.

    ¡°¡­AAAAAAUGH!¡± Irene shouted, pulling back her hand and waving it. ¡°Ow, ow, ow, OW!¡±

    Amaris broke out laughing. With a growl, Irene removed her power from Amaris¡ªto her chagrin, the girl kept laughing.

    Orville couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as well.

    Irene blushed as she rubbed her heavily bruised hand. ¡°Okay¡­ Amaris, I¡¯m blaming you for this.¡±

    ¡°How was I supposed to know it wasn¡¯t going to work?¡± Amaris asked, standing up. ¡°I was able to cut through spacecraft hull with that arrow.¡±

    Irene twitched, glancing anxiously at the cube. ¡°Wh-what even is it?¡±

    ¡°No idea.¡± Amaris walked up to the cube, frowning. ¡°But I think I know what we can do with it. Irene, is there a limit to your power¡¯s distance?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think so?¡±

    ¡°Could you remove the happiness from the entire town from, say¡­ a few miles away?¡±

    ¡°¡­Maybe.¡±

    ¡°Then I think I have a plan that¡¯s going to involve half-stealing some horses.¡±

    Irene blinked. ¡°Wh¡­ what?¡±

    Amaris grinned. ¡°We¡¯re getting out of here, taking care of this cube, and curing the town all without dying!¡±

    ¡°¡­Why do I have the feeling you¡¯re making this more dramatic than it needs to be?¡±

    Amaris placed her hands on her hips and grinned. ¡°Because I am!¡±

    ¡°Amaris! My heart is frail and weak and has been working way too hard today! Can we just¡­ not?¡±

    Amaris pursed her lips. ¡°¡­Fine, I¡¯ll stop. But you deserve it, and you know it.¡±

    ¡°She has you there,¡± Orville said.

    ¡°Now, help me get the cube into a box we can stick a padlock onto,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Then we¡¯ll need to steal some horses, but leave enough money behind to pay for them because we¡¯re nice that way we just don¡¯t want the horse guy to kill us or something.¡±

    ¡°You want me to steal a horse!?¡± Irene shrieked.

    ¡°You, no. Me, yes. The happy people do sleep, right? I¡¯ll just do it at night. Now, ahem, mind moving the cube for me?¡±

    ~~~

    Orville stood over Lila as she opened her eyes in the middle of the night. She made eye contact with him and then forcibly shut them again.

    ¡°There¡¯s the Lila I know and love,¡± Orville said with a sad smile. ¡°I don¡¯t want to cause you any more grief, so I¡¯ll keep this brief. I¡¯m leaving. If all goes well, you¡¯ll never see me again.¡± He laid his hand on hers. ¡°I love you, Lila, and I was a fool that thought it only went one way. I¡¯m sorry. Goodbye, my love.¡±

    He jumped away before she could react, returning to the memory where Lila was given the ¡°happiness¡± from Irene. Then he rushed forward along Irene¡¯s memory until he appeared back in the short-term memory, where Amaris and Irene had just finished digging a hole in the mesa. They threw the locked crate with the black cube in it. After a moment of silence, they grabbed their shovels and started filling the hole.

    Irene made eye contact with Orville. ¡°I remember you being there with Lila, now.¡± He hadn¡¯t even needed to adjust the memories to keep context, she spoke all on her own after only having seen him for a moment in the short-term memory.

    ¡°Hey, Orville,¡± Amaris asked as she shoveled more dirt into the hole, covering the locked crate. ¡°Can you go back to any event and change anything in anyone¡¯s memory?¡±

    Orville shifted to Amaris¡¯ short-term memory. ¡°Absolutely. It¡¯s not even that difficult. However, I¡¯ve found that this does not influence the times where you remember that you remembered, so if I, say, went back to your birthday and inserted a memory of me replacing one of your most prized possessions with a ruby, you would still be able to access the memory of the memory associated with the object itself.¡±

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like to test.¡±

    ¡°I was¡­ trying to prove I was really who I said I was to Lila. It¡­ didn¡¯t work.¡± He walked up to the two horses Amaris and Irene had obtained, taking a seat on one of them. ¡°I was young and desperate. Still am, I suppose.¡±

    Amaris and Irene finished filling the hole, patting down the earth until there was hardly a sign anything had even been dug there. The two of them climbed onto their horses. Irene phased through Orville within Amaris¡¯ memory.

    Amaris snorted.

    ¡°He¡¯s sitting on the horse, isn¡¯t he?¡± Irene asked. ¡°Geez¡­¡±

    They turned their horses around to have one last look at Unrest and the Rusting Ribs. Orville felt a profound sense of loss; he had lived as a memory in that town longer than anywhere else, and in the end, he hadn¡¯t really known it. What had the people been to him, but an extension of Lila? Or, worse, a reminder that this was where she went to run away from memories of him.

    Lights started turning on in Unrest.

    ¡°Ah, yes, that¡¯ll be the angry mob forming,¡± Irene said. ¡°Shall we run like the apocalypse is upon us?¡± After a pause, she whimpered. ¡°Please?¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°Good idea. Though, before we¡¯re moving so fast that I can no longer hear anything¡­ I have been meaning to ask. Orville?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Orville took a moment to stretch his limbs.

    ¡°How did you end up like¡­ this?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s rather silly. I was talking to this guy who ran a traveling puppet show. I¡¯ll never forget that six-eyed mask he wore. Back then, I fancied myself an author and was talking about how I wanted nothing more than to be remembered. He gave me some self-righteous spiel and cursed me with ¡®may you never be forgotten¡¯ and that was that.¡±

    Amaris stared at him like she¡¯d seen a ghost.

    ¡°Amaris?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s exactly what happened to me¡­¡±

    What? How is that possible?

    ¡°Can we move please!?¡± Irene asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you two are going on about, but surely it can wait until we¡¯re miles away from Randy, right? ¡­Right?¡±

    Amaris had to visibly force herself not to ask Orville many more questions. ¡°R-right. Lead the way.¡±

    ¡°Hyaa!¡± Irene called, whipping the reins and sending the horse into a gallop.

    ¡°Hyaa,¡± Amaris said, lightly flicking the reins. Her horse started leisurely walking after Irene¡¯s.

    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t know how to ride a horse, do you?¡± Orville asked.

    Amaris buried her head in the horse¡¯s mane. ¡°Just¡­ just tell me how to make it go fast.¡±

    ¡°All right. Just do what you see me do.¡± He demonstrated the proper technique in the memory. Amaris emulated it well enough to get the horse to go.

    ¡°AAAAAAUGH!¡± Amaris shouted as she held onto the hooved mammal for dear life.

    Orville shifted memories to Irene. ¡°She¡¯s right behind you.¡±

    ¡°Did she seriously not know how to ride a horse?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a quick study.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to die out here. That¡¯s it, I¡¯m going to die.¡± She pulled herself closer to the horse¡¯s neck.

    ¡°You did the right thing, Irene, releasing everyone.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Irene said, looking at her hands. A genuine smile crossed her face. ¡°I guess¡­ I guess I did.¡±

    Two horses, two girls, and some kind of hard-to-define memory-based entity galloped off into the moonrise¡­

 Purpose, Part 1

    EPISODE XII

    Purpose, Part 1

    Randy lifted his hat so he could get a good look at the place. It was far too green to be a respectable establishment, but that was true of everywhere he¡¯d been for the last couple weeks of travel. Once he¡¯d left the dry climates, the infuriating color had left its rightful, limited place and appeared on everything. Trees, bushes, grass¡­ and the moss growing up the walls of this hotel like someone thought the look was charming.

    The sooner he got this over with the sooner he could go back to the true man¡¯s climate: dry, arid, hard. Everyone here smiled too much and found water to be so boring they often refused to drink any of it, instead going for fruit juices and that awful fake fizzy juice!

    The more he thought about where he was, the more he hated it. Too much life, too much leisure, and too many people. Then there was the technology, all those phones, cars, and weird holographic display things. It all sucked.

    He stormed into the hotel, hands on his pistol. He marched right for the bar¡ªthough not that anyone here could call it a bar, they¡¯d call it a ¡°restaurant¡± or something else equally stupid.

    His targets were right where he wanted them. Amaris and Irene, standing at the bar, chatting obliviously with each other.

    Randy raised his gun. ¡°I gotcha now, no more runnin.¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°Um, sir?¡± one of the waiters asked.

    ¡°Little busy¡­¡±

    ¡°Why are you pointing a gun at nothing?¡±

    The stools were empty. There was no sign of anyone having recently sat in them.

    Orville appeared in front of Randy and tipped his hat. ¡°That was almost too easy.¡±

    Randy refused to look at the mental monster, but he was too angry to avoid responding. He tore his hat off his head and threw it onto the ground, stomping it until it was perfectly flat.

    ¡°What a waste of a perfectly good hat,¡± the waiter commented.

    ¡°Shut yer yap!¡± Randy stormed out of the hotel and stood on the sidewalk, staring at the cars going by.

    Orville sat on a nearby bench, eating a sandwich that looked slightly too perfect to be real. ¡°You know, it¡¯s probably impossible to find them now. Seeing as they¡¯ve been trying to lose you, and I¡¯ve been telling them exactly where you are and what you¡¯ve been doing. You should just go home.¡±

    Randy wanted to give him a mouthful, he really did. But that would just infect his mind with the mind monster¡¯s power. He had to stay strong, had to say nothing.

    But he would not go home. He would retrace his steps until he found where they left. Then he would track them to the ends of the world! Irene would pay for what she did to his mind, and that kid Amaris would suffer for helping her escape. Revenge would be his!

    Orville sighed. ¡°Well, I tried. Enjoy the endless, pointless hunt.¡±

    With Orville gone, Randy grinned. The fool could no longer lead him astray! He was free!

    Only then did he realize he didn¡¯t even know what city he was in.

    His hat couldn¡¯t get any flatter, but he stomped on it anyway. It didn¡¯t really help, so he shot his gun into the air to relieve stress. At which point he was promptly arrested.

    ~~~

    Amaris laid in a field of purple grass under an equally purple tree. Calm hills of the grass spread out in all directions until it came to the park edge, at which point it was replaced by a city composed of massive skyscrapers made almost entirely of blue glass. Holographic neon signs protruded from the buildings, advertising everything from socks to the latest 3D holo-show.

    The entire city itself was floating over a mile above the ground, but that wasn¡¯t overly obvious from where Amaris was sitting. If someone were teleported here without any warning there would be no way to tell they were floating unless they walked to the edge of the city and looked down at the jagged fields of bone and glass below.

    ¡°Lunch¡­ is ready!¡± Irene declared.

    Amaris sat up, looking at the picnic blanket Irene had set out for them. It was a traditional red and white checkerboard pattern matched with a weaved basket filled with sandwiches, fried chicken, and fresh vegetables with ranch dressing. Most would have thought it all standard store-bought stuff, but Amaris knew better: Irene had prepared the majority of this herself.

    The woman knew how to cook. She even fried the chicken earlier that day! Seasoning and everything; and she¡¯d had the gall to refuse to let Amaris have any until right this moment.

    Amaris stared at the food, mouth-watering.

    Irene playfully lifted up a chicken leg, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Now, Amaris, what do we say?¡±

    ¡°Irene, come on¡­¡±

    ¡°Amaris¡­¡±

    Amaris rolled her eyes. ¡°May I have some chicken, please?¡±

    Irene tossed it to Amaris, who eagerly grabbed it and began digging in. Irene frowned. ¡°We need to work on your manners.¡±

    ¡°Why are you so fixated on this?¡± Amaris asked through a mouthful of chicken. ¡°Holy cow, this is good.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Irene said, tilting her feathered hat back. ¡°And as for the manners, Amaris, you will have to rejoin society eventually when you find your parents.¡±

    Amaris noted Irene had said ¡°when¡± not ¡°if.¡± It was a distinction she was quite thankful for.

    ¡°And,¡± Irene continued. ¡°To properly rejoin society, you must learn how not to eat like a slob.¡±

    Amaris put on her best attempt at a grizzled, battle-hardened expression. Even with her scar, she didn¡¯t succeed, but she forged on anyway. ¡°I did what I needed to survive.¡±

    ¡°You got lazy,¡± Irene said.

    ¡°Eeeeeeeeeh¡­¡± Amaris didn¡¯t feel like getting into this argument. In the end, she had to admit that Irene had a point; even if it was immensely annoying to worry about looking proper in what was essentially a survival scenario.

    Irene daintily removed a piece of fried chicken and proceeded to eat it without getting a mess anywhere. Not even a stray crumb.

    ¡°Okay, how?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°With the proper training, anyone can become a dignified lady.¡± She sheepishly tapped her wrists. ¡°Even a nervous wreck like me.¡±

    ¡°When would you have the opportunity to be trained in the middle of desert nowhere?¡±

    Irene frowned. ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t always live there. My family was a remnant of the old nobility in Valite. It became pretty clear that the nobility was no longer welcome and the family spread out to avoid being targeted by people who might get clever ideas of toppling the aristocracy.¡± She sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been on my own since then. I used to get letters from my family from time to time, but they all had better things to do than send letters to twitchy little Irene. I was only in Unrust because Aunt Lila lived there and had a place I could stay while I worked things out. I just¡­ never left.¡± Absent-mindedly she rubbed the cuffs on her gloves. ¡°And now here I am, traveling further than I¡¯ve ever been with a girl who¡¯s cursed terrible things to happen to us.¡±

    Amaris opened her mouth to remind Irene that she was under no obligation to stay, but Irene raised a hand to quiet her. ¡°I-I¡¯m staying with you, at least for a while.¡±

    Amaris frowned but nodded. She honestly wasn¡¯t sure why Irene was sticking around¡ªthe woman was terrified of everything. Did she feel safe around Amaris? Or was there some kind of maternal instinct at work? Amaris didn¡¯t know enough to say for sure and wasn¡¯t entirely sure if Irene knew why she was sticking around.

    Orville appeared to Amaris¡¯ left. ¡°He won¡¯t be bothering you at all. Poor guy has no idea how many false leads I¡¯ve planted in his head.¡±

    ¡°Good news,¡± Amaris said.

    Irene lit up. ¡°Oh, Orville¡¯s back? Is Randy¡­ elsewhere?¡± Orville must have appeared to her since she let out a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see how far away he is, why don¡¯t we?¡± Amaris took out the notebook she kept the map notes in and flipped to the relevant location. ¡°He¡¯s all the way down here¡­¡± She pointed to the southernmost city on the map. ¡°While we¡­¡± She traced her finger off the northern edge of the map, flipped a page, and moved her finger over an ocean and past another large collection of cities before flipping the page again and landing on the jagged wastes their current floating city was taking them over, currently traveling in a northeasterly direction.

    ¡°¡­He is never finding us,¡± Irene said, taking a moment to wipe her brow. ¡°I can¡¯t even keep track of where we¡¯ve been!¡±

    ¡°Airplanes, boats, and trains,¡± Amaris said, closing the book. ¡°It¡¯s amazing how far you can go if you have money and infrastructure.¡±

    Orville appeared next to the picnic basket, taking a moment to eat a fake sandwich. ¡°Nice place you¡¯ve found here.¡±

    ¡°Only the best and most interesting transportation for Amaris,¡± Irene said.

    ¡°Anyway¡­¡± Amaris opened up another notebook. ¡°Now that Orville¡¯s back, we can discuss the plan.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, the plan.¡± Irene put down her food and folded her hands together. ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t involve stealing a horse again.¡±

    ¡°Probably not.¡± Amaris flipped to one of the pages near the back. ¡°So, Orville, we already established that you and I were cursed by the same person, Freddloi.¡±

    ¡°He appears the same in your memory and the memory of the people around me when I changed,¡± Orville confirmed.

    ¡°He agreed,¡± Amaris told Irene. ¡°Now, this seems like a good way to figure out how to find my home: just follow Freddloi¡¯s memory until you get to the Cat-Ival. The only problem with that is Freddloi¡¯s memory¡ªOrville can¡¯t enter it for some reason.¡±

    Irene put a hand to her chin. ¡°I mean, if I were cursing people, I wouldn¡¯t want the curse to reflect badly on me.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. And, furthermore, we can bet our butts that he¡¯s out there cursing more people just because he feels like it. So, the goals of the mission are as follows: one, get me home. Two: stop Freddloi from cursing people.¡±

    Irene looked to the side and laughed a few seconds later.

    ¡°Mm, yes, I bet Orville told you a hilarious joke,¡± Amaris deadpanned.

    ¡°You have to admit, it is a tall order,¡± Irene chuckled.

    The pain of in-jokes. ¡°Orville, with your abilities, we actually have a chance. You can¡¯t follow Freddloi¡¯s memory, but you can follow the memory of people around him. You can go back to when and where he cursed you and then follow the people around him until you arrive to when he cursed me, and then finally to wherever he is in the present moment.¡±

    There was silence for a few seconds. Irene coughed. ¡°Orville, you¡¯re still in my memory.¡±

    Orville sheepishly appeared to Amaris. ¡°My main concern with that is it will take a lot of time to sift through memories that way.¡±

    ¡°Which is why, even though it would give us a lot of information, it can¡¯t be the first part of the plan.¡± Amaris held up her notebook and showed the page to him. ¡°I know we won¡¯t be able to do this on our own, we need help. So I want you to send a few messages for me. Just¡­ try not to scramble my memory up too much in the process, all right?¡±

    Orville examined the notebook page, nodding slowly. ¡°So, who first?¡±

    ~~~

    The ¡°help wanted¡± sign on the bulletin board had sounded too ridiculous to be true. ¡°Help remove pesky ruby t-rex. Keep ruby shards as payment.¡± A ruby t-rex? Absurd.

    As it turned out the description wasn¡¯t entirely accurate. It was a t-rex all right, one made entirely out of pure green emerald.

    Evidently, the guy who posted the notice was colorblind.

    The emerald t-rex let out a roar that spewed a hail of tiny crystal shards like needles. Hundreds of them pierced the target¡¯s body, stabbing through every organ in her body.

    Jenny methodically plucked the shards out of her eyes so she could see properly. ¡°Ow,¡± she deadpanned. ¡°You ruined my new outfit too.¡± She gestured at the silvery-white shirt and skirt that now had over a hundred holes in it. Naturally, the angular shoulders had been hit the hardest. ¡°I just can¡¯t catch a bre¡ª¡°

    The emerald t-rex rushed in and bit off her arm, throwing the limb down his gullet and into the crystalline stomach.

    Jenny popped out a new arm in a matter of seconds. ¡°So, one of two things happens here. One, I beat the tar out of you. Two, I become a perpetual food source until something happens where I beat the tar out of you. Why not take the shortcut? Being eternal food is so b¡ª¡°

    The monster flattened her with its foot, creating a messy Jenny pancake on the ground. It removed its foot and watched in fascination as Jenny snapped back into place with several unpleasant popping and slurping sounds.

    Somehow her clothing was still intact, largely unaffected by the flattening.

    ¡°I prefer enemies that can talk. Then again¡­¡± Jenny pulled back a fist and surrounded it with glowing red energy. ¡°I generally have to avoid killing the talking ones.¡±

    The t-rex tried to stomp her again. This time, Jenny fought back, driving her fist directly into the crystalline dinosaur¡¯s foot. On contact, a thundering boom sounded with enough force to knock Jenny back to the ground while also sending a crack straight up the dinosaur¡¯s leg and to the bulk of its body. Being made entirely out of emerald, it cracked clean through, and the dinosaur was suddenly missing a leg.

    T-rexes need both legs to stand.

    It only managed one hop before toppling onto the ground with a satisfying crash that would have been a lot more satisfying if the head hadn¡¯t fallen on top of Jenny.

    Three high-impact explosive punches later, the monster¡¯s head was reduced to green shrapnel and Jenny was pulling green shards out of her eyes again.

    ¡°That was very impressive,¡± Orville said, sitting on one of the monster¡¯s remaining toes.

    ¡°That¡¯s not news to me, buddy.¡± Jenny plucked another shard from her pincushion of a body. ¡°¡­Who¡¯re you anyway?¡±

    ¡°I am Orville, a ¡®memory entity.¡¯ ¡± He stood up, smiling. ¡°Amaris sent me to deliver a message.¡±

    Jenny stopped plucking emerald shards out. ¡°Huh? Amaris?¡°

    ¡°She¡¯s trying to stop the man who cursed her and find her home at the same time. Everything¡¯s a little fuzzy at the moment, but she¡¯s sure she can¡¯t do this alone.¡±

    ¡°Look, I¡¯d drop everything and run to her if I thought I had a way to get to her. But didn¡¯t she tell you about the escape pod?¡±

    ¡°Oh, she did. But it turns out that was a missile.¡±

    Jenny blinked repeatedly. ¡°Well, uh, it served as an escape pod for her because she¡¯s okay since you¡¯re here.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°So there.¡± She stuck out her tongue at him, really not sure what she was hoping to accomplish.

    Orville adjusted his spectacles. ¡°She has an idea about that. All you need to do is make it to Genk.¡±

    ¡°Genk. You¡¯re kidding, right?¡± Jenny spread her arms wide¡ªand then felt like she was facing the wrong direction, but this didn¡¯t bug her at all. ¡°That¡¯s to the west. I¡¯d be backtracking everything! It¡¯d take weeks!¡±

    ¡°Then you better get started, huh?¡±

    Jenny sighed. ¡°All right, fine. I¡¯ll get there. Care to fill me in on the rest of the plan?¡±

    ¡°Well, with any luck, by the time you arrive I will have already contacted the others through their memories¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Sarah looked out at the city of Genk from her utterly massive window on top of the world. It had been repaired from the fight with Toad rather quickly and the only sign that anything had happened was how much newer the materials in the ceiling were than the rest of the room.

    She was in a black suit with a decent number of colored pens pinned to the pocket. Her plastic hair was done up in a shockingly normal style for a Gari, with short strands curved around her head somewhat like a helmet.

    ¡°Miss?¡± her secretary asked, scuttling into the room.

    ¡°Yes, what is it?¡±

    ¡°The trade agreement with Irest has gone through.¡±

    Sarah let out a deep sigh.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that good news?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s great news. But it brings with it an immense amount of paperwork.¡± She rubbed her eyes.

    ¡°I could do it for you, miss.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the offer, but I can¡¯t afford to let myself become distanced from the proceedings. I can¡¯t just pretend to be involved to the people.¡± She sat down in her office chair and flipped open her laptop, expecting to begin a few emails. Instead, her phone rang.

    She put on a smile and pulled the phone to her ear. ¡°This is Sarah. Ah, the orphanage has been rebuilt? Good! Of course I¡¯ll be there for the official proceedings! We just need to work out the details¡­¡± She noticed a man in a gray suit waiting for her at the back of the room. She held up a hand to let him know she¡¯d be right with him and returned to her call¡ªfailing to notice that her secretary was looking around bewildered, for there was no one to tell to wait. ¡°Mhm, yeah, eight o¡¯clock. I think I¡¯ll be bringing Kiri with me, so make sure to let the kids have fun. None of the ¡®proper businesslike mentality¡¯ nonsense. This is for the kids, let them actually have it.¡± She hung up. ¡°Now, what did you want?¡±

    ¡°Miss, there¡¯s no one there.¡± The secretary pointed to the empty chair.

    ¡°But I could have sworn¡­¡±

    Orville cleared his throat, drawing Sarah¡¯s attention. ¡°I¡¯m not really here, I¡¯m a mind-creature sent by Amaris. Do you think we could have a moment to talk?¡±

    Sarah¡¯s mouth made a silent ¡°oh.¡± She turned to the secretary. ¡°Thanks, can you go get all the Irest paperwork sent up to me? That would be great.¡±

    ¡°Of course, miss. And congratulations.¡±

    ¡°On what?¡±

    ¡°Oh, take your pick.¡±

    As soon as the secretary was gone, Sarah turned back. Orville was waiting for her. ¡°Spill the beans.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have any beans, but¡­ Amaris has come across a potential method to find her way home and stop the person who cursed her in the first place from cursing anyone else. But she¡¯s convinced she can¡¯t do it on her own, so she¡¯s sending me through everyone¡¯s memories to formulate a plan.¡±

    ¡°That does sound like her,¡± Sarah admitted. ¡°However¡­¡± She felt a wave of nausea wash over her. ¡°H-however, what proof do I have? If you¡¯re a memory creature, you can just tap into Amaris¡¯ memory and tell me anything she knows about me. What kind of proof can you offer that she really sent you and you aren¡¯t just stealing memories?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ uh. Huh.¡± Orville rubbed the back of his head. ¡°She didn¡¯t account for anyone doubting the message was from her¡­¡±

    ¡°Understandable, since having a memory entity at her beck and call is pretty ¡®interesting.¡¯ But, well, I¡¯ve been in charge of Genk for a while now and I¡¯ve seen some pretty crazy shady stuff, and I wouldn¡¯t put this past the Marketeers.¡±

    ¡°Who the what now?¡±

    ¡°Idiots, the lot of them, who make my paperwork stacks larger and angry phone calls more common.¡±

    Orville rubbed his glasses. ¡°I have a thought. Perhaps I can tell you the story of how I met Amaris and the entirety of the plan, then you can decide if you trust me or not.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t actually have time for that¡­¡± Sarah bit her lip, then picked up the phone, selecting one of the speed-dial options. ¡°Hey, Suuk! I¡¯ve got something that¡¯s right up your alley¡­ it might involve Amaris. You be the judge. No, you don¡¯t need to come in.¡± She glanced knowingly at the spot Orville was. ¡°I¡¯ll send him to you.¡±

    Orville stood up. ¡°Ah, Suuk then. I should warn you the plan will require a significant amount of resources and some kind of all-terrain land vehicle, which will likely require¡ª¡°

    ¡°I trust Suu¡ª¡° The wave of nausea was so intense that Sarah had to run over to a potted plant and regurgitate her lunch. ¡°What in the¡­?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t handle the short-term memory disorientation well, apparently.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m sick!¡± Sarah wailed.

    ¡°I¡¯d explain it to you, but that¡¯d probably just make you sicker, so¡­ bye.¡±

    He was gone.

    ¡°I sure hope Suuk can give him anything he needs¡­¡± Sarah grumbled, sitting back down at her desk. She took a moment to enjoy the normal, unaltered, procedural creation of memories.

    ¡°Got the paperwork, Miss!¡±

    Sarah had to force herself to keep the smile. ¡°Very good! ¡­Bring it here so we can cut into this pile. And by we, I mean mostly me.¡± She clicked her pen and started reading over the trade negotiations.

    ~~~

    Coleus sat in the midst of a Glen situated on top of a mountain, with the older dryads sitting motionless in their tree forms around the lake, as usual. Coleus herself did some humming before sitting next to a suitable patch of soil. She tapped the ground with her fingers, creating two small evergreen trees in the loose shape of a man and a woman. She twisted their branches until they were locked in an embrace.

    ¡°They¡¯re pine-ing for each other,¡± Coleus whispered to herself with a giggle.

    Yes, she¡¯d made that pun before. But, like most of her puns, she never got tired of them.

    ¡°Amaris didn¡¯t tell me you were an artist with those plants of yours.¡±

    ¡°AUGH!¡± Coleus jumped up and pointed a shaky finger at¡­ nothing? But wait, there was a man there in a gray suit, or, what?

    ¡°My name is Orville, and¡­¡±

    ¡°Augh! Ghost!¡± Coleus scrambled over to the lake where the other dryads rested. ¡°I¡¯ve got a ghost in my head!¡±

    ¡°No, Coleus!¡± Orville appeared in front of her. ¡°Amaris sent me to give you a message!¡±

    ¡°A message?¡± Coleus stopped in her tracks. ¡°Wait, Amaris!?¡± Coleus tried to grab Orville in order to ask him a million questions about her, but she fell through him onto the ground at one of the other dryad¡¯s roots.

    The dryads made no move toward her.

    ¡°Mmm, yes, I shout ghost and nobody comes to my rescue¡­¡± Coleus sighed, turning to Orville. ¡°So¡­ what¡¯s this about a message?¡±

    Orville adjusted his hat. ¡°Amaris has potentially found a way to get home and find the man who cursed her in the first place, but she¡¯s convinced she can¡¯t do it alone. We¡¯re formulating a plan in Genk¡ª¡°

    ¡°Coleus actually has an entity in her,¡± one of the dryads said. ¡°She wasn¡¯t joking this time.¡±

    Coleus turned to the dryad and put her hands on her hips. ¡°Well, thank you for noticing, but turns out he¡¯s a nice guy with a message from Amaris. So leaf this alone, I¡¯ll deal with it!¡±

    ¡°The Glen¡¯s barrier has already been adjusted to filter out his corrupting influence.¡±

    ¡°Wh-hey! He wasn¡¯t dome talking to me yet!¡± She tapped her head on ¡°dome,¡± hoping to get the elder dryad to think.

    ¡°Coleus¡­¡± the dryad turned his old, bark-ridden trunk to show his face. ¡°Your maturation is approaching. The outside world is not for you.¡±

    ¡°Of¡­ of course.¡± Coleus shuffled away from the lake awkwardly, taking a seat at the pining pines she had created. She stared at them, frowning. With a flat expression, she stood up and walked to the center of the Glen, shifting her location to another Glen¡ªthe one in the cave outside Genk.

    Wordlessly, she left the mushroomy cave and walked out until she saw the sunlight. The city of Genk still looked absolutely disgusting to Coleus in virtually every way, but that¡­ that was where Orville had said everything was happening.

    As she took a step outside the cave, she had second thoughts. She didn¡¯t know the first thing about cities and even though she knew Sarah was in charge of Genk, people still might take advantage of Coleus and use her to track down the Glen and ruin it for all the dryads who lived there¡­

    But Amaris had a message for her and, judging by Orville¡¯s expression, it had been an important one.

    ¡°I am so dead¡­¡± she whimpered to herself. Closing her eyes, she took a step out of the cave.

    She promptly tripped and rolled quite a ways down an uneven, obsidian-filled landscape, cutting many of her leaves in the process. Eventually, she came to a rest; though as far as she was concerned she was still spinning.

    ¡°Just call me¡­ Circulus¡­¡± She traced circles in the air with her finger. ¡°Wheee¡­¡±

    ¡°You know, you were supposed to wait up there for me.¡±

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Coleus blinked a few times until a pair of cat-ears came into focus.

    ¡°Suuk?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me.¡± Suuk extended a hand and helped Coleus to her feet. ¡°You seriously messed yourself up in that fall.¡±

    Coleus took a moment to heal herself with her energy¡ªit took quite a bit out of her, especially this far from the Glen or any sort of nature, but it worked well enough to be functional. The edges of her leaves did turn brown, however. ¡°I should probably dry some new leaf-care ointments.¡±

    ¡°¡­Dry?¡±

    ¡°Dry? Try?¡±

    Suuk stared blankly at her. ¡°That was the worst pun I¡¯ve ever heard in my life.¡±

    Coleus gave her a thumbs up. ¡°Well, get used to it, because you¡¯re going to hear a lot more from me, Punulus!¡±

    Suuk facepalmed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re the most important part of the plan?¡±

    ¡°R-really!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re the one that can take everyone super-long distances.¡±

    Coleus¡¯ smile faltered. ¡°Oh. Oh that. Ohhhhhh¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°They won¡¯t be able to stop me if we do it fast!¡± She moved her hand forward like it was a bird. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to pounce right in there, purr-fectly timed so they cat do anything about it!¡±

    ¡°¡­I hate you with every fiber of my being right now.¡± Suuk¡¯s tail flicked aggressively.

    Coleus put a hand around Suuk¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯ll learn to love me! Seriously though, the dryads probably hate my guts right now and will never let me move you guys anywhere without speed. It¡¯ll only work once, maybe twice.¡±

    Suuk let out a low whistle. ¡°Then we better figure out where we¡¯re going to land. I¡¯ve got with me a list of locations that we know we can reach Amaris from.¡± She pulled out a crinkled piece of paper with a bunch of rushed sketches of landscapes with information. ¡°So, the first place we have is¡ª¡°

    Coleus pointed at the forest of giant mushrooms. ¡°That forest has Glen Jiff.¡±

    ¡°Jiff!?¡±

    ¡°Everyone thinks the name is ridiculous, but we can be there in a Jiffy. When do we leave?¡±

    Suuk squinted, taking a moment to think. ¡°Sarah¡¯s charting our vehicle and supplies, so that¡¯ll take a few days¡­¡±

    Coleus blinked. ¡°I can¡¯t go back to the Glen knowing this, they¡¯ll make me tell them the plan!¡±

    ¡°Then you stay with us for a few days.¡±

    ¡°In a CITY!?¡±

    ¡°Actually, probably more than a few days, since we have no idea how long it¡¯ll take Jenny to get here¡­¡±

    Coleus swooned, flopping onto the ground. ¡°The suffering that I will endure¡­ the horror, the horror!¡±

    ¡°And you deal pun damage every time you speak, I say it¡¯s an even trade.¡±

    ¡°You claw at my very soul¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Orville had expected tracking Freddloi to be a bit of an ordeal, he just hadn¡¯t accurately determined how difficult it would be.

    The obvious difficulty was that Orville could not enter Freddloi¡¯s memory. No matter how many times he returned to a memory of the moment he was cursed¡ªa chance encounter in a crowded market stall while shopping for Lila¡ªwhenever he attempted to enter Freddloi¡¯s memory stream, he was blocked.

    Orville had never been surprised by this, no doubt a man who went around cursing others didn¡¯t want his curses backfiring on him. The only other memory stream Orville hadn¡¯t been able to enter was his own, which he was thankful for because that could have created an infinite feedback loop. Probably a bad idea, if it was even possible.

    However, the Glen¡­ the dryads of the Glen had been able to block him. Nobody he had ever encountered had been able to do that. Luckily, Coleus had gotten enough of the message to get out and was now ¡°suffering like no dryad had ever suffered before!¡± in Genk. He wasn¡¯t worried about her, he was worried about coming across other entities that might block his influence. Because everyone had reason to keep a ¡°ghostly¡± presence from rifling through their memories.

    His ¡°favorite¡± place to view his cursing¡ªas much as it was possible to have a favorite¡ªwas from the memory of a female neko who was sitting on a bench. Her memory never reacted to him sitting on the bench beside her as he watched himself talking to Freddloi. The man had no features, he simply wore a round, pearly-white mask with six eye-holes cut into it, and a black suit. Freddloi was a puppeteer in this memory. The conversation was muffled since the neko woman hadn¡¯t been paying much attention to it, but the image was clear.

    No matter how many times Orville came back here, the eerie feeling of seeing himself, in the exact same clothing he was wearing now, talking to the masked man with no idea that everything was about to change.

    Freddloi leaned in. The next words he said caught neko woman¡¯s attention.

    ¡°May you never be forgotten.¡±

    There was a flash of golden dust, and then the memory of Orville simply wasn¡¯t there anymore. Orville knew he appeared first in the memory of an old guy a short way from the stand, but those early times jumping through memories were so disorienting he didn¡¯t remember much more than that.

    Orville watched as Freddloi left the area. At this point Orville usually jumped to another memory and went back to Unrust or the present somewhere, but not this time. This time, he jumped to a memory right next to Freddloi, tracking him. In a city such as this it was not difficult in the slightest to always find a memory with Freddloi in it, jumping left and right, forward and back, tracing the man all the way back to an apartment. At this point, it became harder to follow him, because he was no longer always in the memory of someone. Orville had to rewind in time a bit, wait for another resident of the apartment complex to come home, and then jump around until he found a resident who had seen Freddloi enter his apartment.

    He spent a considerable amount of time attempting to find someone who had entered Freddloi¡¯s apartment but found absolutely no one. The man was apparently the only individual to ever see the interior of his room from the day he purchased it to the day he left.

    Speaking of the day he left, it was hard to pinpoint. Orville jumped back and forth a bit, finding a time when a Miss Agatha Bordeau lived in the apartment, and a time in the past when it was occupied by a hive-mind creature made of octahedrons that went by the name ¡°Bacon.¡± He bounced back and forth several dozen times trying to narrow down the date when he realized he could just go to the Landlord¡¯s memory.

    Dates were funny in memories. People rarely remembered exact days when things happened, but even though they didn¡¯t know the numbers, they remembered where the sun was, the weather, and any events happening around town. Jumping to the present to find someone looking at records or newspapers was rarely difficult in a large city, and from that, dates could be discerned.

    Why not look at a newspaper in the past? That sometimes helped, if the memory streams had strong recollections of headlines, but memory is a fickle thing, and trying to read print was one of the worst offenders. With time and effort, Orville was able to determine that Freddloi had lived in the apartment for two years, but none of his neighbors did anything more than exchange pleasantries with him, and he never took off his mask. Ever.

    Furthermore, even when Orville was able to find the exact day he left, nobody had seen him leave; at least nobody Orville had been in lately. The Landlord only received notice of Freddloi¡¯s departure by letter.

    This could be problematic.

    He pushed his searches beyond the apartment complex, entering the memories of everyone he could find around that time. The problem was that Freddloi left in the middle of the night when there was no one out and about¡­ but there was someone up in a low-lying office building across the street. What he did see was a flash of yellow light that lasted for a fraction of a second, traveling in a perfectly straight line from the apartment complex to¡­ somewhere out of sight.

    Teleportation, perhaps? Orville thought. Just to be sure, he jumped memories a few cities away to one he knew had a reputable wizard college. He spent an inordinate amount of time there trying to find a memory of a lecture on teleportation.

    He eventually found something that was close enough: esoteric transportation. Within the memory was a very useful and insightful piece of information: there is no such thing as direct teleportation. Most ¡°teleportation¡± simply converted the target to light and reverted it upon reaching the correct location. One of the students asked about portals, at which point the professor wizard went on a rant about portal formation propagating at the speed of light in a reference Orville didn¡¯t understand and didn¡¯t care to try to understand.

    He had what he needed. That beam of light was probably Freddloi teleporting. Orville just had to follow it.

    Which, again, was very difficult. He¡¯d only seen the beam once, and it only existed for a fraction of a second in the middle of the night, and who knew how far it went?

    He had to go to a cartographer to get a very precise memory of a map, on which he drew a line to get some idea of the possible locations. It ran through the town of Ogg¡¯g¡¯gg, which was inhabited by spherical creatures made of swirling gas. They had no eyes and thus their memories consisted only of sounds and sensations.

    However¡­ at the night the beam shot through the sky, they had been having a festival and had invited their many neighbors for an all-night celebration, and with all the partying humans in the midst of them, more than a few saw the yellow light burst across the sky.

    Orville had to repeat this over a dozen times, going off the edge of the map he originally had, forcing him to find another one in the midst of it. This teleportation was extremely far.

    But, in the end, and after who knew how much searching, he found its destination, though he had no idea what he was looking at, at least at first. Six massive pillars rose and fell out of the ground, marked by massive gears, pivots, and pulsating green sacs of mucus. As he looked up, he saw that the six pillars were legs attached to a truly disgusting creature made of metal, bone, flesh, leaves, crystals, shadow, and a large number of other bits Orville couldn¡¯t hope to identify. Its mouth was situated in the middle of the six legs, and the rest of it¡­ was a head. A head with buildings clearly built onto it, some large enough to be considered skyscrapers in their own right.

    What in Dia¡¯s name¡­?

    Every few minutes, a beam of light would emanate from somewhere near the top of the massive entity. Teleportation beams. Of people entering and leaving, no doubt. He also saw people going up the creature on rickety rope-pulley systems affixed to its legs. He hopped into their memories, rushed forward to see the inside of the creature¡­

    ¡­but he was barred entry, forced into a different memory stream.

    Just like the Glen¡­

    This posed a problem.

    He was fairly sure Freddloi was in there, but he had no way to tell which of the beams coming in were him, or if he was leaving with one of the other beams. He couldn¡¯t enter the city on top of the creature to find out more, so he was stuck, wasn¡¯t he?

    No. This is clearly a base of some kind. It must have a limit to how far its teleportation can work. If I follow it to wherever it is in fifty years, Amaris¡¯ home should be close enough for me to find. And then I can follow it to the present¡­

    Before he did that, though, he found a random person¡¯s memory and jumped to the present so he could figure out how long he¡¯d been sifting through memories.

    The answer was not difficult to find. He¡¯d been shuffling around, tracking Freddloi, for an entire month.

    Better step up my game.

    He returned to the city-creature, finding it much easier to track simply because of how absurdly huge it was. It quickly became evident that the creature was a devastating monster. It trudged along the earth, through oceans, swamps, deserts, and more exotic biomes in search of cities.

    When it found them, its toothy maw opened and multicolored tentacles of varied materials shot out at high velocity, grabbing onto entire skyscrapers like an anteater would ants. Even from Orville¡¯s distant vantage point, he could hear the screams of the city as it was torn to shreds.

    He could not enter the memories of anyone within the devoured city. Everyone he could see had perished and were no longer accessible.

    He was thankful for that. He did not need to see carnage of that magnitude.

    However, even restricted to distant viewings as he was, it was still terrible. As he followed the creature further and further, he watched as more and more cities were devoured. Some fought back¡ªsome fought back hard, with bombs capable of leveling cities. But whenever something fought the creature directly, it was able to produce exactly what was needed to survive the encounter. Be it a magic shield, a tentacle of an indestructible material, or even turning invisible one time, there seemed to be no end to its tricks.

    As it journeyed, the city on top grew ever larger, gaining weapons of its own. Weapons that assisted the beast in its terrible conquest.

    Surely, people have tried to stop this thing¡­

    When it wasn¡¯t devouring cities, people were entering the city on top all the time for trade, commerce, and other things. How had it not been infiltrated and defeated yet?

    Orville didn¡¯t know. But he continued to follow it and connect what intel he could as he pushed forward along the memory stream of various random people near it, getting closer and closer to the moment where Amaris was cursed¡­

    ~~~

    ¡°Here we go,¡± Jenny told her passenger. ¡°I¡¯ve got the deets from Orville¡ªbe prepared to make an entrance.¡±

    ¡°You got it!¡±

    Jenny pulled back on her motorcycle¡¯s handle, revving the engine as much as she could. She currently wore an all-leather suit with, of course, angled shoulders. There was no helmet to tie the look together; since when did Jenny need to be concerned with safety?

    She barreled into the city of Genk at full speed, kicking up shards of obsidian and narrowly weaving around several pedestrians in a mixture of drab and brightly colored clothes. All responded in equal parts terror and shock at Jenny and her passenger blazing through the city streets with no regard for traffic laws and only minor concern with not running people over.

    With a whoop, she turned to the right so quickly that her knee almost touched the ground¡ªbut she quickly righted it and continued barreling to their destination. ¡°You know, when I bought this bike, I wasn¡¯t sure I knew how to drive it! Hah! Best decision ever!¡±

    In front of them was a large blue warehouse¡ªthe target. Fortunately, the doors were open just enough for a motorcycle so she wouldn¡¯t have to do any fancy punching to get through that might get people upset with her. With another excited cheer, she rode right through the cracks in the doors and twisted the motorcycle into a spinning wheelie. Laughing, she jumped off the motorcycle and landed in a rigid T-pose on the ground with enough force to shatter most of the bones in her foot, but she ignored that. With a snarky grin, she glanced knowingly at those gathered in the warehouse. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡±

    Sarah, Suuk, and Coleus were standing there. Sarah was disapproving, Suuk was impressed, and Coleus was in the midst of a coughing fit due to the motorcycle¡¯s fumes.

    ¡°And look who I brought with me!¡± Jenny gestured at the motorcycle¡ªwhich had gone out of control without her touch and slammed into a wall, depositing its passenger unceremoniously on the ground. ¡°¡­Hey, Boro, we were supposed to be awesome!¡±

    Boro¡ªthe giant white spider-exoskeleton from the Old Bones¡ªrighted himself, clacking his various legs together. ¡°You never taught me how to drive the motorcycle!¡±

    ¡°That is no excuse for not being awesome,¡± Jenny huffed, folding her arms.

    ¡°I¡¯m a vicious undead predator, I am awesome by def¡ª¡°

    The motorcycle exploded, sending Boro flying.

    ¡°Hey, I liked that bike¡­¡± Jenny pouted.

    Suuk put a hand on Jenny¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You. I like you.¡±

    ¡°The cat has good taste,¡± Jenny said, glancing at Sarah with a smug expression.

    Sarah put her hand to her head and sighed. ¡°Okay¡­ you all know why you¡¯re here, though I would have appreciated knowing you were bringing the spider along.¡±

    ¡°Boro¡¯ll be great!¡± Jenny said. ¡°When I passed by the Old Bones they wanted to help Amaris too, and he volunteered.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but now the transport is going to be a bit cramped.¡± Sarah shook her head.

    ¡°We¡¯ll fit him in somehow,¡± Suuk said with a shrug. ¡°Or we can tie Jenny to the hood since she can take it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I can take it!¡± Jenny¡¯s smile vanished. ¡°Hey, wait, I don¡¯t wa¡ª¡°

    ¡°Too late, you¡¯re already written down for hood-duty.¡±

    Coleus finally recovered from her coughing fit. ¡°It comes with a complimentary hoodie!¡±

    Jenny somehow snapped her fingers through her gloves. ¡°That sounds amazing.¡±

    Suuk groaned. ¡°She¡¯s just making a dumb pun.¡±

    Jenny winked. ¡°You sure? Dumb and not meowvelous?¡±

    Coleus let out a gasp like today was the best day ever. ¡°I think it¡¯s purrfect!¡±

    ¡°I want more right meow!¡±

    ¡°Hey, you used meow twice! That¡¯s cat-astrophic!¡±

    Suuk let out a mix between a meow and a whimper. ¡°I changed my mind, I hate you.¡±

    Jenny clapped Suuk on the back. ¡°And now you¡¯ve experienced the spectrum of Jenny, welcome to the club!¡±

    ¡°I go through the spectrum of Jenny every hour!¡± Boro offered.

    Sarah let out a loud cough. ¡°Right, we¡¯ve wasted enough time. You all know why you¡¯re here and you all know what we have to do. All that remains¡­ is to do it.¡±

    Jenny raised a hand.

    ¡°¡­Yes, Jenny?¡±

    ¡°Can I see the fancy car?¡±

    Sarah rolled her eyes, but couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°You need to see it to use it¡­ but I might as well make it dramatic. Ahem.¡± She jumped into the air and did a triple pirouette, pressing a button on a remote in the middle of the trick. When she landed, a large crate in the back of the warehouse popped open, revealing the contents to be an utterly massive six-wheeled vehicle with a pristine white cabin and black solar panels on the roof. The wheels were segmented in five sections, clearly designed to grow in size if necessary, or develop spikes when needed. A large mechanical arm sat folded to the side of the vehicle with a hand made of assorted tools.

    ¡°Behold!¡± Sarah slid across the ground in a split, waving her hands at the vehicle. ¡°The new and improved Obsidian Crawler, the latest in All-Terrain Vehicle technology. Adapted from the original designs intended to traverse Genk¡¯s obsidian wastes, this newest model is prepared to deal with any terrain it comes across at high speed! And, and, it¡¯s completely eco-friendly. Coming soon to industry and auto-stores near you.¡± She stood up and bowed to the applause of Coleus and Suuk.

    Jenny whistled, approaching the vehicle and running her hand across its hull¡ªshe was barely tall enough to reach its nose, it was such a high-rider. However, she was able to make out its name: Retrograde.

    ¡°Why retrograde?¡± Jenny asked.

    ¡°The idea is that it will take Amaris home,¡± Sarah said, pressing another button to unfold a loading ramp off the back of the Retrograde. ¡°It¡¯s already packed full with all the supplies you¡¯ll need. The cockpit only has three seats, though, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Hoodie,¡± Coleus said, tapping Jenny on the back.

    ¡°Uuuugh¡­¡± Jenny groaned.

    ¡°Let¡¯s roll!¡± Suuk said, jumping up the ramp into the Retrograde. ¡°Those dryads won¡¯t even know what hit them¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not hitting them!¡± Coleus huffed. ¡°We¡¯re just¡­ passing through. Quickly. Very quickly.¡±

    Sarah nodded. ¡°They are already a little suspicious that we opened the mouth of the cavern up a¡­¡± Sarah¡¯s phone rang. After taking a moment to let out a sigh, she put on a cheery smile and answered it. ¡°Sarah! ¡­What do you mean the Glen is gone!?¡±

    Coleus gasped. ¡°Oh no! They¡¯re right, I can¡¯t sense the Glen anymore! You must not have been careful enough when you widened the opening and they thought they were compromised!¡±

    ¡°How are we gonna get anywhere now!?¡± Suuk shouted from inside the Retrograde.

    ¡°Just drive north!¡± Coleus called, running up the ramp. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when we¡¯re close to one!¡±

    Jenny jumped on top of the Retrograde while Boro climbed in with the other two. ¡°Let¡¯s see how fast this baby can go!¡±

    Sarah nodded, waving to them. ¡°Good luck!¡±

    The Retrograde roared to life, numerous blue lights springing to life all around it. The wheels shrunk in size slightly, folding in such a way that they were rather smooth. Then, with an alarming burst of speed, the entire vehicle took off like a bullet, smashing through the warehouse doors and onto the street.

    Jenny only managed to hang on because her arm got wrenched in one of the rooftop rails. ¡°Hey! Think of your passengers!¡±

    But Suuk couldn¡¯t hear her over the roar of the engine. She pressed the pedal to the metal and proceeded to ignore just about every traffic law Sarah had put into place, rushing the Retrograde out of the city.

    ¡°¡­I should probably have them arrested for all that nonsense,¡± Sarah said to absolutely no one. With a shrug, she took out her phone and dialed her secretary. ¡°Back to business!¡±

    ~~~

    They had eventually found a way for Boro to ride in the cargo compartment disassembled into his component exoskeleton pieces, much like the other skeletons could disassociate into bones. They kept his head in the cockpit with the three of them as they drove onward. Currently, they were trudging through a swamp. Yes, technically they could have used the road through this part of the world, but they wanted to test the Retrogade¡¯s capabilities. It was performing admirably so far, though they had needed to stop once on a cloudy day since there was no solar power available. While they had other fuel with them in case of emergency, they didn¡¯t want to use it unless it really was an emergency.

    Coleus was currently playing on a portable console of some kind. Jenny was watching over her shoulder¡ªit appeared to be about building factories and maximizing the efficiency therein. ¡°I thought you hated civilization stuff?¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh¡­ I did.¡± Coleus rubbed the back of her head. ¡°But after spending a month in Genk, some of the stuff is¡­ well, kinda cool. All the things you people know about rocks and how to extract things from them is kind of amazing. And the amount of ingenuity it takes to create those factory machines, mmm!¡± She let out a little squeal. ¡°I tried to make a tree with gears, it only sorta worked. But the idea of a plant factory is really growing on me.¡±

    Suuk let out an audible groan.

    Jenny chuckled. ¡°The more you groan the more it makes us want to make more whisker-licking puns!¡±

    ¡°I just like making puns,¡± Coleus said, returning to her game. Jenny watched as she converted an entire forest into fuel to build another conveyor belt. Suddenly, Coleus dropped the game.

    ¡°What, finally understand the horror of industry?¡± Jenny asked.

    ¡°Have you sensed an enemy!?¡± Boro¡¯s head added.

    ¡°N-no, I felt a Glen.¡± Coleus stood up, bonking her head on the ceiling. ¡°I should have sensed it sooner, it¡¯s so close! Suuk, change course, and go¡­ thataway!¡±

    ¡°What way?¡± Suuk asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m pointing! That¡¯s the whole point of pointing, so you know the point!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a tree in the way over there.¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ it¡¯s that way!¡±

    Suuk managed to roll the Retrograde over a fallen log and onto a different section of the swampy bog, heading at a decent speed to the supposed Glen. It didn¡¯t take too long for everyone to see the runic rocks jutting out over the treetops up ahead.

    ¡°¡­Ready?¡± Suuk asked.

    ¡°I¡­ yes.¡± Coleus frowned. ¡°¡­It¡¯s been so long since, I¡¯ve been in a Glen. I¡­ I¡¯ve gotten used to the lack of energy. I¡ªoh no, what if I¡¯m not connected to its power anymore?¡±

    ¡°You just made us a fresh pumpkin yesterday,¡± Jenny pointed out.

    ¡°Oh yeah¡­¡± Coleus rubbed the back of her head. ¡°That¡¯s right, huh? Yeah, we should be fine. Still¡­¡± She tilted her head. ¡°I wonder if the dryads here are mad at me.¡±

    ¡°With any luck, they¡¯ll have no idea it was you in the first place,¡± Suuk said. ¡°Get ready¡­¡±

    ¡°For what?¡±

    Suuk slammed on the gas and pushed the Retrograde through the swampy mire much faster than it probably should have gone, approaching the Glen at speeds enough to create small waves in the liquid filth surrounding them. The wheels quickly found footing on a mound and pulled the vehicle out of the muck, charging forward to the Glen.

    ¡°Nobody better have any harmful intent!¡± Coleus shouted, holding her hand up. ¡°That means you, Boro!¡±

    ¡°I am thinking about sheep and explicitly not murdering them,¡± Boro said.

    ¡°I¡­ nevermind, no time.¡± Coleus closed her eyes, feeling for the edge of the Glen. Let us through, let us through, let us¡ªGOTCHA.

    The Retrograde was only halfway through the Glen¡¯s barrier when Coleus made the connection, transporting them directly to Glen Jif.

    The only problem was that Glen Jif was on top of a giant mushroom, not on the floor of the mushroom forest. The Retrograde went careening off the edge of the mushroom to the fungal forest below, flipping end over end.

    ¡°COLEUS!¡± Suuk shouted.

    ¡°I was trying to be fast!¡± Coleus wailed.

    ¡°Fast up m¡ª¡°

    The Retrograde crashed into the smaller mushroom trees and flipped over again, somehow managing to land right on its wheels under a pile of minced mushrooms.

    ¡°That¡­ was awesome,¡± Jenny said.

    ¡°We¡¯re¡­ alive¡­¡± Coleus let out a sigh of relief. ¡°We¡¯re alive, woo-ho¡ª¡°

    The patch of earth they had come to rest on was unstable and broke free, triggering a landslide focused around the Retrograde. Mushroom trees came crashing down while the rumbling earth flipped the Retrograde on its back. The seatbelts kept everyone but Boro secured, and everyone but Boro was screaming at the top of their lungs: though in Jenny¡¯s case her screams were of joy and delight.

    Eventually, they came to a rest at an area of the fungal forest with significantly lower elevation¡­ inches from an old man in white robes purchasing potions from a pink garilend.

    The old man leaned down and tapped on the glass of the Retrograde¡¯s cockpit. ¡°Are you Coleus?¡±

    Coleus blinked from her upside-down seating arrangement. ¡°Uh¡­ yes?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Keeper Ashton. I¡¯ve been expecting you, but¡­ well, not like this.¡±

    It took some doing, but they managed to open the Retrograde¡¯s doors and get out, re-assembling Boro in the process. Ashton gave them a warm welcome. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have the modern conveniences you are used to, but we should be able to organize a team to get your vehicle back on its feet.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Suuk said, trying to flatten the hair around her ears. ¡°I¡¯ll help¡ª¡°

    ¡°Later,¡± Keeper Ashton said, raising a hand. ¡°First, you rest in our Sanctuary.¡±

    ¡°Man, I haven¡¯t been in a Sanctuary in forever¡­¡± Jenny tapped her chin. ¡°Actually I don¡¯t even remember being in one, but I know what they are. Weird.¡±

    Suuk shrugged. ¡°Never seen one before today.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m actually very curious,¡± Coleus said. ¡°From what Orville told us about it, it¡¯s remarkably similar to what the elder dryads do.¡±

    Boro skittered up to Ashton. ¡°Got any enemies for us to fight? It¡¯s been nothing but driving so far. Boring.¡±

    Ashton chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m sure your journey will have many exciting adventures, my arthropod friend. But I encourage you to seek diplomatic solutions as opposed to violent ones.¡±

    ¡°Bah.¡±

    To Boro¡¯s chagrin their time in the Sanctuary was immensely boring, and the next day the Retrograde was ready to go and he had to disassemble himself again.

    They pulled out the big map and looked over the planned route Amaris had been on when Orville had last contacted them over a month ago.

    ¡°Oooh, we get to test out the flotation capabilities soon,¡± Coleus said, pointing at the ocean.

    ¡°We¡¯re coming, Amaris!¡± Jenny declared, pointing forward with a cocky grin.

    ~~~

    A snowman made out of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream opened its icicle-filled maw and released a stream of strawberry bullets at Amaris and Irene.

    Amaris ducked behind a large waffle cone, using it as cover from the strawberries. ¡°Irene!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything!¡± Irene said, waving her hands frantically. ¡°Either it can¡¯t feel happiness or it was already happy when attacking us!¡±

    ¡°Come to the Ice Cream Mountains, they said¡­¡± Amaris said, loading an anti-magic arrow into her bow. ¡°It¡¯ll be a leisurely stroll, they said¡­¡± She stood up, managing not to slip on the butterscotch-flavored snow and shot the arrow right into the monster¡¯s head.

    The monster split into two, smaller, but otherwise identical neapolitan beasts.

    Amaris ducked back behind the waffle cone as another barrage of strawberries came sailing toward her. ¡°Just goes to show, anti-magic arrows can¡¯t solve everything!¡¯

    ¡°What are we gonna do!?¡± Irene wailed.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh no, that means you have no idea, and that we¡¯re going to die¡­¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say th¡ª¡°

    The two monsters pulled at the waffle cone they were hiding behind and removed it from the ice-cream snow, throwing it to the side. Grinning malevolently, they opened their mouths, generating dozens of strawberries for shooting.

    ¡°No!¡± Irene shouted, placing herself between Irene and the monsters. Her legs were trembling and she was barely able to stand, but she held her ground.

    ¡°Irene¡­¡± Amaris said, eyes wide. ¡°Wh¡ª¡°

    A single strawberry went flying¡­

    ¡­And then a massive wheel studded with spikes dropped out of the sky, crushing the berry and both monsters in one fell swoop.

    Irene let out a soft laugh. ¡°W-w-well we¡¯re alive¡­¡± She swooned and passed out, falling into Amaris¡¯ arms.

    ¡°For being so thin, you sure are heavy,¡± Amaris grunted. Pitch hissed in agreement. After setting Irene down, Amaris looked up to what had saved them¡ªa massive six-wheeled vehicle covered in numerous dents, scratches, stains, and even what appeared to be a piece of seaweed lodged in one of the wheels.

    The back hatch opened and none other than Jenny herself strolled out, the smuggest grin of all on her face. ¡°Told you.¡±

    Amaris said nothing¡ªcouldn¡¯t say anything. She¡¯d known Jenny and the others were on their way for a while, but¡­ but nothing could have actually prepared her for seeing Jenny right there in front of her. With a cry of joy, she jumped to Jenny and hugged her tight.

    Amaris, however, was much taller than she had been last time she¡¯d seen Jenny, and she had the full weight of her backpack with her. The two of them went flying and flopped unceremoniously into a section of mint chocolate chip ice cream.

    Muffled laughter from under the frozen treat let everyone else know they were fine.

    ~~~

    Irene was introduced to Jenny, Suuk, Coleus, and Boro as everyone sat around a fire made in the shadow of the Retrograde.

    ¡°How are you still alive?¡± Jenny asked, gesturing at Irene. ¡°Death-defying stuff happens around Amaris all the time! I had my head cut off multiple times!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± Irene admitted, folding her arms together and shivering¡ªdespite her winter coat and the fire the frozen ice-cream climate was still too much for her to be comfortable. ¡°I just¡­ am. And that¡¯s all there is to it.¡±

    ¡°I watch out for her,¡± Amaris said, feeding Pitch part of a roasted marshmallow. ¡°The curse doesn¡¯t always bring death, Jenny. You remember the whole Old Bones thing?¡± She gestured at Boro. ¡°Of course you do.¡±

    ¡°I am an excellent example!¡± Boro declared, skittering through the fruity snow with his many legs. ¡°And I will use that to crush all our enemies!¡±

    Amaris ignored him¡ªshe was already fairly sure his one-track-mind wasn¡¯t getting re-adjusted anytime soon. ¡°Turns out I¡¯m good at keeping her safe if I put my mind to it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not very good at being an adult, are you?¡± Suuk asked Irene.

    ¡°N-no, not really,¡± Irene admitted. ¡°I¡­ geez, I¡¯m the only adult here, aren¡¯t I? I sh-shouldn¡¯t approve of any of this!¡±

    ¡°But you do, and that¡¯s why we love you,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°I barely know her,¡± Suuk deadpanned.

    ¡°Well, I like her, ¡° Coleus said.

    Amaris turned to Coleus with a serious expression. ¡°How are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ still miss the Glen,¡± Coleus admitted. ¡°And I¡¯m really not ready to face the elders. They are not going to be happy when I go back¡­¡±

    ¡°Coleus¡­ thank you. For¡­ for risking everything.¡± Amaris sighed. ¡°You weren¡¯t supposed to run away, you were just supposed to transport everyone. I didn¡¯t mean to ask you to do this.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but I was glad to do it!¡± She nodded vigorously. ¡°Needed to uproot and stretch my legs anyway. I won¡¯t be able to do it for much longer.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s been years, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Amaris asked, frowning. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve been out here for years¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Suuk said. ¡°And¡­ I¡¯ve got news about that.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Suuk pulled a little card out and handed it to Amaris. It showed a picture of Sarah and a picture of some orange garilend, both of their faces surrounded by what were clearly wedding bells. ¡°Wh-what!?¡±

    ¡°The guy¡¯s Anthony. They¡¯re engaged.¡±

    ¡°How¡­ how old is Sarah!?¡±

    ¡°Now? Sixteen, but she¡¯ll be seventeen soon, and they¡¯re planning the wedding for right before that.¡± Suuk paused. ¡°She knows you probably can¡¯t make it, but you¡¯re invited anyway if we wrap this up in time. Luckily for us, she likes to plan things multiple months in advance.¡±

    Amaris looked deeply at the wedding invitation. She smiled, letting out a delighted laugh, but quickly choked and had to take a moment to wipe cold tears from her eyes. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m happy for her. I¡¯m confused, since sixteen seems young. But it¡¯s Genk and Genk is strange, and¡­ and¡­¡± She closed her eyes and tilted her head back. ¡°I need to get home. I don¡¯t even know how long it¡¯s been.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re here,¡± Coleus said, taking Amaris¡¯ hand between her leafy palms. ¡°The mission, right? Get home, stop Freddloi.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, we can¡¯t do that until Orville comes back,¡± Jenny said, folding her arms. ¡°And let me guess, nobody¡¯s seen him since all this started?¡±

    ¡°It¡­ has been a while,¡± Amaris admitted. ¡°But he warned us it might take a long, long time, and that he wouldn¡¯t be aware of time passing.¡±

    Orville appeared as if on cue, sitting in front of the fire, warming his hands. ¡°I¡­ I found it.¡±

    Amaris lit up. ¡°Girls, he¡¯s here!¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Boro called.

    ¡°You¡¯re part of the girls now, shut up,¡± Jenny ribbed.

    Orville turned to Amaris. ¡°But there¡¯s¡­ complications.¡±

    ¡°He says there are complications,¡± Amaris relayed. ¡°But we knew this wasn¡¯t going to be that simple. Orville¡­ what have you found?¡±

    ¡°I found your home¡ªthe specific house, even, and your parents. I can tell you exactly where it is relative to here. I also found Freddloi. He¡¯s¡­ operating out of a massive city-sized monster that¡¯s been walking the world for decades, eating entire cities.¡±

    Amaris relayed the words without fully processing them, a haunted look coming across her face.

    ¡°Amaris, I¡¯m sorry, but¡­ the creature is on a direct course for your home. My guess is¡­ it takes a year, maybe two, to devour everything from where it currently is and your home.¡±

    Amaris stumbled over the last little bit, unable to fully relay it.

    ¡°And I can¡¯t enter the city-creature. It somehow blocks my memory abilities.¡±

    Amaris stared blankly, leaning back into the vanilla ice cream she was using as a chair around the fire.

    What am I going to do?

    ¡°Wipe that frown off your face!¡± Suuk declared, standing up aggressively, her tail flicking rapidly from side to side. ¡°So what if there¡¯s a massive doomsday machine headed right for your home? We have time! We have a team!¡±

    ¡°We have me!¡± Jenny said, waving an excited hand.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Suuk pointed a finger at Amaris, grinning. ¡°We¡¯ve done the impossible before, Amaris. We escaped Toad¡¯s clutches and revolutionized Genk! Why can¡¯t we take down a walking doomsday city?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah, why can¡¯t we?¡± Amaris slowly stood up. ¡°We¡¯re all here, a great team composed of a rebellious dryad, a sneaky neko, an immortal child, an undead spider, a memory spirit, a happiness saleswoman, an absolutely amazing snake, and a girl who¡¯s cursed to be interesting!¡± She picked up Pitch in her hand and held him up triumphantly. ¡°That¡¯s why I called you, I knew I couldn¡¯t do it alone! Who cares if I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be anywhere near this big? We¡¯re here, and we can do something about it!¡± With her free hand, she clutched the necklace Keeper Ashton had given her. ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re all here, isn¡¯t it? So we can do this. Stop this great evil that roams the land¡­ in our amazing car!¡± She gestured extravagantly at the Retrograde.

    ¡°Question,¡± Irene said, raising a hand. ¡°How are we all going to fit in it?¡±

    Silence surrounded the campfire.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll figure something out!¡± Amaris said with a nervous laugh.

    This is either going to go extremely well or kill us all. Amaris swallowed hard¡ªstill smiling, but becoming more and more aware of how monumental the task she¡¯d just undertaken was.

    What choice did she have, though? Go home?

    Home was in danger.

    They had to do this.

    ~~~

    The Strider opened its maw, unleashing dozens of tentacles to tear apart a new city, obtaining new materials for the Eternal Construction. The city atop the Strider released fireworks and celebratory cheers as the realm below was reduced to rubble.

    In the city, there was no central hub of activity or control; but the closest thing was a spherical building made of glass near the front edge of the Strider. In the center of this glass globe was a platform from which numerous images were projected onto the clear surface. However, the forward-facing section of the globe was devoid of images today, to give those inside a view of the assault.

    Freddloi stood in the center, amidst numerous consoles and readouts made of glass or glass-like materials, watching as the city was burned bit by bit.

    ¡°Freddloi, we¡¯re getting strange reports. Your protocols are acting up.¡±

    Freddloi glanced behind him, taking note of the tiny form of Bellatrix and the significantly larger, but headless, form of Ru. ¡°Interesting¡­¡± He reached for the console and pressed a few buttons, prompting a readout to display on the globe in front of him¡ªannoyingly obscuring the sight of the city¡¯s destruction, but he didn¡¯t want to bother to move the projection right now.

    Navigating through a menu and inputting his security code, he found that Bellatrix was right. The detectors were going off a lot. It had specifically registered the memory curse attempting to penetrate the Strider¡¯s defenses numerous times. It had actually been happening for a few weeks, but since the cursed man was never able to enter, the sensors hadn¡¯t recorded noteworthy levels of interference until now.

    ¡°Fascinating, I think I remember that man.¡± Freddloi tapped the lower part of his mask. ¡°I suppose it wouldn¡¯t have been that difficult to find me if he put his mind to it. Perhaps he wants revenge. Unsurprising. Rather boring, really.¡± He closed the window and returned to watching the city¡¯s destruction. ¡°Watch the curse detections closely, Bellatrix. Even though curses like his are specifically screened, he may be able to find others.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, I¡¯ve heard about the attempts on your life,¡± Bellatrix said. ¡°Most interesting usually, yes?

    ¡°Not really, they tend to get predictable after a while. Such a shame I can¡¯t double-curse those who try to find me, they really would deserve it. ¡®May your hubris be realized¡¯ or something like that would be appropriate.¡±

    Bellatrix shrugged. ¡°You and those poetic curses of yours¡­¡±

    Freddloi let out a warm chuckle. ¡°Bellatrix, those poetic curses are far more worthy of my attention than the rampant destruction we normally engage in. Death and power are but two of the many tools in our arsenal on the playground that is this world of ours.¡±

    ¡°¡­Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll understand when you¡¯re older. For now¡­ just watch closely. You might learn something.¡±

    The Strider released a tentacle made out of diamond thread, puncturing a tank that was making the vain attempt to damage the Strider¡¯s legs.

 Purpose, Part 2

    EPISODE XIII

    Purpose, Part 2

    The Strider trundled over the grassy plains, creating an immense crater of death and destruction with every step. Not only from its weight, but also the unnatural concoction of biological and artificial fluids that seeped through the scratches in its soles. What could survive being crushed was burned away by chemical desolation.

    Despite this, the Strider was a bustle of activity. Flying machines continually flowed in and out of the upper city. In this day and age, there were no rickety stairs and pulley systems going up the legs, but instead there were fully functional elevators that descended telescopically from the creature¡¯s bulk to pick up those on the ground.

    The Strider never stopped moving. When observed from afar, it appeared slow and lumbering, and many could be forgiven for thinking it was possible to catch up to the beast on foot. The fact of the matter was the Strider¡¯s actual speed was somewhat alarming, and one would need a speedy land vehicle to keep up with it; which was exactly what Amaris and company had.

    The Retrograde sped along the grasslands at about double the Strider¡¯s speed, quickly approaching the area doused in its shadow. Grass clippings were ejected out the back as the vehicle roared forward. A couple of sofas had been welded to the sides of the car, where the excess passengers sat, bundled up with an excess of rope, belts, and duct tape. It wasn¡¯t the most comfortable ride, and it was impossible to talk comfortably over the roaring winds, but at least everyone could have a seat. The arrangement had prevented them from taking any terrain that was too difficult, since not everyone was inside and protected, but they had still managed to arrive at their destination.

    They were not alone, however. Dozens if not hundreds of other land vehicles were also pursuing the Strider, most of which had bundles of goods for trade piled on top of them. Up ahead, the telescoping elevators grabbed onto the various vehicles with a claw and brought them all the way up to the Strider city.

    Amaris sat in the front of the cockpit, Irene and Jenny behind her. She held Pitch to her chest, forcing herself to breathe slowly.

    ¡°Hey, Amaris?¡± Jenny tapped her on the shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re stressing out worse than Irene over there.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ am¡­ f-fine¡­¡± Irene stammered, sitting with her legs crossed and her hands pressed together, trying to meditate. Unsuccessfully.

    ¡°I just¡­ I¡¯m having second thoughts.¡± Amaris looked out the cockpit at one of the Strider¡¯s disgusting legs, where a massive hydraulic press moved alongside a rippling rope of green bile to tense a muscle largely composed of weaved crystalline fibers. ¡°I¡¯m cursed. I¡­¡±

    ¡°Ugh, not again, we¡¯ve been through this.¡± Jenny grabbed Amaris¡¯ shoulder and shook it. ¡°We. Know. You¡¯re. Cursed. And. Accept. The. Risk. Get that into that thick skull of yours. I know this could go badly, everyone in this car knows this could go badly.¡±

    ¡°Amaris¡­¡± Irene opened her eyes, coming out of her unfruitful meditation. ¡°We¡¯re charging into a mobile war fortress. I¡¯m pretty sure your curse doesn¡¯t increase our chance of death any further.¡±

    ¡°See? Terror-feather has a point.¡±

    ¡°Terror-feather¡­?¡± Irene tilted her head, rustling the feathers of her hat against the side of the cockpit.

    Jenny ignored her. ¡°See, this is already very interesting, what we¡¯re doing. What¡¯s your curse going to do? Make it more interesting than it already is? Think about how ridiculously stupid we¡¯re being. Heck, your curse might even help us win! We¡¯re a bunch of plucky underdog misfits taking on¡­ whatever the heck this thing even is. Wouldn¡¯t it be interesting if we were the ones who managed to take it down?¡±

    Amaris blinked a few times. ¡°I have no idea.¡±

    ¡°So let¡¯s forget about the curse and just focus on our mission. This thing needs to stop moving! Let¡¯s take it out!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Amaris was expecting others to cheer with her, but the only other person in the cockpit was Irene and she didn¡¯t do excited cheering when stressed. Which was almost always.

    And yet she¡¯s still here. And has a pretty major part in the plan, too.

    Orville appeared to Amaris, face phasing through the cockpit. ¡°Once they start pulling you up, I won¡¯t be able to watch you anymore. I¡¯ll keep trying to get in, just in case you turn off whatever¡¯s blocking me, but... I won¡¯t be able to do anything otherwise.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve done more than enough, Orville,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Take a break, we¡¯ll do it from here.¡±

    ¡°Hey, one of the elevator-claw things is down,¡± Jenny said, pointing to an empty claw that was hovering just above the ground as the Strider moved. ¡°Let¡¯s catch a ride.¡±

    Amaris tapped a few buttons, ordering the Retrograde to place itself under the claw in such a way that the people on the couches wouldn¡¯t be grabbed directly. It was a good thing she wasn¡¯t actually driving¡ªall of this had been pre-programmed long before they had gotten near the Strider by Suuk. State-of-the-art computer navigation systems sure were helpful sometimes.

    The claw reacted to their presence immediately and clamped down around them. Unlike the Strider itself, the telescoping claw was made of pure metal, and thus had no danger of dripping acid on anyone. With a loud whirring noise, the claw retracted, dragging the Retrograde up along with it.

    ¡°Here goes¡­¡± Amaris said, glancing back at Irene. ¡°You¡¯re up.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know, I know¡­¡± Irene closed her eyes and held her hands out. ¡°Let me know when we¡¯re close enough.¡±

    Amaris turned her gaze upward to the underside of the Strider. They were being picked up somewhere near the edge, but still within the beast¡¯s shadow. They were nowhere near the maw, which was at least a dozen circles of hundreds of jagged teeth, each the size of a house. Amaris wondered what the teeth were even used for¡ªfrom what Orville told her, the tentacles coiled up behind the teeth were all it needed to do its horrendous deed.

    The claw was lifting them up into the beast¡¯s flesh itself¡ªthough it was hard to tell where the beast¡¯s body stopped and the artificial city began; if there was even a distinction between the two. The hole they approached was half fleshy, a third crystalline, and the rest was made out of some kind of black tar that dripped upward without shrinking in volume.

    ¡°Now,¡± Amaris said.

    And then everything was fine. They were being lifted into the inner workings of a war machine with the very risky mission to halt its progress. Any sane person would think this was a suicide mission. And, if Amaris was honest with herself, she often thought it was. But why was that a problem? It was just as fine as everything else that had happened on her journey.

    Why had she been so worried in the first place?

    At this point, she noted that Irene¡¯s ability was in effect and none of these feelings were real, but that wasn¡¯t a problem either. In fact, it meant the plan was going well! People were often very suggestible when first influenced by Irene¡¯s abilities, and it would keep everyone but Irene from looking nervous. And Irene?

    Amaris glanced back at Irene who looked like she was about to squeeze her eyes out of her skull by trying to open them so wide.

    She¡¯ll be fine, Amaris thought, chuckling to herself.

    The Retrograde was eventually lifted all the way into the Strider, arriving in a docking area. Dozens of other land-based vehicles were kept here, though many were abandoned and rusting. The ground was made of marbled metal kept clean enough to walk on, but the rest of the walls and the ceiling had no such organization. Some were technological, some biological, and others seemed to be neither but nonetheless pulsed like a heart while letting out bursts of electricity. Various nodules all over the walls glowed different colors, lighting the interior with a bizarre rainbow of conflicting visions.

    They were set down in an empty slot next to red speedster hovercraft and a vehicle that looked more like a centipede than a car. Two people came up to them as they unloaded from the Retrograde: the first was a human woman and the other was a blue octopus creature that felt gravity backward so it walked by holding magnets that affixed it to the metallic ground.

    Given the dumb grin on the woman¡¯s face, the plan was working smoothly.

    ¡°I have never felt so great in my life!¡± Suuk said, taking a moment to stretch as she unlatched herself from the couch.

    ¡°So much life in these walls¡­¡± Coleus marveled, staring at a section that looked like it was bleeding puss mixed with half-eaten spiders.

    Irene stepped down the Retrograde¡¯s ramp, Amaris and Jenny following behind her. ¡°H-hello there!¡± she waved at the woman and the octopus.

    ¡°Oh, aren¡¯t you all the cutest little things!¡± the woman said, leaning down to be eye-level with Coleus. ¡°Especially you, I¡¯ve never seen anything like you before! Best day ever, am I right?¡±

    ¡°Heck yeah!¡± Suuk said, taking a moment to play a soundless ditty on an air guitar.

    ¡°Quite,¡± the octopus said with a bubbly noise. ¡°So, uh, purpose of visit to the Strider?¡±

    ¡°T-tourism!¡± Irene stammered. She saluted the octopus, realized he wasn¡¯t a member of any sort of military, and subsequently tried to pull it off as combing her fingers through her hair. ¡°The girls have always wanted to see the great Strider, y¡¯know? Wonder of the world and all th-that!¡±

    ¡°More outsiders should be like you!¡± the woman declared. ¡°I hear all sorts of dumb excuses like ¡®this place isn¡¯t for children¡¯ and ¡®I¡¯m only here to find remnants of the family you slaughtered.¡¯ But, like, come on, that¡¯s ignoring everything about our great Strider!¡± She got a sparkle in her eyes. ¡°Oh, yes, this is the start of a beautiful future!¡±

    ¡°Huh, I don¡¯t have ¡®tourism¡¯ as an acceptable reason on the paperwork,¡± the octopus said, flipping through the pages on the clipboard. ¡°Guess we have to mince them.¡±

    ¡°D-do you really want to put an end to such a... lucrative income opportunity?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°Shame on you!¡± the woman laughed, slapping the octopus¡ªwho naturally didn¡¯t mind at the moment. ¡°Mince such a nice little group? Psh! Put them down as personal guests and I¡¯ll talk to the management tomorrow about opening up a tourism board. I¡¯m sure the casinos will love it!¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a plan!¡± The octopus scribbled down several things. ¡°Oh, I need your names.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Irene,¡± Irene said. ¡°And this is Coleus, Jenny, Suuk, and Amy,¡± she glanced knowingly to Amaris. ¡°And this is our pet, Boro.¡±

    ¡°Arf,¡± Boro said, in the worst impression of a dog ever.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Irene gestured at the Retrograde, her finger visibly shaking as she did so. ¡°I-I might have some things in there I want to sell later.¡±

    The woman slapped herself in the forehead. ¡°Why didn¡¯t we think of that! We could have put them down as prospecting merchants!¡±

    ¡°Why not both?¡± the octopus asked.

    ¡°Why not indeed!¡± the woman clasped Irene¡¯s hand and shook it vigorously. ¡°Yes, yes, of course, you can always come back and get your things. Strider City always accepts business! For business is the great machine that drives us forward!¡±

    ¡°Besides the Strider, of course.¡±

    ¡°Naturally, but that goes without saying.¡±

    ¡°Soooo¡­¡± Irene tapped her fingers together. ¡°Uh, where do we go first?¡±

    The woman pointed to a large staircase leading out of the parking lot chamber. ¡°The city center is up there. It¡¯s a bit of a confusing mess but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find your way around!¡±

    ¡°Th-thank you.¡± Irene all but ran away from the woman and the octopus, dragging the girls and Boro behind her. She jumped the stairs two at a time until they were out of sight. In the faint light of the stairway, she released her power¡¯s hold on the girls and Boro. ¡°Okay, we-we-we¡¯re in.¡±

    Coleus immediately whimpered. ¡°This¡­ this is so much worse than anything I¡¯ve ever seen before. I¡­ the life here is reversed. I¡­¡± She reached out a hand to the wall, prompting a few leaves to grow out of it that rapidly mutated into razor-sharp teeth that gnashed at them before falling off to the ground and disintegrating into blue sludge. ¡°That¡­¡±

    ¡°Is horrifying,¡± Suuk said. ¡°We¡¯re inside a carved-out half-living carcass.¡± She took in a deep breath, prompting her hair to stand on end. ¡°Geh¡­¡±

    Amaris noticed it too. Under the influence of Irene¡¯s happiness, there had been no reason to really feel where they were, but now that they were free, it was¡­ decidedly unpleasant. The scent of rot was everywhere, intermixed with the sharp feel of ozone and the grimy smell of oil. She also sensed a faint amount of coconut, for some reason. Then there was the humidity¡ªalready droplets of water were starting to form on Amaris, and it wasn¡¯t her sweat.

    As they climbed further up the stairs, they could feel the Strider shuddering with every step. This far above the ground each step didn¡¯t cause a minor earthquake, but the thudding was ever-present.

    Thud¡­ Thud¡­ Thud¡­

    The floor was always level, though, so they were in no danger of slipping and falling, a fact they were thankful for as they climbed the stairs¡­ and emerged in one of the city¡¯s many open expanses.

    Amaris thought it looked more like the inside of a kidney than a city. Folds of the disgusting walls rippled in and out before tapering to a ceiling, giving the space an overall bean-shaped feel. Each fold in the wall held buildings, roads, wires, floating rocks¡­ everything Amaris could imagine was in here somewhere, haphazardly thrown in among the sickly, unnatural innards of the Strider. There were holographic advertisements, traditional billboards, posters, and even a guy running around with a bell shouting things for the people to know. It was like every era of history was living in the same place without even attempting to work together to create something new. Everything had to be distinctive and unique in a messy slurry.

    The content of the advertisements, though, was deeply concerning. Half of them were relating to the upcoming Destruction Festival. ¡°The Strider is on its way to Burffet! A smaller city that can offer no resistance! They have begun evacuations, but we all know those never get done in time!¡± This announcement was interrupted by a holographic image of a child sitting in a turret, shooting at a building. ¡°Purchase time in the turrets for your family today! The best gift money can buy: an opportunity to assist the Strider in its conquest!¡±

    Jenny grimaced. ¡°Aight, that¡¯s messed up enough to roll my stomach.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s still pretend like we like this place,¡± Amaris said. ¡°At least superficially. Now¡­ how are we going to find a library?¡±

    ¡°Watch and learn,¡± Suuk said, smirking. She pulled out some gold coins from her pouch and lifted them up. ¡°Who wants to help us find a library?¡±

    A dozen people¡ªonly half of which were human¡ªimmediately rushed to her, at which point she drew two curved daggers, one in her tail and one in her hand that didn¡¯t have the money. ¡°No mugging today, only instructions.¡±

    A black garilend approached, adjusting his monocle. ¡°You will find it by taking the floating frog bubbles up the purple ventricle. Look for the large book with glowing red letters, the library is under it.¡±

    Suuk tossed the money into his face, sending it everywhere. This prompted everyone who had rushed Suuk to start scrambling on the ground for the money, triggering a brawl over the coins.

    Suuk gestured with her tail that they should leave. Irene ran after her the fastest, the other girls and Boro trailing behind.

    ¡°I wanted to fight¡­¡± Boro grumbled.

    Jenny elbowed him. ¡°You are a pet, Boro.¡±

    ¡°Arf.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s better.¡±

    ¡°I have no idea how to find the floating frog bubbles,¡± Suuk declared. ¡°I only know he was looking this direction, so they have to be here somewhere.¡±

    Coleus pointed at a green platform creating frog-shaped bubbles filled with a faint yellow gas.

    Suuk tapped the tip of her dagger to her lips. ¡°Good eye.¡±

    The group walked to the platform, watching as a giraffe-centaur approached the bubbles, setting a colored dial to orange before hopping in¡ªand promptly entering a coughing fit as the gasses entered his nostrils. But he remained in the bubble as it floated through one of the many holes in the wall.

    ¡°What kind of transportation does that?¡± Jenny asked. ¡°They have zip lines and elevators, why not just install one of those here?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think this place is concerned with comfort¡­¡± Amaris said, shaking her head. ¡°Try to hold your breath, everyone! Especially you, Coleus.¡±

    ¡°Arf?¡± Boro asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t breathe so you¡¯re probably fine.¡± Amaris twisted the dial to purple and jumped into the frog-shaped bubble. She held her breath for all of two seconds before she realized the gas was seeping through her skin somehow and making her brain burn. Why this sensation made her cough, she had no idea, but the convulsions of her diaphragm only increased the longer the gas was seeping into her skull. She lost all awareness of time and position in the bubble, barely even aware she was floating upward.

    Then, all at once, the bubble popped and she was dumped onto a landing platform covered in what she was trying hard to convince herself weren¡¯t layers of dried vomit. She stood up, took a few steps to the side, removed a cloth from her backpack, and started cleaning herself off. Pitch slithered out of the pack and glared at Amaris.

    ¡°I know, I know, it sucked¡­¡± Amaris caught Suuk as she came out of the bubble, holding her up so she didn¡¯t fall onto the disgusting ground. ¡°But it is what it is.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Suuk rubbed her eyes. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Can you say anything other than what?¡±

    ¡°¡­My head is swimming and I really want fish for some reason.¡±

    Jenny¡¯s bubble came next, but even though she was coughing she retained full awareness and was able to do a quick flip as the bubble popped and perform a superhero landing next to the other two. ¡°Easy.¡±

    Irene was a mess, but the others were able to catch her.

    Coleus wasn¡¯t breathing when she came up. The bubble popped and deposited a motionless dryad into Amaris¡¯ arms.

    ¡°Coleus!¡± Amaris shouted, shaking her. ¡°Coleus, it¡¯s just some gas¡­¡± Who knows, maybe it¡¯s deadly toxic to Dryads! ¡°Jenny, do something!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know healing punch!¡± Jenny stammered. ¡°She¡¯s the one who knew that!¡¯

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    Coleus¡¯ eyes flew open. Her normally massive pupils had shrunk to the levels one might expect in a normal human.

    ¡°C-coleus?¡±

    ¡°There is a Glen here. I felt it. It felt me.¡±

    Suuk raised an eyebrow. ¡°A glen? In this¡­ beast?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not right, but I felt it¡­ it communed with me.¡± Coleus shook her head. ¡°I¡­ I had to reject it.¡± She tried to stand up, but stumbled forward, forcing Irene to catch her. ¡°Something¡¯s deeply wrong with this place.¡±

    ¡°No, really,¡± Jenny deadpanned. Amaris smacked her for being insensitive.

    Coleus pushed Irene back, finally able to stand on her own. Her pupils slowly returned to normal as she bathed herself in her healing magics. ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯m okay. Let¡¯s find that library.¡±

    At this point, Boro climbed out of the hole without so much as a bubble. ¡°Dumb thing kept popping, apparently doesn¡¯t like spiders. Mmmf.¡± He glared at them all. ¡°Oh, yes, right. Arf. Arf arf arf. Arf? Arf.¡±

    Coleus couldn¡¯t help but giggle. ¡°Someone¡¯s got a bone to pick with the transportation system!¡±

    Suuk facepalmed. ¡°Every time she speaks, a little bit of me dies.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll bring it back with a wave of my finger!¡± Coleus said, tapping Suuk on the nose with a useless healing aura.

    Amaris pointed. ¡°Found it!¡± Sure enough, only a few uneven roads away, there was a large book with glowing red runes in its pages floating above what was presumably a library. The fact that the book was whispering sentences in a language Amaris didn¡¯t understand was only mildly concerning.

    ¡°Huh.¡± Jenny scratched her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard that language before.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope it doesn¡¯t drive us mad,¡± Amaris said.

    Irene let out a laugh that ended in a whimper. ¡°We¡¯re already mad¡­¡±

    Amaris couldn¡¯t bring herself to disagree with the sentiment.

    ~~~

    Jenny opened a book and it cast fireball into her face. She groaned. ¡°Nice¡­¡±

    ¡°Jenny!¡± Suuk called from the table everyone else was sitting at. ¡°We told you to be careful, half the books in here are cursed!¡±

    ¡°What else am I supposed to do while you lot are researching?¡±

    Suuk held up one of the historical books they were reviewing and raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Let her be, Suuk,¡± Amaris said, closing the book she was looking at. ¡°She¡¯ll do her own thing. Though, Jenny, I would prefer if you weren¡¯t launched into the outer darkness because you opened a book without thinking.¡±

    With a cross look, Jenny nonetheless relented and sat down next to the others. She refused to open any of the books.

    The interior of the library was a welcome respite from the chaotic monstrosities outside¡ªif the interior of a lumbering beast could be considered ¡°outside.¡± Books were arranged somewhat haphazardly on shelves made out of misshapen wood. The shelves themselves pointed every which way, adding to the chaos, but at least the walls were simple brick and not pulsating.

    It had taken quite some time to find the books that they needed that weren¡¯t cursed, but there was almost no one else in the library so there wasn¡¯t that much of a rush. Between Jenny, Boro, and Coleus, they were able to detect which books were cursed ahead of time and avoid them, restricting themselves to the purely informational tomes.

    ¡°I think¡­ we¡¯ve got enough,¡± Amaris said, laying a book open for everyone to look at. ¡°I¡¯ve read this same history in multiple places, so it¡¯s probably more-or-less accurate. The origin of the Strider is shrouded in legend, but it¡¯s been trampling across the world for longer than most cities have existed, seeking settlements to devour them. Strangely, even in the ancient depictions, it still seems to have mechanical bits.¡± She pointed at a sketch of the Strider without a city on top of it, its legs still containing hydraulics and gears.

    ¡°Could just be artistic license,¡± Suuk pointed out.

    ¡°Maybe, but I haven¡¯t seen a single drawing of it any other way.¡± She flipped the page. ¡°Regardless, as time went on, those whose cities were destroyed tried to conquer the beast, but all of them failed. Some that survived started to worship and revere the Strider, even going so far as to go to cities in its path and convince them the Strider was a bringer of joy and gifts, a practice that has continued to this day. And as these Strider-worshippers increased in number, some started to climb the beast itself, eventually reaching the top where they found they could access the Strider¡¯s interior and many of the things it consumed. And, well, they started building a city, and that¡¯s how Strider city came to be. These days there¡¯s no leader, just a bunch of gangs with a lot of unspoken codes, but they are all rather devoted to the Strider¡¯s mission of destruction.¡±

    She closed that book and ruffled around for a different one while the others processed the origin of the city.

    ¡°They sold their souls¡­¡± Irene muttered.

    ¡°How could they?¡± Coleus wondered. ¡°How could they serve a being that destroyed their home?¡±

    Irene gripped her wrist nervously. ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡±

    Amaris slammed the next book on the table. ¡°Coleus found this one; diagrams and research on the Strider itself. Unlike the history, this is a lot more disorganized. But we can figure something out from here. Strider City has two sections: the Inner City, where we are now, and the Upper City, which is what you can see from outside. The Upper City is of no concern to us whatsoever since it¡¯s not part of the original Strider. The Inner City, however, had to be constructed¡ªand in the process, the builders learned a lot about how the Strider works.¡± She flipped a page over to a diagram of what qualified as the Strider¡¯s muscles. ¡°Each leg has a large central tendon that¡¯s constantly repaired and replaced by the Strider¡¯s abilities. However, these tendons do all go through a singular point.¡± She pointed at an area in the center of the Strider¡¯s head. ¡°Motor control.¡±

    ¡°So we charge in and blow it up,¡± Jenny said, flexing her wrist. ¡°Tah-dah! No more walking for the Strider.¡±

    ¡°They could eventually repair it,¡± Suuk pointed out. ¡°Or the Strider could regenerate with time. Taking that out is not enough.¡±

    ¡°But it will leave the Strider vulnerable,¡± Amaris said. ¡°All we have to do is transmit a message to some city that has a vendetta against the Strider. It won¡¯t be hard to find one, but we should only send the message once we have taken out Motor Control.¡± She unfolded a massive atlas stored within one of the books they¡¯d found. When she opened it, she paused, staring at the lands to the north.

    The country of Yeshalo, with the city of Nuk near the southern border. Home. With a line drawn straight through it labeled ¡°predicted path of the Strider.¡± It was a long way off, but the Strider would eventually get there. And no country had been able to stop it before, why should Yeshalo be any different? ¡°A-anyway, Akumen is next in the Strider¡¯s path, I think they¡¯d appreciate notice of a weakness, but we¡¯ll send the message in all directions. A simple radio transmitter should work, but if all else fails we can just leave and have Orville deliver the messages.¡±

    ¡°Question,¡± Irene said, still wringing her wrists. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t anyone tried this before?¡±

    ¡°Simple,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Motor Control is excessively guarded, defended by sanctified guards, acids, and mechanical turrets. We¡¯re dead if we charge in guns blazing.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ what¡¯s the plan, then?¡±

    Amaris turned to Coleus, smiling awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re not going to like this¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Coleus stepped off the metal that allowed the citizens of Strider City to walk around without stepping in puddles of unidentifiable and potentially toxic substances. Every fiber in her feet responded with revulsion upon contact with this fleshy section of the ground, but she forced herself to stay. However, she found that it took all her willpower to simply stand there, she couldn¡¯t do anything she needed to do.

    ¡°I c-can¡¯t¡­¡± she stammered. ¡°Ir-Irene, I need¡­¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°Just¡­ just do it¡­ please¡­¡±

    Irene nodded solemnly, holding out a hand and placing utter happiness upon Coleus. The revulsion abated immediately, and Coleus wondered why her body was making such a fuss about stepping in the bile.

    ¡°Thanks!¡± Coleus said with a cheer. ¡°I think I can get to the root of the problem now!¡± With a wild grin, she slammed her hands forcefully into the ground, allowing the fatty acids and motor oil to seep around her digits. Her body wanted to scream at the toxins entering her body, but she knew it was nothing life-threatening, not with her abilities. The unpleasant side effects that would come from such contact were nothing. It was just a little pain, and why was that such a bad thing, anyway?

    There was so much life within the Strider, it would be a shame not to let it all out.

    The fleshy ground around her began to transform into vines, leaves, and occasional fruit. The nature of the Strider forced what she produced to mutate into other forms nearly immediately, but she didn¡¯t care much about what it turned into after she was done¡ªall she needed to do was control it enough so she could move it.

    And it obeyed. It wanted to obey. A fleshy tendril grew leaves shaped like hands and actively helped her dig, turning more and more flesh into greenery.

    Coleus dug through the flesh much, much faster than anyone had been expecting. The more she went, the larger the vines became, twisting into many shapes that continued to assist her digging further and further down.

    ¡°How are you doing this?¡± Amaris called down the hole.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Coleus reported, summoning a flower in the shape of an industrial backhoe at will to remove a hydraulic pump in the way of her digging. ¡°It wants to do everything I ask!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not complaining!¡± Suuk said, jumping down into the hole. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s move! There¡¯s no way nobody feels what we¡¯re doing!¡±

    Jenny stood with Boro at the top of the hole while the others piled in¡ªserving as bodyguards. Jenny lit both of her fists on fire and Boro had a handful of weapons strapped to his legs: including a sword and one of the anti-magic arrows, just in case.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    Coleus, meanwhile, kept digging with Amaris, Suuk, and Irene behind her. Coleus noticed that her hands were starting to brown from overexertion. She rather liked the color. She also liked green, but brown was nice too. The color of death was strangely pleasant when looked at in the right light.

    The fact that she was aware she was under Irene¡¯s influence did nothing to change her thoughts and feelings. Pain was a new, wonderful experience to her. As her delight continued, she began to feel further and further into the Strider. The flesh she touched and the plant servants she created to assist her told her things. Acid pocket up ahead, divert to the left. Tungsten-crystal alloy wall, impassible, go under. Plant material already existent above, take to restore energy. This chemical has restorative properties.

    ¡°Coleus?¡± Amaris called from behind her. ¡°Are you¡­ okay?¡±

    Coleus turned to Amaris. ¡°Never better!¡±

    ¡°Your eyes¡­ your pupils are tiny.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in contact with it¡­¡± Coleus said, running her hand across a white section that smelled of rotting fish and alcohol. ¡°It listens to me.¡±

    ¡°Irene¡­ can you dial back th¡ª¡°

    ¡°NO!¡± Coleus shouted. ¡°I will break in two if you remove this. I need to see the beauty in the Strider, or rejection will occur.¡± That¡¯s an important conduit to city control, smash it, they¡¯ll feel that one. Coleus ordered a snapdragon with bone-like teeth to destroy the conduit while also digging further into the walls.

    ¡°This is wrong¡­¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°We can¡¯t back out now,¡± Suuk added. ¡°We¡¯re in too deep to risk changing now.¡±

    ¡°This was my plan, and it¡¯s doing terrible things to Coleus!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Amaris,¡± Coleus said. ¡°I¡¯m as springy as always!¡±

    ¡°Coleus, you¡¯re high on happy juice right now, you¡¯re assurances don¡¯t mean much.¡±

    Irene wrung her wrists. ¡°Um, again, not juice¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there anyway,¡± Coleus said. ¡°Just poke through this wall here¡­¡± Since she couldn¡¯t go around the bony plate to get into Motor Control, she just asked for a plant to spew acid and dissolve it for her. The bone crumbled away in seconds, revealing the outer layer of Motor Control¡ªa ring-shaped room with bone on the outer wall and obsidian etched with runes on the inner side.

    ¡°Move!¡± Suuk shouted. ¡°Breach the runes, the node is through there!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, my pretties.¡± A sphere of darkness passed through the floor like it was air, affixing six yellow eyes on the intruders. ¡°I¡¯ve been expecting you.¡±

    Amaris loaded an anti-magic arrow, and Suuk jumped forward with her blades, but both of them were too slow. Tentacles of darkness erupted from the sphere and entangled all four of them in the time it took Amaris to blink.

    ¡°Did you really think you could just waltz in here and sabotage us?¡± The monstrosity asked, tightening its grip. ¡°You are far from the first self-proclaimed heroes. The plant thing is new, but your attempt is not.¡± It let out a sickly laugh that sounded like several claws were being dragged across a chalkboard at different speeds.

    Coleus smiled innocently at the monster. ¡°Oh, you were expecting us? Here, take my invinetation.¡± With a wave of her hand a vine erupted from the hole they¡¯d just popped out of, skewering the beast all the way through. With a simple twist of her wrist, Coleus prompted several dozen verdant spikes to erupt from the vine, turning the dark being into a pincushion.

    ¡°What power is this?¡±

    Coleus¡¯ response was to order the spikes to spin like a blender, utterly disintegrating the beast in a second.

    ¡°C-coleus¡­¡± Amaris stammered.

    ¡°The enemy has been vinequished!¡± Coleus declared, pupils so small Amaris almost couldn¡¯t see them. ¡°Come on, let¡ª¡°

    ¡°You¡¯ve done your part,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Coleus, can you survive being taken off now?¡±

    ¡°May¡ª¡°

    Six more spheres rose out of the ground, and the first thing they did was wrap Coleus in so many shadowy tendrils she couldn¡¯t even move.

    ¡°They should not have been powerful enough to take one of us out.¡±

    ¡°There has been a miscalculation.¡±

    ¡°They must be brought to answer.¡±

    Coleus tried to reach out to the Strider¡¯s essence, but the shadow muffled her connection. It was impossible to summon another vine attack. Oh well, looks like I¡¯m going to pass out now. I needed a good sleep anyway.

    ~~~

    Amaris was only aware of darkness. She couldn¡¯t even feel the thick tar of the monster¡¯s tentacles anymore, all sensation was gone. It was only dark.

    Jenny¡¯s still out there, she¡¯ll think of something, Amaris thought. A light-punch to the face should take care of these beasts.

    The darkness continued being her only company.

    I should never have asked Coleus to grow through the ground. I should have known there would be terrible side effects we didn¡¯t predict. And I should have known they would expect our attack...

    ¡­Should I have expected them to know? There was no indication we were being watched¡­

    ¡­No, I should have known it was impossible. We¡¯re far from the only people to try this. The Strider has marched on for millennia, who was I to think we could do anything to it? How dumb could I be? Entire armies with doomsday weapons have gone up against this thing, who are we to march in and fix everything?

    I¡¯m cursed.

    I should have known better.

    The darkness receded with a sharp electric shock to her body. She fell out of a black nodule onto a glass platform.

    Before anything else, she checked to make sure Pitch was okay¡ªwhich he was, resting around her neck. The next thing she did was look up, finding Jenny first, rubbing her head.

    ¡°Jenny! How did they¡­?¡±

    ¡°Too fast,¡± Jenny muttered. ¡°Only got one punch off. Took off half a face, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Look alive, everyone!¡± Suuk shouted, daggers drawn.

    Irene and Boro stood up. Coleus remained sitting¡ªshe wasn¡¯t smiling anymore, and her pupils weren¡¯t tiny. She merely stared blankly at the floor.

    ¡°Coleus¡­¡± Amaris forced her gaze away from the dryad, turning to their captors. All three of them wore six-eyed masks, but she recognized all three of them instantly: Bellatrix, Ru, and¡­

    ¡°Well well well¡­¡± Freddloi said, approaching Amaris with his hands folded behind his back. ¡°Look what we have here.¡±

    Amaris let out a deep growl.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re still alive. This is not a world where one can afford to have an interesting life,¡± Freddloi mused. ¡°But here you are, clearly having learned absolutely nothing, seeking me out for some petty revenge.¡± He shrugged, shaking his head from side to side. ¡°Shame, really.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna knock that dumb look off your face,¡± Jenny growled.

    ¡°Miss Zero, you should know by now that this is a mask, and that every time you¡¯ve tried that it¡¯s backfired.¡±

    Jenny blinked. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°See, this is the problem with your method of immortality,¡± Freddloi said, placing a hand on his mask and shaking his head. ¡°You can never learn. You come back every few hundred years to destroy the Strider, and every time we teach you that it¡¯s impossible. I had hoped throwing you into a volcano would have kept you occupied for longer.¡±

    ¡°You ever think there¡¯s a reason I keep coming back to smack you silly?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Idiocy. And an immunity to curses.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m immune to curses. Good to know.¡±

    Freddloi let out a deep, pained sigh. ¡°She says this every time,¡± he said no one in particular. ¡°This time we should launch her into the outer darkness in a freeze pod that¡¯ll never come down.¡±

    Bellatrix tilted her head. ¡°That¡¯ll be hard to engineer.¡±

    ¡°I am getting quite sick of her.¡±

    Jenny smirked. ¡°Glad to see I¡¯ve made an impression.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a nuisance,¡± Freddloi muttered. ¡°Though, I will admit, you did manage to do some damage this time.¡± He pointed at the kneeling form of Coleus. ¡°I had forgotten about juvenile dryads. Had I know that was what she was, you all would have been incinerated while your silly car was being lifted into the city.¡±

    Coleus didn¡¯t look up at him.

    ¡°I do wonder how you managed to get any use out of her, the Strider is designed to repel dryads and creatures like them to prevent this sort of thing from ever happening.¡±

    Irene immediately looked away from Freddloi.

    ¡°Ah, yes, you. I had you written off as useless, but that appears to not be the case. And you have a large number of complexes¡­ My first instinct is to play off this subconscious self-destructive quest for redemption you¡¯ve put yourself on, but there¡¯s so much to choose from. I¡¯ll have to search long and hard for a suitable punishment for you.¡±

    Boro skittered forward. ¡°Punishment? I demand trial by combat!¡±

    ¡°Violence is so unbecoming,¡± Freddloi said, leaning in toward Boro. ¡°It is much, much more satisfying to turn someone¡¯s very desires against them.¡±

    Amaris curled her hands into fists. ¡°Is that all it is to you? Satisfaction?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you.¡± Freddloi turned downward to face Amaris. ¡°...You pose a problem. Bellatrix, Ru, take the others away, I¡¯ll figure out appropriate punishments for them one at a time. Freeze Jenny in liquid nitrogen or something for now, I don¡¯t care.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Bellatrix said, gesturing for Ru to follow her, rounding up the prisoners.

    ¡°Be strong, Amaris!¡± Suuk called back. ¡°We¡¯ll think of something!¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Amaris stammered, doubting every word of what Suuk just said.

    And just like that, Amaris was alone with Freddloi. He said nothing to her, filling the room with silence. Eventually, Amaris allowed herself to look away from him, finding that they were inside a massive glass globe with various images projected on the walls. A large number of them showed videos of Coleus digging through the ground with her plants.

    ¡°I like to think you¡¯ve at least learned part of what you should,¡± Freddloi said. ¡°There is no hope.¡±

    Amaris couldn¡¯t meet his gaze.

    ¡°Did you know Motor Control actually has a backup? Destroying it would do nothing, but we make its existence a big public thing to catch people like you. Give them something to hope after, a target, somewhere we can lay traps.¡± He forcefully grabbed her chin and made her look directly at him. ¡°We let your kind get that far so we can absolutely crush them. People have a habit of being annoyingly hopeful, and even if everyone dies, people get ideas about ¡®going just a little bit further¡¯ or ¡®taking another approach.¡¯ We¡¯ve found that the best way to deter attempts are to utterly humiliate everyone who tries anything.¡± Freddloi chuckled. ¡°Killing is actually quite useless when it comes to those with an annoying sense of chivalry.¡±

    Amaris had nothing to say. She refused to sob, but tears still seeped from her eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite boring, really.¡± He released her and turned to the various images floating across the screen. ¡°The Strider is a grand mission with a deep purpose, don¡¯t get me wrong, but simple destruction has no poetry to it. I much prefer to be out there, doing what I do best.¡±

    ¡°Handing out curses for no reason?¡±

    ¡°No reason?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Amaris, my dear, there¡¯s every reason to do so. People are continually deluded as they walk through their life; believing the lie that they¡¯ve got everything together and that they know what they want. Every single person, without fail, has a lie in the core of their being.¡±

    ¡°You think you¡¯re helping!?¡±

    ¡°You are such a foolish little child¡­¡± Freddloi shook his head. Then, with alarming violence, he grabbed Amaris by the neck and lifted her off the ground. ¡°I do it because they deserve it. Not a soul in this rotten universe deserves anything less than a cursed existence.¡±

    Amaris flipped her weight forward and kicked Freddloi in the mask, jumping out of his grip. The mask did not come off his face, but he was clearly startled by her agility.

    ¡°You have changed¡­¡± Freddloi said, nodding slowly.

    ¡°And you¡¯re insane,¡± Amaris breathed, rubbing her neck. ¡°Don¡¯t you deserve a curse too?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely!¡± Freddloi said. ¡°I am a rotten, despicable, deceptive, horrendous excuse for a living entity.¡± He held his arms wide. ¡°The only difference between me and the rest of you is that I don¡¯t try to deny what¡¯s been there the entire time. I revel in it. Existence is pain, life is torture. I am the instrument by which it reveals itself.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ several problems with the logical structure of your philosophy.¡±

    Freddloi stopped suddenly, tilting his head. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­¡± Amaris folded her arms behind her back. ¡°Think about it, everyone deserves pain, life is torture, yada yada¡­ but you let yourself enjoy things. Why would you deserve happiness? And if you agree you don¡¯t, why are you so set on destroying the happiness of others because they don¡¯t deserve it? Why do you care about truth so much, why does it matter? Wh¡ª¡° Amaris stopped in the middle of her question and plunged an anti-magic arrow right into Freddloi¡¯s chest.

    A burst of darkness mixed with a yellow hexagonal aura erupted from his chest, pushing Amaris back and shattering the arrow.

    Freddloi chuckled. ¡°My, my, you are a clever one. Talking real philosophy while plotting my downfall?¡±

    Amaris stood up. ¡°It was worth a shot¡­¡±

    ¡°I am sorry to disappoint your need for a coherent philosophy. Coherence is just another of the lies.¡±

    ¡°And now you¡¯re speaking nonsense.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps to you, but what do you know?¡± Freddloi shrugged. ¡°You don¡¯t even understand what it means to be interesting.¡±

    ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t laid down and died from the realization.¡± Freddloi waved his hand dismissively.

    ¡°I¡¯ve realized that it puts me in places where I can help people. It lets me stop horrible things from happening.¡± Amaris gripped the straps on her backpack. ¡°It makes me suffer, but it puts me in places where I can make a difference.¡±

    ¡°Your optimism is unfounded. Make a difference? A little here, a little there. But the world is so vast and complex that your efforts mean nothing. Don¡¯t you see? If you can find a horrendous murdering monster in every town you wander through, how many do you think there are worldwide?¡± He approached her, ramming his face closer and closer to his own. ¡°How many murderous entities are just waiting beneath the surface, ready to unleash suffering? You find one or two, there could be dozens more in every corner of the world. You, make a difference? To a few people. But what you really need to see is how full the world is of suffering! Suffering you can do nothing about! People whose lives are interesting and surrounded by death!¡±

    Amaris was no longer crying. ¡°Every good deed is worthwhile, no matter how small.¡±

    Freddloi grabbed the triangle necklace from around Amaris¡¯ neck and ripped it off. ¡°Abandon all that nonsense!¡±

    ¡°I refuse. You might kill us, the Strider might destroy thousands more cities, and there might be a Predateor in every single forest! I don¡¯t care! Goodness is real! You¡¯re the one who¡¯s living a lie, Freddloi!¡±

    Freddloi said nothing.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Amaris put her hands on her hips. ¡°Upset that your curse didn¡¯t make a girl hopeless?¡±

    ¡°Yes, actually,¡± Freddloi said.

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s kind of sad.¡± Amaris tapped the side of her head. ¡°There are better things to hold a grudge over. I¡¯m just a random kid.¡±

    ¡°What you say may be true¡­ but you¡¯re here, right now, and brats like you should be taught a lesson.¡± He pulled a green orb out of his pocket, tapping it with three fingers. ¡°Activate the teleportation addon.¡± He turned to Amaris. ¡°Take us directly to Nuk.¡±

    Amaris¡¯ smile vanished in an instant. ¡°N-no, you don¡¯t have t¡ª¡°

    ¡°They would have had time to prepare had you simply behaved,¡± Freddloi snapped. ¡°But you didn¡¯t learn. And since I can¡¯t punish you with another curse, this is your punishment.¡±

    Everything outside the glass globe was engulfed in a blinding yellow light that forced Amaris to shield her eyes. When she opened them again, she couldn¡¯t help but cry out.

    There, at the edge of the horizon, was Mount Aun. Its dual-horned tip was unmistakable.

    This was the mountain whose shadow she¡¯d grown up in. The city of Nuk was situated at its foothills.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to talk to them about the accuracy of that addon,¡± Freddloi said, tapping his chin. ¡°Ah well, we don¡¯t use it enough to guarantee its effectiveness. Hey, Amaris, this means you have a few hours before your home is devoured!¡± He grabbed her by the wrist. ¡°That should give you hope, right? Surely something will happen to save everything. That¡¯s would be interesting, right?¡±

    Amaris wrenched her wrist out of his grasp.

    ¡°Or perhaps it would be more interesting for a girl to suffer the trauma of being directly responsible for the deaths of everyone she has ever known.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not doing this! You are!¡±

    ¡°Ah, but I don¡¯t care! You do.¡± He clasped his hands together. ¡°And had you not interfered, we would not be here, now.¡±

    Amaris fell to her knees. ¡°Please, Freddloi, I¡ª¡°

    ¡°Begging. A good sign, but pointless. If I show mercy, you don¡¯t learn your lesson.¡± He leaned in until his mask was less than an inch from her face. ¡°You will learn, as I have, the true meaning of this world. Or you will die and rid the world of another despicable, worthless soul.¡± He patted her patronizingly on the head.

    Amaris tried to bite his hand. He reeled back and slapped her in return. ¡°I know what you need.¡± He waved his hand, bringing up an image of a city on the glass. She recognized the red clock tower, the local Sanctuary, and the big balloon shaped like a cat¡¯s head that marked city hall.

    That was home, all right.

    I should have known better.

    What was I THINKING!?

    She gave way to sobs, heaving so hard that she had to use a hand just to keep herself from smacking her head into the ground. She punched the glass a few times, knowing her fist could do nothing, sheering off some skin with the force. She didn¡¯t care.

    There was too much to care about. Too much, too¡ª

    Orville waved to her, even though her eyes were closed, she saw him. He winked at her.

    Amaris froze.

    ¡°Is that it?¡± Freddloi asked. ¡°I was hoping for more of a breakdown. Disappointing.¡±

    Amaris refused to move. Don¡¯t. Move. A muscle. Don¡¯t give him any indication that you saw anything. You are frozen in fear. You are not hopeful.

    ~~~

    Orville wasn¡¯t sure exactly what had happened up there, but the barrier keeping him from entering Strider City was gone, so he phased right through. It just so happened that he was on Suuk¡¯s mindstream, so he followed her first, finding her in a cell with everyone except Amaris and Jenny.

    He switched to Irene, who was currently crying and scratching a wall. ¡°It went wrong?¡±

    ¡°Yes it went wr¡ª Orville!?¡± Irene shouted. ¡°H-how did y¡ª¡°

    ¡°I did,¡± Coleus said, weakly. ¡°It was one of the conduits I broke because the Strider told me what it did.¡±

    ¡°Guys, the guards heard that!¡± Suuk hissed.

    Orville quickly jumped to the two guards, scrambling their short-term memory, returning to Irene. ¡°Not anymore.¡±

    ¡°He scrambled our¡­ friends,¡± Irene said, trying to be careful with her words.

    Suuk lowered her voice to a whisper. ¡°Orville, get to me.¡±

    Orville jumped to her. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°We need a way to take out this Strider. Freddloi let slip that the entire thing is designed to keep Coleus out. She¡¯s the key. You need to get her to¡­ I don¡¯t know, the Strider¡¯s brain or something.¡±

    ¡°How am I going to do that?¡± Orville whispered¡ªrealizing afterward that he didn¡¯t have to, as he was only in Suuk¡¯s memory.

    ¡°The yellow teleporter beams can be used to move us, probably. Also, the girl who brought us here, Bellatrix, the one in the tiny mantis armor. If you can enter her memory, you might be able to find something quickly. But she has a mask like Freddloi, so you might not be able to¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±

    ¡°Be fast. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing to Amaris.¡±

    Orville jumped to Amaris via memory rewind, finding her in a crying heap in the present. I can¡¯t just leave her like this¡­ but I need to be fast. He placed the memory of him winking into her, then he jumped back again, finding Bellatrix.

    She was talking to the large, headless being that he quickly learned was called Ru from Bellatrix¡¯s comments. Orville tried to stay out of her sight in the memory so he could hear everything said.

    In this memory, Ru was holding an unconscious Jenny while they walked down a fleshy hall, Bellatrix doing all the talking.

    ¡°How did she find out, you think?¡± Bellatrix asked. ¡°About the dryad, I mean.¡±

    Ru offered no response.

    ¡°I mean, we were only told recently... how did they do it? You saw them with those cats, they were bumbling idiots!¡±

    Told recently, have to find that memory. Orville went back, seeking memories that were particularly clear and distinctive. There they were fighting Amaris and Jenny only to get lectured afterward¡­

    Further back, further back¡­

    ¡°As you have now been indoctrinated into the inner circle, you must know some things,¡± Freddloi said to Bellatrix and Ru. ¡°Come, we will journey to th¡ª¡°

    ¡°Who is that!?¡± Bellatrix asked, pointing at Orville. She raised her weapon.

    Crud, jump a little forward¡­

    ¡°Behold, the origin,¡± Freddloi said, gesturing at six runic pillars in a room that seemed to have no entrances or exits. ¡°Everything runs through here. See, in the early times, the dryads and their cleansing nature were a blight to our Master¡¯s ways. So She turned their most precious of Glens into the Strider. For as much as I disdain the basic destruction in the Strider¡¯s day-to-day operations, I have to admit, the transformation of a place of healing into this beauty¡­ it makes me think my curses are but little motes in the expanse.¡±

    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t She do these kinds of things anymore?¡±

    ¡°Oh, She does, little one. Just n¡ª¡°

    ¡°Intruder!¡± Ru said, pointing at Orville.

    Orville jumped back. Right, okay, so, that room is the goal. And it is¡­ he performed a bunch of microjumps through Bellatrix¡¯s memory until he was certain he knew where it was in relation to the rest of the Strider.

    He backtracked to the others, appearing to Coleus. ¡°I know what to do. Coleus, the entire Strider is a Glen.¡±

    Coleus¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true. And I think you can do something to it if I can get you to a room they don¡¯t want anyone to know exists. I might teleport you there at a moment¡¯s notice, be ready.¡±

    Coleus quickly relayed the plan to the others; whispering, of course.

    Irene held out a hand. ¡°Do you want me to¡­?¡±

    Coleus shook her head. ¡°No¡­ no, if it really is a Glen, I need to do this as myself if it¡¯s to be done rightly.¡±

    Suuk nodded. ¡°If you say so. Orville¡­ I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re going to get someone to teleport anyone from a memory, but I know you can do it.¡±

    Orville nodded. It took him almost no time at all to find a teleportation hub and observe how everyone was teleported to and from distant locations, or how the Strider itself had been teleported. It was all done through a cubicle console made out of a yellow, glassy material where a low-level employee touched buttons routing people to locations and coordinates.

    The hard part was going to be getting precise coordinates for Coleus and the special room¡­

    The easy part was getting the low-level employee to push buttons. They did their task so mindlessly that manipulating their short-term memory to get them to touch anything was pathetically simple. This latter ease assisted with the former since every teleportation employee has access to a coordinate calculating app.

    He was rather disturbed to find that the app had suggested locations to dump people who needed to be killed and where to send people who didn¡¯t pay the service so they could be beat up, extorted, and experimented upon. Clearly, teleporting was only for the higher-ups in society, whoever they might be.

    It was also disturbing that the app pointed out that teleport-proof shielding was down across the city so employees were encouraged to charge extra to teleport into those usually off-limits areas. However, this malpractice worked directly in Orville¡¯s favor. Puppeting the mindless worker, he led them to lock onto Coleus¡¯ location, as the cell they were in was on the app.

    The destination, however, was not.

    Luckily the service was totally okay with materializing people inside solid rock as an execution method. So long as his instinct was right¡­

    He decided he better test it first. He needed to teleport someone with a memory he could access¡­ but he didn¡¯t want to chance killing someone by accident.

    Wait¡­

    He danced through memories to Jenny, whose short-term memories were nothing more than a delirium not all that unlike a dream. Backing up and jumping to Bellatrix, he was able to watch Jenny be thrown into a vat of liquid nitrogen. This he could use to get coordinates.

    Monkeying through the web of memories once more, he returned to another mindless worker and plugged in the coordinates for Jenny and for what he hoped was the secret room. The teleportation went through. Rushing¡ªhe was starting to feel exhausted, he¡¯d never jumped through so many memories in so short of a time before¡ªhe returned to Jenny¡¯s short-term memory.

    Slowly, the liquid nitrogen dissipated and Jenny¡¯s healing restored her. Half of her body had to regrow since the other half had materialized in the ceiling, but she had made it into the secret room.

    ¡°Good, Coleus will be here soon. Don¡¯t worry!¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand nothing about what just happened,¡± Jenny deadpanned. ¡°But okay!¡±

    He returned to the teleporters and input Coleus¡¯ coordinates and the previous coordinates he had, adjusted by about a meter. He altered memories and had the worker push a button, completing the teleport.

    Then he was forcefully ejected from the worker¡¯s memory stream. Since he was in another worker¡¯s memory, that meant the Strider¡¯s shields hadn¡¯t come back on. So that meant the worker had died? But from what?

    Then he saw Bellatrix charge into the current worker¡¯s cubicle, weapon raised¡­ and he was ejected to another memory.

    She¡¯s killing every memory I use. ¡­Monster of a child¡­ I¡¯m lucky I already got everything done.

    He returned to Coleus, who was standing next to Jenny in the midst of the runes. Coleus eyes were glowing a brilliant green.

    ¡°Glen¡­ find your brethren!¡± Coleus ordered, massive leaves and vines spreading out from where she was currently standing. ¡°Restore your link to the endless forest!¡± She pressed her hands together. ¡°Elders, hear my call.¡±

    Everything went green.

    ~~~

    Every image in the glass globe was suddenly replaced with a singular warning message.

    Freddloi dropped his hands to his sides. ¡°What?¡±

    Amaris let out a short chuckle. ¡°My guess¡­ is that a certain man cursed to never be forgotten has made sure he never will be.¡±

    The various images soon showed a massive forest springing up out of the center of the Strider, surrounding buildings, technology, everything with its verdant essence.

    ¡°How did they¡­? How did they!?¡±

    Amaris shrugged. ¡°No idea, but I do know they needed Coleus for that, and you kept her alive because you wanted to have some ¡®fun¡¯ and ¡®teach her a lesson.¡¯ I bet you¡¯re kicking yourself right now.¡±

    Pitch let out a hiss of agreement.

    Freddloi curled his hands into fists. ¡°It looks like you win, Amaris.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°My curses and lessons are a weakness.¡± He turned to her, both hands suddenly holding knives. ¡°The Master knew more than I ever realized when She designed this place.¡± He violently kicked the triangle necklace back to Amaris. ¡°I¡¯ve not been devoted enough.¡±

    He charged, angling both knives at her. Amaris did a backflip with her backpack still on, catching one of the knives with the pack¡¯s bulk while using one of her arms to chop Freddloi¡¯s wrist, making him drop the other knife. She landed with a swirl, removing the backpack in one motion, using it as a club to smack Freddloi across the face.

    His mask went flying clean off and he was knocked back.

    ¡°There is hope,¡± Amaris said, gesturing at the plants on the glass. ¡°There is always hope. You should try it.¡±

    ¡°You are infuriating¡­¡± Freddloi grumbled from his lump on the ground.

    ¡°Despite what you wanted to teach me, I learned a much greater lesson. If you offered to remove this curse from me¡­ I would not take it. Had you not cursed me, had all of this not happened, the Strider would still be marching across the land. It would have been impossible without all the interesting things I faced.¡± She grinned, standing proudly above Freddloi. ¡°All things work together for good, in the end. And this, all this? This is my purpose. I¡¯m going to forge on with this ¡®curse¡¯ and use it to root out monsters, make connections with interesting people, and devote my life toward ending the darkness you and people like you perpetuate!¡± She picked up the triangle necklace with her foot and pocketed it. ¡°Freddloi, my life is interesting. Do you understand what that means?¡±

    Freddloi jumped up, revealing his face for the first time. There was no flesh and bone there, only sackcloth and straw with a face drawn on with black marker. The shriek he released was like a thousand dying vultures calling out one last time.

    Amaris was unfazed. ¡°That is a very dumb face, I can see why you keep it hidden.¡±

    Freddloi snapped his fingers. There was a burst of darkness that hit Amaris right in the chest. She immediately felt several of her ribs break and gashes form all over her torso. She was thrown back so hard that she cracked the glass on the ground. She had no idea if she¡¯d broken anything else in her body because everything was pain, and given how red the glass was getting, broken bones were probably the least of her worries.

    ¡°You dare lecture me on my curses? Foolish child! I have served the Master since before your great grandparents were born, I have gifts from her that go beyond anything crystals, biology, or cubes can bestow! The shards bow to my very wishes!¡±

    ¡°Heh¡­¡± Amaris entered a coughing fit. ¡°Bragging about power¡­ you must be really mad¡­¡±

    Freddloi did it again; tossing Amaris even further back with a burst of power. She had no idea how much broke this time, and quite frankly, she didn¡¯t care. Maybe he was right about one thing¡ªthe curse was designed to end her, she¡¯d just been lucky to get this far. But the mission was completed, she didn¡¯t need to do anything else.

    He could do his worst.

    He¡¯d already lost.

    With a mad roar, he tossed her back again¡ªthis time slamming her into the back of the globe itself, cracking the entire thing. She wanted to barf, but couldn¡¯t because it hurt so much. This amused her.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you dead!?¡± Freddloi shrieked at the top of his lungs.

    A lightbulb went off in Amaris¡¯ head.

    ¡°Death¡­¡± she coughed up blood. ¡°...Isn¡¯t very interesting¡­ is it?¡±

    Despite having no real face, Amaris could see Freddloi deflate. ¡°N-no¡­ I¡­ that¡¯s not¡­¡±

    ¡°KYAAAAA!¡±

    Jenny came flying through the glass ball with a fist burning with fire so hot it was a brilliant blue. It impacted Freddloi in his little sackcloth face with enough force to trigger an explosion in addition to lighting him on fire.

    ¡°Who¡¯s the gnat now!?¡± Jenny asked, landing in front of him.

    ¡°Y-bu-gh¡­¡±

    A flower appeared next to Amaris, unfolding to reveal Coleus. She ran to her friend, treating the outrageous wounds with her magic. ¡°Oh, Amaris¡­¡±

    Amaris grinned despite herself. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine. The curse¡­ won¡¯t allow it.¡±

    ¡°S-sure, just stay with me here¡­¡±

    Jenny unleashed a lightning punch into Freddloi¡¯s gut, sending straw out the back. ¡°Are you a scarecrow!?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ egh¡­¡± Freddloi unleashed a dark explosion on Jenny, tossing her back and shredding her flesh. Naturally, she didn¡¯t care, and was back on her feet punching Freddloi into the ground.

    He didn¡¯t move after that.

    Amaris couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sad. He¡¯d been so lost and confused, in a world where he believed hope wasn¡¯t worth anything.

    ...At least he was in a place where he couldn''t hurt anyone, now.

    Pitch slithered up Amaris, getting red all over his scales.

    ¡°Oh, Pitch¡­ you¡¯re okay.¡± Amaris lifted a shaky finger to pet his head. ¡°I¡¯m glad¡­¡±

    He coiled himself around her arm, and she held him close to her chest. With a pleasant smile on her face, she closed her eyes and lost consciousness.

    ~~~

    Amaris woke up in a toadstool-shaped bed situated just outside a ring of six pillars with glowing runes. She couldn¡¯t see the sky, but she could see a leafy and flowery ceiling with only the occasional mechanical bit or crystal poking out of it.

    ¡°There really was a Glen¡­¡± Amaris muttered to herself.

    ¡°The entire Strider was a Glen,¡± Coleus said, walking up to Amaris. ¡°I just¡­ reconnected it to the rest of the Glens. The dryads came and did the rest.¡±

    Amaris felt pain all over but didn¡¯t feel like she was in danger of bleeding out. She forced herself to sit up, wincing as she did so. The action woke up Pitch, who started licking her cheek. ¡°¡­How mad were they?¡±

    ¡°The dryads? They aren¡¯t sure if they should call me a heretical renegade or a hero.¡± Coleus rubbed the back of her head. ¡°So, uh, not exactly mad. The people of Strider City are very mad, but the protective barrier is up so they can¡¯t exactly do anything. You should see the Strider from outside, it¡¯s just one big massive flower now. With six stalks. And mechanical bits hanging out of it. But still, flower.¡±

    ¡°Looks like you got your industrial plant.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, looks like I did.¡± Coleus put her hands on her hips and beamed. ¡°I guess you could say I¡­ grew my dreams into reality!¡±

    Amaris laughed¡ªit hurt, but she didn¡¯t even try to stop herself. The sunny feeling was much more important than a little pain. Eventually, her laughs abated, and she turned to Coleus. ¡°Where are the others?¡±

    ¡°Waiting behind a rock,¡± Suuk said, jumping on top of a rock and flicking her tail. ¡°Not wanting to overload you with everyone at once.¡±

    Amaris gave her a smile. ¡°You guys can come out.¡±

    At which point Irene, Jenny, Suuk, and Boro all rushed out, the former three all rushing her into a hug. Orville stood to the side, tipping his hat in Amaris¡¯ direction.

    Amaris pushed through the soreness and pulled them all into a hug. ¡°We did it, everyone!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ we did it,¡± Irene said. ¡°All of us¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it was great!¡± Boro declared.

    ¡°You did almost nothing,¡± Jenny said.

    ¡°Psh, that you saw.¡±

    ¡°We really did it together,¡± Amaris insisted. ¡°There was a reason I ran into you all and became close friends. This¡­ well I don¡¯t know if this was the reason but it was at least one of them! We¡­ we won. All because of a ¡®curse.¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°You look like you¡¯re almost happy about it,¡± Coleus said.

    ¡°I am,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Terrible things happened to me, and to everyone around me. But it was all for a reason. This ¡®curse¡¯ is a gift. Maybe not a gift to me, but a gift to everyone else. I can be there, I can find the horrible things in the world. And I¡¯m going to.¡±

    Coleus blinked. ¡°I thought you were going home?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, I¡¯m doing that first. I guess¡­ I just know what I¡¯m going to do with my life, now.¡± Amaris beamed. ¡°What are the rest of you going to do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m staying here, in this Glen,¡± Coleus said. ¡°I really have missed them, and I have a¡­ special connection to this one, now.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll be taking me back to Genk,¡± Suuk said. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve found your home, I¡¯m going back to mine.¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll see if I can make it to the wedding.¡±

    Coleus tilted her hand from side to side. ¡°Still don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll put up with me taking you or not.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going back to the Old Bones!¡± Boro said. ¡°To tell them of all my exploits!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll explore the world through memories,¡± Orville said. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to drop by, of course.¡±

    Amaris looked up to Irene and Jenny. ¡°¡­And you two?¡±

    ¡°Do you even have to ask?¡± Jenny put her hands on her hips. ¡°We¡¯re sticking with you, one way or another. I promised, remember?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Irene nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡­ understand you wish to return to your parents, but I¡­¡±

    ¡°You can stick around if that¡¯s what you want,¡± Amaris said. ¡°But, Irene¡­ are you sure?¡±

    ¡°W-well I don¡¯t really have anywhere to go, I might as well settle down around here¡­¡± She tapped her fingers together anxiously.

    Amaris pulled her into a hug specifically. ¡°I¡­ I know you haven¡¯t been around as long as some of the others, or been through as much, but... I¡¯m glad you¡¯re staying.¡±

    ¡°O-oh.¡± With a genuine smile, Irene held her close, running her hand through her hair. ¡°I¡­ I still don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing.¡±

    ¡°You know, my parents might be able to help you. They¡¯re great people.¡± Amaris blinked a few times. ¡°And we should go see them.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not fully healed yet,¡± Coleus said, placing a hand on Amaris¡¯ shoulder. ¡°Wait a day or two for the magic to work its way into you. You¡¯ve been gone this long, you can wait a little longer so you don¡¯t overexcite yourself and bleed out through a reopened wound. That wouldn¡¯t be very green of you.¡±

    Amaris looked to Coleus, blank. Then she let out a soft sigh. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ but the moment I¡¯m better, I¡¯m there. Got it?¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡±

    ~~~

    Irene drove the rental car.

    As they drifted down the suburban lanes, Amaris looked out over the houses. The skyline was exactly as she remembered it: mountains, trees, and a few tall buildings. The only difference was the giant six-legged flower at the horizon. The Strider looked almost¡­ beautiful, this far away, and not just because the city on top was hidden by a massive red pinecone-like flower head.

    I brought the weirdness with me¡­ Amaris smiled. It might help, in the end. People will be forced to confront some things, accept that there are really things like ghosts, monsters, and real evil.

    She lowered her eyes to the simple suburban houses. The people consisted of humans, cats, and the occasional neko¡ªnothing else. Some of the people in Strider City were going to cause a lot of waves if they moved down here, and not just because they were originally from a murderous tower.

    Amaris had no doubt that she would be caught in the midst of that inevitable conflict, but she had hope that it would work out well in the end.

    Her gift probably wouldn¡¯t let it be any other way.

    ¡°This it?¡± Irene asked, gesturing at an orange house up at the end of the cul-de-sac.

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s it,¡± Amaris said, leaning forward in her chair. ¡°Just pull over here, sidewalk real estate is at a premium in the cul-de-sac.¡±

    Irene did as instructed, pulling over. Amaris, Irene, and Jenny stepped out. Amaris hefted up her backpack, lifted her chin up high, and approached her home. They crossed the cul-de-sac, shoes sending echoing clacks throughout the suburb. Somewhere, a lawnmower was running.

    Amaris gestured for the others to wait at the base of the step as she climbed up to the front door. It was almost exactly as she remembered it: a perfectly normal white door with square bevels in it. There were a few new nicks and scratches here and there, but otherwise, it was just a door.

    She¡¯d never been so happy to see a door in her life.

    Unable to stifle a giggle, she pressed the doorbell, decorated with a mathematical spiral. The ding, dong of the doorbell struck its chords in a pattern based on the golden ratio.

    Yep, this is home all right. She absent-mindedly tugged at the tattered remains of her original shirt and put on a smile.

    The door opened, revealing a tired, female figure with rimmed glasses and messed up hair. ¡°Y-yes?¡±

    ¡°¡­Hi Mom.¡±

    Her mother¡¯s eyes shot open. ¡°A-A-Amaris!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s me.¡± She lifted up her hand, allowing Pitch to slither up it. ¡°Pitch too.¡±

    ¡°Amaris!?¡± Her father all but tore the door off its hinges to see her. ¡°Oh, Amaris!¡± He tried to pick her up in a hug and spin her around, but he only got her an inch off the ground before stumbling back.

    Amaris chuckled. ¡°I¡­ I think I¡¯m a little big for that, now.¡±

    ¡°H-how?¡± her mother asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a long story.¡± Amaris looked back to Jenny and Irene. ¡°This is Jenny and Irene. They¡¯ll¡­ help me tell it when it¡¯s time. But, for now¡­ can¡­ can I just have dinner? With¡­ both of you?¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course!¡± her father said, wiping tears from his eyes. ¡°We¡­ didn¡¯t cook for three, but we can make it work.¡±

    ¡°I can cook something up.¡±

    ¡°Since when do you know how to cook?¡±

    ¡°Since now.¡± Amaris put her hands on her hips and cocked her head playfully.

    ¡°Oh,¡± her mother looked out at Jenny and Iris. ¡°You two are welcome as well¡­¡±

    Irene shook her head, adjusting her hat in the process. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Kelvin, I¡­ think she wants some time with you two. We¡¯ll come in¡­ when the time is right. Don¡¯t rush your dinner.¡±

    ¡°¡­Right.¡± Amaris¡¯ mother fixed Irene with a knowing gaze. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Amaris entered her house, closing the front door on Jenny and Irene.

    Jenny kicked a rock. ¡°And now we wait.¡±

    ¡°The story is going to need some corroboration,¡± Irene admitted. ¡°Even with the Strider in the sky¡­ it is a bit much to believe.¡±

    ¡°Especially in a place like this.¡± Jenny held her hands out wide. ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any mages here at all, or fantastical races. The most interesting thing I saw on the way over here was a neko with two tails.¡±

    Irene pulled her hair behind her ears. ¡°Besides Amaris, you mean.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, besides Amar¡ª¡° Jenny paused. ¡°I just heard something in that bush.¡±

    ¡°You wh¡ª¡°

    Jenny jumped into the bush, punching with a concussive blast that threw out a wolf-gremlin creature with a sack on his back. ¡°Hey, back off missy!¡±

    Jenny held out a hand. ¡°What¡¯s in the sack, buster?¡±

    ¡°Nothing of your conc¡ª¡°

    Irene waved her hand over the wolf-gremlin, prompting him to smile widely. ¡°What¡¯s in the sack?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°Oh, just a bunch of kids I stol¡ª¡°

    Jenny punched him right in the muzzle, knocking him out. At this point, the sack opened and three children no older than six popped out and ran to different corners of the suburb.

    Jenny scratched the back of her head. ¡°¡­Looks like Amaris¡¯ curse i¡ª¡°

    ¡°Amaris¡¯ gift,¡± Irene corrected.

    ¡°Er, yeah, right. Her gift. It¡¯s still active.¡±

    Irene rubbed her hand up and down her arm, saying nothing.

    ¡°Good thing she has a defender,¡± Jenny said, picking up the wolf-gremlin. ¡°You hear that? Anybody who wants to mess with Amaris has to go through me!¡±

    ¡°¡­Jenny, he¡¯s out cold.¡±

    Jenny nodded as though this were a piece of premium wisdom. ¡°Let¡¯s lock him in the trunk, we¡¯ll get back to him after we help Amaris with her story.¡±

    With a shrug, Irene opened the trunk. They threw the wolf-gremlin in, locked it, and went back to waiting for Amaris to finish dinner with her family.

    They could hear delighted laughter coming from inside the house.

    Amaris was home.

    Life would never be boring again, that much was true. But that, in and of itself, was neither a good or bad thing. Be it terrific or terrifying, Amaris would be in the center of it.

    Fate is a tricky mistress that refuses to be tamed, but her winds all lead somewhere. To the highest mountain, the deepest trench, or even right back home again.

 Credits

    Fortune¡¯s Fate

    The End

    Written by G. M. Steward

    Starring¡­

    Amaris as the Cursed

    Pitch as Best Mascot

    Coleus as Cool-eus! See? A pun! Get it!? :D

    Sarah as the Sarcastic One

    Petra as the Tech Monkey

    Kiri as Hey Look, Stockholm Syndrome

    Suuk as the Alley Cat

    Buddy as Adorable Death Machine

    Jenny as the Immortal Child

    Urvest as the Convenient Cat

    Reginald as a Dapper Businesskeleton

    Kkithi as Way Too Tall

    Sy as Dragons can be Artists Too!

    Boro as Your Friendly Neighborhood Attack Spider

    Keeper Ashton as the Actually Really Nice Guy

    Orville as the Memory Jumper

    Irene as the Complete Nervous Wreck

    Freddloi as Walking Curse Dispenser

    The Doppelganger as Just as Cursed as Amaris

    Mrs. Ibis as Sometimes a Witch is Just a Witch

    The Predateor as the Deadliest Pun Ever

    Toad as Dragon Alternative

    The Chairman as Evil Can Always be Worse

    Henry Carmen as the Terrible and Ineffectual Government Employee

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    Amaris¡¯ Parents as Huge Math Nerds

    Officer Dawson as the Nice Guy

    Bellatrix as the Child Soldier

    Ru as the Headless but not Faceless

    Ripashi as the Questionably Effective Paladin

    Keeper Wurph as How Can Someone be so Smart and yet so Stupid?

    Randy as the Manly Man

    The Strider as the Ancient War Machine

    Major Editors:

    Shilic

    Pink Man

    Guldringr

    VoidTemplar2000

    Cover Artist:

    Stippling

    Patrons:

    SgtSarge

    Shilic

    Millwright

    Peter Coulthard

    This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, events, and incidents are the products of the author¡¯s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

    Everything within this work is original, no copyright infringement intended.

    For the various profiles of people mentioned in these credits, return to this story¡¯s Index.

    Special thanks to the people who read this story! Which is¡­ admittedly, not that many. But for those of you that did make it, thanks for being here at the end!

    Anyway, technically Fortune¡¯s Fate is complete. I do have ideas for what to do if I continue it, but it¡¯s not required¡ªI did only intend to continue if it did decently well, and so far it hasn¡¯t. If you want to see more Fortune¡¯s Fate, let me know! Tell other people about it and spread the word! I could write a ¡°season 2¡± if I think it¡¯s worth it.

    Don¡¯t worry, though, the big questions of the setting will be answered in other stories. As some of my readers have already noticed, there are a few unusual threads connecting Fortune¡¯s Fate and Wizard Space Program together¡­

    Speaking of Wizard Space Program, you should read it! (https://gmsteward.wordpress.com/2021/06/02/wizard-space-program/</a>) That story is ongoing and, unlike Fortune¡¯s Fate, is set to continue for a long time. Come with me and learn about how to use magic to solve hard sci-fi space travel, and maybe learn a bit more about some deeper questions.

    I am also currently looking for pre-readers willing to take a look at a Final Fantasy-based story that attempts to synthesize the settings of the main games together. I¡¯ve written over forty chapters at this point, but I need more feedback. If you¡¯re interested, drop by the Discord Server. (https://discord.com/invite/eTuseTh</a>)

    Until next time!

    ~~~

    ¡°So this is your room?¡± Coleus asked as she walked into the small enclosure.

    ¡°Yep!¡± Amaris said, flopping on her bed. ¡°Home sweet home.¡±

    ¡°I was expecting something a little more¡­¡±

    ¡°Interesting?¡± Amaris giggled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t interesting when I was in this room! I¡¯ve got to bring the interesting to it, now!¡± She pointed at the pile of notebooks in the corner. ¡°I¡¯ve been going over my notes and writing more detailed entries on all the things I encountered. If I want to do some good, it¡¯ll help to inform other people about, well, how to deal with all these things.¡±

    Coleus picked up a notebook that had been recently written in. ¡°Entry 001; Freddloi¡­¡± She put it down. ¡°You¡¯re making one for everything?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to try, anyway. And for anything new I encounter! Then I¡¯ll see if I can classify any of them together, find any common threads¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll need a lot more than yourself to do this.¡± Coleus grinned. ¡°Good thing you¡¯ve got some friends that want to help!¡±

    ¡°All of you get entries too, by the way.¡±

    Coleus paused. ¡°You¡¯re going to per-fern an examination of me?¡±

    ¡°Coleus, that was terrible.¡±

    ¡°I think you mean punishing.¡±

    ¡°Coleus!¡±

 The Feeling of Home

    EPISODE XIV

    The Feeling of Home

    The moon is the only witness to many of the world¡¯s darkest atrocities. Always the moon¡¯s gaze is directed downward at the land under cover of darkness, when the vilest tendencies emerge, hoping they will not be seen. For there is a reason the darkness hides from the light, and it is not generally because the light brings pain, but rather that the light reveals. All that people would rather leave undiscovered, it must be done in the dark, away from prying eyes.

    The moon is the solitary observer of such happenings. It will betray no secrets.

    At least, that is what most believe.

    This night, the moon was full, casting much of the city below in a pale, ethereal light. It was the kind of light that granted the ability to see but was not enough to be considered illuminating. The world was still dark, the night was still oppressive. While in the center of the city, lights were on and people were going to party until the sun came up, everywhere else was giving in to the darkness. People remained in their homes, either sleeping or laying in their beds, unable to sleep for reasons unknown. One woman was curled up behind her front door, shivering and crying, the key to the lock in her hand. A man in another house stared out a window, unblinking.

    The street was utterly abandoned, lit by fluorescent lamps that were nowhere near effective enough. One was completely dead, and another was actively flickering on and off, illuminating a bronze car. On¡­ off. On¡­ off. Illumination, and then utter darkness. Were anyone to be looking, the rapid fluctuations would force the eye to adjust, making the car utterly invisible when the lamp was off.

    Then the light came back on and the car wasn¡¯t there anymore.

    No one had been looking at the time. No one saw it vanish. When the man staring at the window noticed it was gone, he told himself that someone had to have driven it away. Silently. Without making the noise of an engine starting up. Obviously, it had to be that, since cars didn¡¯t just disappear without a single noise.

    His neighbor heard the sound of a car horn in her dreams. No one else did.

    The crying woman rammed her fist into the front door, drawing blood from the force of the impact. The sound was not enough to reach any other ears.

    On the street, there was nothing. And then there was a boy, wrapped up in a dark blue hoodie, he turned a street corner and entered the view of the man watching. Such a young boy, all alone, holding himself tight. As he walked into the light of a working street lamp, cuts and gashes in his hoodie were evident, as was his trembling and slight limp.

    The man clenched his fists. He backed away from the window¡ªhe could do something about that.

    The child stopped for a moment, removing his hood to scratch his ears. His very obviously feline ears.

    The man paused. He drew the curtains, observing no more.

    The woman started drawing on the door with her blood.

    The kid, feeling a little cold, put the hood back on. It made his ears decidedly uncomfortable, but it was warmer. Much warmer. It made him feel safe.

    He continued limping forward, approaching the flickering street lamp.

    The flickering lamp projected a shadow from his body onto the side of a white house. There was nothing behind him, and yet a second shadow appeared behind his own. A tall, bony thing with a rectangular head. Hands half as long as the thing was tall dominated the projection, and these fingers were reaching for the boy¡¯s neck.

    The boy knew nothing. The shadow appeared behind him. He only looked ahead, walking closer and closer to the street lamp.

    The shadow closed its fingers.

    The light flickered.

    The boy was gone. The bony shadow remained, grabbing at nothing. It paused for a moment, clearly confused. It took a few steps forward, looking for its lost prey.

    The light flickered.

    The shadow was gone.

    Everyone on the street heard the sound of a door slam shut as though it had happened right behind them.

    Had there been anyone to look, for a split second, they might have seen a door appear in the middle of the street. But as it was, the moon remained the only witness to the happenings that night.

    ~~~

    Amaris woke up on her bed.

    Her bed.

    She had been home for months and, still, every time she woke up a dumb grin crossed her face. She wasn¡¯t out in some tent facing the wilderness. She wasn¡¯t trapped in some dungeon somewhere. She wasn¡¯t tied up in a holding cell. She was home, in her bed, and nothing had happened in the night to whisk her away.

    I¡¯m home.

    She took in a deep, satisfied breath and got out of bed, jumping into her bright red slippers with the letters ¡°L¡± and ¡°R¡± on them. The letters were on the wrong feet by design, specifically that of her mother, since she found such little contradictions quite amusing.

    Amaris¡¯ first order of business was to check on Pitch in his enclosure¡ªthe large enclosure, filled with moss, a humidification system, a large heat lamp, and a snake shaped rock that Pitch liked to lay on. He was currently fast asleep, mouth hanging slightly open. Amaris decided not to bother him, but she did drop a live cricket into the enclosure for him to have fun hunting later. That is, assuming he didn¡¯t sleep all the way until it was time for school, in which case she was going to drag him out, complaints about not being fed or not.

    After her morning snake time, she went to the window and threw open the curtains. It was early morning¡ªearly enough that the sun hadn¡¯t risen yet, her preferred time of day. This was when her mind was the freshest and when the least other people were out and about, for she was one of those people who struck fear in the hearts of many. A morning person.

    As she had gotten into the habit of doing every morning, she checked the world outside for any signs of the strange. Aside from the magnificent ruby flower that adorned the corpse of the Strider in the distance, everything was normal on the suburban street outside. Cars were parked, lights were off, and somewhere far away a dog barked. The maple tree across the street was beginning to lose its leaves. This was how most mornings went unless Amaris managed to catch sight of Jenny out on her ¡°patrol¡± to make sure nothing made it to the house. One morning she had even witnessed her friend wrestle a large goblin-centipede creature that they had decided to name Skitters. Sadly, Skitters was not pet material and had an unfortunate taste for the blood of humanity, so Jenny had to crack its skull open on a rock. And then clean it up since the local authorities would be absolutely useless in that regard and might end up hurting themselves on something freaky.

    Still, today¡­ today was calm. Not a soul moved around out there in the pre-dawn light save a squirrel. This was no indication as to whether today was going to be an ¡°interesting¡± day or not, but now was always the time the thought came into her mind. Would there be a close call where Jenny wasn¡¯t able to stop something from running in? Would something from the Strider rear its ugly head on the news? Or would there be¡­ just school?

    Amaris chuckled to herself. Today, she wanted all of the things to happen. Absolutely impossible to have it all, of course, but at least this way she could be happy no matter what the day brought her. It was a superior way to live, she decided, being up for the crazy and the mundane at any moment.

    At long last, she tore her gaze away from her window. Her room was medium-sized for a suburban dwelling and was decorated largely with beautiful mathematical constructs, ranging from fractal patterned drapes to complex interweaving waves to one metal plate that gave the illusion of having a 3D cube printed on it, despite it being completely flat. These were just a small collection of Amaris¡¯ various math knick-knacks. She had a small desk as well where a few books lay, but this was not their permanent place, the ¡°study¡± had all the books. What did belong there were her notebooks, pencils, and pens.

    Last night, she had been working on a drawing of Skitters, as well as what little information they knew about the mysterious bug creature. Her drawing had improved considerably since she was now devoting significant time to practicing, and while it definitely wasn¡¯t the real thing, the three-fanged plated bug was easy to imagine walking around in reality if one accepted the fact that giant bugs existed.

    She flipped through the notebook a few times, finding pictures of past encounters. She drew all of them multiple times to improve her skills, and she was getting to the point where the drawings were passable. Still not good enough for proper records, but she¡¯d get there.

    One thing she was still really bad at was people. Jenny, Irene, and Orville were all naturally present in her sketches, but never could she get the faces down. Curse human brains and their ability to notice even the slightest difference in facial structure and declare it creepy.

    Amaris closed the book and walked to her dresser, choosing her outfit for the day. She was still absolutely terrible at fashion choices¡ªimproving art skills or no, she wasn¡¯t exactly becoming more color-coordinated by attempting to draw realistically in monochrome. She decided today she should wear a black and white striped shirt with a neon green vest and a blue skirt sewn to a longer skirt that was of a slightly different color.

    ¡°Looking terrible,¡± Amaris said to the mirror. ¡°¡­Probably, anyway. Neon clashes with stripes, right?¡± Amaris shrugged, putting on her boots. She always wore hiking boots. She never knew when something might happen and she¡¯d need to bolt into uneven terrain. The last part of her outfit she placed on was her triangle necklace, which she wore proudly these days. On one side it was a crystal in the shape of Dia¡¯s triangle, but on the other her mother had placed what remained of that old, tattered, beat up shirt she had left the Cat-ival in. That shirt, of all things, meant a lot to Amaris¡­ and now it was shrunken down and the e to the power of x was sewn onto the back of her necklace.

    Unchanging, Amaris thought, looking at the mathematical equation. There¡¯s a deep metaphor here I don¡¯t understand, isn¡¯t there? About me, my journey, Dia maybe¡­ or, alternatively, it could mean nothing since I was wearing this before I got cursed and there¡¯s no guarantee it¡¯s interesting in any way except how it relates to me.

    With a shrug, Amaris set down the stairs. She was the first one up, which wasn¡¯t unusual. Dad was also a morning person, but he worked late last night so was probably taking the time to rest. On her journey, she passed through the kitchen and took a quick snack¡ªit was carrots, today. Mom probably hid the cookies somewhere. Oh well, not like Amaris needed a cookie right now, she could get one later if she was clever.

    Her goal was the study, which had at one point been the office space for both Mom and Dad when Amaris was young, but just before she had vanished the two of them had decided that their ways of working were highly disruptive to each other. Sure, they both considered themselves mathematical artists, but Mom was definitely more artist and Dad was definitely more math. And so the ¡°study¡± had just become the place to store everything. It was dominated mostly by books¡ªmath textbooks and references took up the majority of the space because of how huge such things were, but there were also academic resources on most scientific subjects, as well as quite a few relating to the arts (though naturally significantly fewer of these as, in her Mom¡¯s words, ¡°nobody can make a good art textbook; not even me, and believe me I tried¡±).

    The ¡°study¡± did not contain just books, and because of this it was a bit of a mess to navigate. The majority of what should have been empty space were taken up by Mom¡¯s art projects, which ranged from small sculptures with intricate patterns to large canvases of lines upon lines upon lines. Dad¡¯s projects were fewer in number, but a few existed¡ªlittle wooden puzzles with hidden compartments, objects designed to fidget with, and the ¡°perpetual motion machine¡± that rolled marbles up and down a ramp. The trick was, naturally, the magnet.

    Amaris carefully maneuvered between the various projects until she came across one of the bookshelves. Was she in the mood for math today? Art? Some comic books? Oh, there were so many choices¡­

    She decided to settle on a book about strange happenings across the world. That¡¯d probably be a good laugh. Prior to the appearance of the Strider, very few people around here had even believed magical things existed. Now¡­ well, that was now.

    Amaris took the book off the shelf and walked to her favorite seat, a nice plush recliner in the living room. She attached a small lamp to the cover of the book and hung it over the pages like an anglerfish lure. It was enough light to read by and was directed in such a way as to keep the rest of the living room dark, which was necessary since there was someone sleeping on the couch.

    Irene was bundled up in several blankets and looked more like a cocoon than a person. There was no way to actually see her, every section of her skin was completely covered. The hat nearby suggested she was in there somewhere, but that was no proof.

    Irene had no place to stay. She was currently trying to amass enough money to get an apartment, but her job as a grocery cashier wasn¡¯t exactly bringing in the big bucks. At least her parents were totally fine with her just living on the couch. They treated all the people who helped bring Amaris back with great respect. Even Jenny. Who slept out in the woods in the old tent because she liked it. At least, that was how it was last Amaris checked. For all she knew Jenny was now sleeping with the street cats in the alley. She had been offered a place to sleep but had declined, liking to be a ¡°free bird¡± as it were.

    Amaris turned her thoughts back to her book and settled into stories about UFOs, ghosts that were never able to be caught on camera, and mysterious creatures that prowled the dark. She was struck by how little information there was on any of these sightings. A few of them were probably real, yes, but given how much she had seen, these were probably all fake, people¡¯s minds getting the better of them. Or, maybe I¡¯m just a statistical outlier and my experiences should not be counted.

    The sun eventually reached the point where it poured through the window and onto the bundle that was Irene. The woman jumped up and threw off the blankets in a handful of seconds, acting a bit like a fabric bomb. She had a smile on her face¡ªless nervous than usual¡ªand quickly put on her hat. ¡°Good morning, Amaris.¡±

    ¡°Morning,¡± Amaris said, turning her page.

    And that was the extent of their interaction for the moment. The two of them had been living in the same house for months, at this point the early morning meeting was exceedingly mundane and trivial. Amaris read or drew or something and Irene invariably ended up in the kitchen. Which was cleaner than it ever had been due to the woman¡¯s presence.

    Amaris could hear the sink running. Either Irene was getting some water to boil or there were dishes she was just unable to leave dirty. Were she more self-confident and less distractible, she would have made an excellent janitor or maid. As it was, she tended to rearrange things without thinking about it which confused everyone greatly. It took them forever to find the pepper on top of the fridge last week.

    But with the beginnings of Irene rummaging around in the kitchen came Amaris¡¯ Dad. He was a stout man with angled glasses on his face at all times. Even when sleeping. He broke many pairs in his young years, apparently. His hair was almost completely gray now, despite having been almost completely black when Amaris left. Every time she saw him, it reminded her of how long she had been out there.

    Almost three years. Technically, if she was counting from this moment, it had been three years since she vanished.

    He reached down and patted Amaris on the head. ¡°I love you, Amaris.¡±

    Amaris looked up at him. ¡°I know, and I love you too, but¡­ Dad, I know you¡¯re trying to make up for lost time, thinking you didn¡¯t tell me that enough, but still, you don¡¯t have to do it every day. At the exact same relative time. Like clockwork.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ actually, I think I do have to do it every day, and that not even that is enough. The Fourier series of my love for my daughter diverges no matter how many terms you throw into it.¡±

    Despite herself, Amaris giggled. ¡°Daaaaad¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re here. I always will be. And we¡¯ll make it through this together.¡± He sat down on the couch that Irene had just been sleeping in and turned on the TV. A news story was running. Amaris recognized the reporter, a red-haired woman by the name of Scarlet.

    ¡°The central Glen of the Strider is almost unrecognizable as belonging to the great monstrosity,¡± Scarlet said, gesturing at the bundle of green around her. The crew was standing just outside the Glen, but the couldn¡¯t even see the six stones, for everything was obscured by vines arranged like curtains. Around the vines, though, the entire enclosure was absolutely covered in leaves, grass, flowers, and the occasionally glowing mushroom. ¡°This place has come a long way since the first arrival, folks. As you can see, the dryads like their privacy; cameras are not allowed past the veil and most people don¡¯t even get that far.¡±

    At this point, Coleus poked her head out of the vines. ¡°Um¡­ are you Scarlet?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes I am! And from the reporters at Network Eight, I thank you for seeing us today!¡±

    The news story cut to Scarlet sitting at a desk. ¡°The full interview between Coleus and myself is available and will be airing at the times you see on screen. However, since it is so long, we will simply summarize for this report¡­¡±

    ¡°I think I was there when this was recorded,¡± Amaris said, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Huh. Coleus was so flustered and the other dryads really didn¡¯t like her doing this. She even tried to keep the puns under control.¡±

    ¡°Normally, I¡¯d say that people should be themselves in interviews¡­¡± her Dad scratched his chin. ¡°Though in her case I think the puns would have just made people angry.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. If only everyone would like her¡­ the dryads are losing patience with her¡­ the Striders hate her¡­ and our people¡­ well¡­¡± Amaris folded her arms. ¡°They don¡¯t trust anything from the Strider and I can¡¯t blame them.¡± Amaris sighed, letting herself flop back into the chair. ¡°She was the big hero, I wish she had things a little easier right now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll pull through.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I think so too. Still rough, though.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, I came up with some new puzzles last night, I want you to look at the design.¡± He pulled out a sheet of paper with drawings of multiple spherical segments interlocked.

    ¡°Ooooh¡­¡± Amaris said, taking it in. ¡°Hmm¡­ certainly difficult to solve, I see all your pins there. The question is, will it feel good to move?¡±

    ¡°Always the hardest part of designing the puzzle¡­¡±

    They talked a bit about the puzzle for a while until Irene poked her head in. ¡°Breakfast¡­ is served!¡±

    At those words, Amaris¡¯ Mom woke up. The woman emerged at the top of the stairs in an ornate green dress adorned with spirograph patterns. She jumped onto the railing and slid all the way down, coming to a stop in the living room with a graceful twirl. ¡°Irene, did I hear mention¡­ of food?¡±

    ¡°Yes, same as every morning,¡± Irene said.

    ¡°Oh, Irene, what am I going to do without you? I¡¯ll have to cook again once you find a place¡­ such a tragedy.¡±

    ¡°W-well I can teach you some of my tricks¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, please do, later though. Right now¡­¡± Amaris¡¯ Mom all but tore Amaris out of her seat and twirled her around. Amaris was not exactly light, but her Mom managed to move her around effortlessly all the same. ¡°How¡¯s my favorite little girl doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m doing fine.¡±

    ¡°Hi, Doing Fine¡­¡±

    Amaris glared at her mother.

    ¡°I¡¯m Doing Fine as well!¡± Her Mom set her on the ground, laughing at her own joke. Her Dad was chuckling as well. Despite Irene and Amaris not giving the jokester any laughs, they knew her husband¡¯s chuckle was all that was necessary for the jokes to continue.

    They entered the kitchen and sat down¡­ and there was a knock at the door.

    ¡°Ah, the door-to-door salesmen are at it early!¡± Amaris¡¯ Mom stood up and marched to the door and swung it wide. ¡°How can I help you?¡±

    ¡°HEY! AMARIS!¡± Jenny called from the other side of the door. ¡°I¡¯VE FOUND SOMETHING COOL!¡±

    ¡°CAN I HAVE BREAKFAST FIRST!?¡± Amaris called out.

    ¡°OH! UH! YES!¡± Jenny stopped yelling. ¡°Hey, Anastasia, can I have breakfast too? I don¡¯t want to sit out here for an hour.¡±

    Amaris¡¯ Mom poked her head back into the house. ¡°Irene, do you have enough?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely!¡± Irene called back.

    ¡°Then you are welcome t¡ª¡± Jenny had already run into the house and sat down, gripping a fork and a knife in her gloves and ramming the table.

    Amaris chuckled. ¡°How goes guard patrol?¡±

    ¡°Nothing today, but I have found a thing and I want you to see the thing but I¡¯m not spoiling what the thing is so ha.¡± Jenny crossed her arms and gained a smug look about her. ¡°Deal with it.¡±

    ¡°And so¡­ breakfast is served!¡± Irene set out a punch of plates with round, fluffy pastries on them. ¡°These are Andaskilari Fluffcakes, made with¡­¡±

    ¡°Pancakes, you mean,¡± Amaris said.

    Irene gasped. ¡°How dare! The fluff is far beyond that of a¡­ a¡­ pedestrian pancake!¡±

    ¡°Pretty sure it isn¡¯t getting up and walking around,¡± Amaris¡¯ Mom said.

    ¡°A pedestrian can be standing still,¡± her Dad offered.

    ¡°Look, just¡­ just eat it, it¡¯s delicious.¡±

    ¡°Agreed!¡± Jenny said, having already mowed through half a fluffcake.

    ¡°How can you have such a large stomach if you don¡¯t need to eat?¡± Amaris¡¯ Mom asked.

    ¡°I have no idea!¡± Jenny said. ¡°But it¡¯s awesome!¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Jenny, why are we at an abandoned farmhouse?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯d object to climbing on top of one that people were still using.¡±

    Amaris thought about this for a moment. She was probably right. As it was, her only concern about the abandoned farmhouse in front of her was the fact that it looked like it could collapse in on itself at any moment. How it was still standing with only three vertical supports was beyond Amaris, though perhaps the fact that most of the walls were just gone was enough to declare it fallen, nothing but a skeleton remaining. A skeleton that Jenny was currently climbing up with the help of a ladder.

    Amaris judged the strength of the support, performed a quick calculation, and then ran toward it, placing her foot hard on the support to launch herself all the way on top. She landed in a crouched position, trying to make it stylish, but she had not been able to judge the quality of the roof and rammed her left foot through the wood.

    Her right stood firm and she kept her body under control, so she didn¡¯t twist anything and her boots protected her. Still¡­ ¡°Ow.¡±

    ¡°Just have to show off, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°My therapist says it¡¯s healthy to turn the marks of my trauma into something everyday.¡±

    ¡°But weren¡¯t you already doing that before? Why do you have to bring the lame cat into this?¡±

    ¡°Antonio is not lame!¡± Amaris huffed, pulling her foot out of the ground. ¡°Antonio is great, nice, understanding, and¡­¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ve said he¡¯s told you that he uses you as a way to relax.¡±

    ¡°Which means we¡¯re helping each other.¡±

    ¡°Amaris, he¡¯s supposed to be helping you relax. That¡¯s how therapists work.¡±

    ¡°But he does!¡± Amaris rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re just jealous.¡±

    ¡°Am not!¡±

    ¡°Are too.¡±

    Jenny sighed, shaking her head. ¡°Let¡¯s not do this again¡­ instead¡­¡± she gestured out at the cornfield they were now looking over. ¡°Behold!¡±

    Amaris¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°Well then¡­¡±

    A good chunk of the corn stalks had been laid down in some way, forming large paths in the field that could only be viewed from above. Amaris¡¯ angle wasn¡¯t great, but she could still make out a wide circular arc with six points coming out of it that went to other circles, and within each of these circles was a unique pattern of other, smaller lines.

    ¡°A crop circle¡­¡± Amaris said, putting a hand to her chin. ¡°So, a bunch of pranksters, aliens, or freaky magic voodoo ritual?¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s seven of these spread across town, so¡­ probably not pranksters, I¡¯d say.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Amaris quickly pulled out her notebook from her backpack, which allowed Pitch to slither on and around her arm as she scribbled down the basic shape of the crop circle. ¡°It is worthy of investigation. And it does look neat. Not sure why you dragged me out here, though¡­¡±

    ¡°Because I can show it to you and it won¡¯t blow up or try to kill you or make you suffer or anything!¡± Jenny said, beaming. ¡°Just. Circles!¡±

    Amaris smiled. ¡°It is pretty neat.¡± She took a moment to take in the precise mathematical beauty that had been placed over the field. It wasn¡¯t quite symmetric, but the asymmetry was beautiful in a way Amaris couldn¡¯t describe. Perhaps by making enough sketches and studying them she would come to understand¡­

    ¡°Anything else you¡¯d like to tell me about?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°Well, I did run into a large hairy hamster creature I think was from the Strider. Bashed its skull in. But in the process of fighting it, I hit something invisible. Some weird eyeball bat thing appeared for a split second and then ran away in a panic.¡±

    ¡°¡­Flying eyeballs and hairy hamsters. Seems¡­ tame.¡±

    Jenny shrugged. ¡°Maybe your curse is wearing off slowly or something?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, things still happen. We might just be building to something.¡± Amaris glanced at her watch. ¡°I should probably get going to school.¡±

    ¡°Still have no idea why you bother with that, you already know everything you need.¡±

    ¡°Socialization, societal expectation, and believe it or not I¡¯m not the best at language so it¡¯s actually not useless. Though it is infuriatingly inefficient.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°I could teach math better than Mr. Bink.¡±

    ¡°I bet.¡± Jenny jumped off the warehouse and cracked both of her legs. Amaris landed with a much more elegant roll. The two friends stood up and walked away, chatting about life, strangeness, and what else might happen to them.

    The corn at the edge of the field rustled. Two round, orange eyes stared out from between the stalks. The eyes watched closely as the two girls walked away.

    ~~~

    Amaris¡¯ school was a somewhat high-class one attached to Nuk University. She only got to go because her father was a professor of Mathematics at the university, and anyone who worked there had the opportunity to send their child to the school on the University¡¯s outskirts. It was well-funded, so students were never hurting for materials, but there were some problems that money couldn¡¯t solve. Such as bad teachers and inefficient curriculum mandated by the government of Yeshalo for reasons nobody seemed to know.

    The money did, however, make it so the cafeteria food was actually good. The students at Nuk High ate well and ate plentifully. Today, Amaris had selected a bowl almost entirely filled with shrimp. Well-cooked shrimp with butter at that! Granted, this wasn¡¯t available every day, but today it was and that was great.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    The cafeteria itself was very large and full of utter chaos. Amaris had to move carefully and jump around a few times to keep random students from accidentally spilling her food on the floor. She had to watch both for the wild swinging of human arms and the presence of cats at her feet. The student body was roughly half and half of the two different species. Prior to her adventures, Amaris hadn¡¯t thought about this fact too much, but now that she¡¯d returned it was glaringly obvious to her that there was a third type of person not represented in the masses. She still wasn¡¯t sure what to make of this, if anything.

    Amaris¡¯ thoughts were interrupted when a cat tried to jump into her food. Amaris recognized Judit, a well-known bully. Amaris had so far managed to escape Judit¡¯s notice, but it looked like today she was finally on Judit¡¯s torture rotation.

    Amaris wasn¡¯t about to have any of this and quickly jumped over the jumping cat, landing cleanly on the other side of her and walking toward the table her friends sat at.

    ¡°Wh¡­ hey! You! Girl!¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± Amaris asked, trying to look as innocent as possible.

    ¡°Where¡¯d you learn to do that?¡±

    ¡°A distant land. I can show you more if you want.¡± She noticed that Judit¡¯s posse was starting to form around her. Amaris realized with some amusement that she could probably knock all of them to the ground without spilling her food. But that would probably get her in trouble. She needed another way out of this, since apparently just ¡°dodging¡± was enough to anger these people, and offering to show them things just made them angrier.

    ¡°It seems you¡¯re new here,¡± Judit said, approaching Amaris.

    ¡°Been here for a few months actually, I know who you are, Judit. I¡¯m Amaris.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask your name!¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t look like you knew it, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Wipe that smarmy look off your face.¡±

    Amaris wiped her face with her hand.

    ¡°That¡¯s it, you¡¯re gonna pay for that¡­¡±

    ¡°Look, Judit, what exactly do you want from me?¡± Amaris tilted her head to the side.

    ¡°Er¡­ what?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no lunch money to steal, I have no social standing to speak of, and I can probably run fast enough to grab a teacher at the worst moment for you.¡± To prove her point she jumped over one of Judit¡¯s girls that was trying to circle her from behind. ¡°Like that.¡±

    ¡°I want¡­ respect. And servitude.¡±

    ¡°Ah. And you can¡¯t get that from me so an example must be made out of me so everyone knows that not giving you those things is entirely unacceptable. And even if I get away now you¡¯ll find me outside of school or in some alley or something and beat me up there, and the police aren¡¯t going to take a bullying threat seriously¡­¡± Amaris clicked her tongue. ¡°Hmm, this really is annoying. Because I am flat out not going to respect you.¡±

    This seemed to confuse Judit more than anything. Which, honestly, was all Amaris had going right now. Maybe she¡¯d be confused enough to let her go? As it was, this probably was going to end with her being targeted and probably needing to ask for assistance. With bullies. Though, if she waited until they targeted her out of school, she could take them¡­ but that might get her in trouble since she was cursed with interesting.

    Man, this situation just kinda sucks in general.

    Judit narrowed her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve just publicly declared war in the middle of the cafeteria, Amaris. I will make you wish you had never been born.¡±

    ¡°Unlikely.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that, smart mouth. Everyone, grab her, we¡¯re going t¡ª¡±

    The doors to the cafeteria slammed open, revealing one of the teachers. ¡°We forgot that Network Eight was coming in to film the school! Everyone, whatever you¡¯re doing in two minutes will reflect on the school! So like¡­¡± the teacher gestured at Amaris and Judit. ¡°Whatever this is, stop it, or I¡¯ll find a way to expel everyone involved. The reputation of the school is on the line AGH!¡± With that, she ran out of the cafeteria.

    ¡°¡­Think you can beat me up in two minutes and not be caught on camera?¡± Amaris asked.

    Judit hissed. ¡°You won¡¯t last long, Amaris. Mark my words.¡±

    ¡°Marked.¡± And ignored.

    With that, Judit and her posse backed off. Amaris scrambled over to the table she sat at near a window. The window had a very specific purpose: if Jenny wanted to show up for lunch, she could. Currently, though, she wasn¡¯t here, and the only people at the table were Amaris¡¯ two school friends.

    One of them was a blonde girl with a semi-permanent sweet smile on her face. Unlike Amaris, she knew how to coordinate her outfit and had a nice white blouse with rose patterns on it that matched the flowers on her leggings, though the background color on these was predominantly black. She was slightly younger than Amaris, but not by much¡ªafter all, she had been one of Amaris¡¯ friends before Amaris had vanished, and was the only one to still remain.

    ¡°Hey Emma.¡±

    ¡°Amaris, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re insane or brilliant,¡± Emma said.

    ¡°She¡¯s both,¡± the third member of the table said. She was of a medium skin tone and had wiry dark blue hair. She wore a black jacket, designer jeans, and a shirt made out of some exotic fabric that Amaris wasn¡¯t interested in analyzing. She had a rather stunning ruby necklace as well as sparkling sapphire earrings. Her tail flicked in the air behind her.

    This was Rin. The only neko in the entire school.

    ¡°By the way, that¡¯s not a compliment,¡± Rin continued. ¡°The combination of your insanity and your brilliance results in explosions. Nuclear something something.¡±

    Amaris chuckled as she sat down, setting her bowl of shrimp on the table and her backpack on the ground. Pitch slithered out of the pack as soon as it was set on the ground and glared at Amaris.

    ¡°He seems upset,¡± Emma observed.

    ¡°I woke him up quickly today,¡± Amaris explained. ¡°He didn¡¯t get to hunt his cricket.¡± She pulled out a dried cricket and gave it to him. He ate it, but he still glared at her.

    ¡°You know, Mrs. Bifflesworth is trying to get Pitch banned from school¡­¡± Emma said.

    Amaris snorted. ¡°She¡¯ll have to go through Dad and Rin¡¯s Dad.¡±

    ¡°And nobody can tell my family what to do,¡± Rin said, leaning back and examining the glitter on her nails.

    ¡°I forget you two have family and connections to the school sometimes. Anyway¡­¡± Emma glanced over her shoulder. ¡°Anyone notice that Ralph hasn¡¯t signed up for the team yet?¡±

    Amaris groaned and Rin put her fingers to the bridge of her nose.

    ¡°Oh come on, Ralph¡¯s amazing!¡±

    Amaris pressed her hands together. ¡°He¡¯s a meathead.¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah, but being dumb doesn¡¯t make him a bad person! He¡¯s just so¡­ dreamy¡­¡±

    ¡°Then go talk to him.¡±

    ¡°Amaris, I do not have your self-confidence.¡±

    ¡°Going to talk to him would be a good way to get it,¡± Rin said. ¡°¡­Though it may cause other problems due to rejection, leading on, realizing that he¡¯s not as good of a person as you think from afar, or maybe he just has a murderous streak against certain people. Or me in particular.¡±

    ¡°Maybe don¡¯t give her reasons to panic?¡± Amaris suggested.

    At this point, the reporters from Network Eight arrived and their conversation died down. Amaris was pleasantly surprised to see it was Scarlet.

    ¡°And here we see the state-of-the-art cafeteria of Nuk High, making sure the students have the best of the best in terms of nutrition, flavor, and, of course, various allergenic workarounds. There¡¯s something here for everyone, and it¡¯s a great place for kids to get to know one another!¡± Scarlett was walking backward while looking at a cameraman, but she somehow managed not to trip over anything.

    Amaris took in Scarlet¡¯s outfit as she approached. Narrow rectangular glasses adorned her angular face, and her suit matched the bright color of her lengthy hair after which she was named. The suit had pointed shoulders, a feature Jenny would approve of were she here, and sported a blue zig-zag tie. Amaris had seen Scarlet many times, and she had never seen the same tie twice.

    ¡°¡­Nuk University currently wishes to expand further and plans to redistribute the budget are underway. However, they have promised that the quality of life for students will not be cut, even for the younger ones. So they can look forward to meals like this for years to come!¡± She held her grin for a few seconds before cutting across her neck to cut the video. ¡°And is that all we need? Because I think if we want to take it again we¡¯ll have to wait until tomorrow to get the timing right.¡±

    The cameraman indicated it was all good with a flick of his tail and a lifting of his paw.

    ¡°Great! See you for the next shoot.¡± At this point, Scarlet leaned onto the table. ¡°Why hello there, Amaris!¡±

    ¡°Hey, Scarlet.¡±

    Emma would have done a spit take were she drinking anything at the moment. ¡°You know Scarlet Taylor!?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah. We¡¯re neighbors.¡± Amaris blinked. ¡°I guess I never mentioned it.¡±

    ¡°Irene cooks a mean chimichanga,¡± Scarlet said.

    Emma¡¯s mouth watered. ¡°I know¡­ she cooked them for us last time we were there¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyway, this is Emma and Rin,¡± Amaris introduced. ¡°You all¡­ know Scarlet.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s only the best reporter in town!¡± Emma clapped her hands. ¡°This is so amazing! Hi! Can I have your autograph?¡±

    Scarlet pulled out a business card with her autograph on it. ¡°I come prepared.¡±

    Emma snatched it like it was a precious treasure.

    Rin rolled her eyes.

    Scarlet frowned. ¡°Hmm¡­ usually I give gifts to the kids who don¡¯t like me, but I can¡¯t think of anything the great Rin Kugimiya doesn¡¯t already have.¡± Scarlet chuckled. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll just have to break through to you the hard way.¡±

    ¡°Using me as a battering ram?¡± Amaris suggested.

    ¡°Yes, precisely,¡± Scarlet said with a wink. ¡°Anyway, Amaris, got any good stories sniffed out for me?¡±

    Amaris thought for a moment. ¡°You probably already know about the crop circles.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re already done shooting on that.¡±

    ¡°Jenny mentioned finding some kind of flying invisible eye.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s a new one.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t met Jenny, have you? I should introduce you sometime, she¡¯s fun. Though, uh, I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t do a story on her.¡±

    ¡°Consider it done. No stories on you, no stories on this Jenny.¡± Scarlet winked and gave Amaris a finger gun gesture. ¡°Always good talking with you, little miss interesting.¡±

    ¡°Let me know if you figure anything out!¡±

    ¡°If they won¡¯t put it on the Network you¡¯ll be among the first to know!¡± Scarlet waved warmly and walked off, returning to her film crew.

    ¡°¡­Amaris, do you know any other famous people you haven¡¯t told us about?¡± Emma asked. ¡°¡­Do you know President Castillero?¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh, no. And Scarlet¡¯s not really famous, Emma, Nuk isn¡¯t that big of a city. I do know famous people¡­ who are far away. And Coleus, I guess, but I¡¯ve already introduced you to her so¡­¡±

    ¡°Now who¡¯s feeding her crazy?¡± Rin asked.

    ¡°I think Emma¡¯s the sanest person I know. Dreams of boys, famous people, and flowers. Y¡¯know. Things girls are supposed to do.¡±

    ¡°She likes school though,¡± Rin said. ¡°That¡¯s not normal.¡±

    ¡°True.¡± Amaris gave Emma a smile. ¡°A normal girl wouldn¡¯t choose to hang around me, would she?¡±

    ¡°I mean, I have to be insane, you two always roll your eyes at whatever I think is cool.¡± Emma paused. ¡°Unless it¡¯s space. Space is cool.¡±

    ¡°And a lie,¡± Amaris added.

    ¡°That makes it even cooler! What actually is out there beyond the dark you found? What actually are the sun and moon?¡± Emma grinned. ¡°I¡­ I wanna know. I wanna see the coolness.¡±

    ¡°You know, wish that hard enough and my curse might just latch onto you and make you regret it.¡±

    ¡°In that case, let me clarify. Hey, mister curse? I do not want to go on adventures. I just want to see the results of adventures. K? K.¡± She looked rather proud and smug about this.

    Rin raised an eyebrow. ¡°If the curse had a mind I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯d be trying to put you on an adventure now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well¡­ then the curse is a meanie.¡±

    ¡°Obviously. It¡¯s a curse, Emma.¡±

    ¡°She made it work.¡±

    Amaris sat back and watched as her two friends argued over the nature of her curse. She wasn¡¯t sure why she found this so entertaining.

    ~~~

    Later that day, the three of them walked out of their last class¡­ and, as usual, had an hour to kill before Emma and Rin¡¯s bus arrived. Amaris had no bus since her home was within walking distance, she could easily make it back in half an hour. As such, the three of them just¡­ wandered around the school, talking. They were currently in a hallway with a lot of lockers and a few dozen students.

    ¡°Okay, so, using your words¡­¡± Emma started counting off her fingers. ¡°I have a counterpoint. It is not silly or frivolous to think about boys, it forges¡­ relational skills, spies out the potential for an excellent husband, and¡­ uh¡­ ¡­I was hoping for three reasons here¡­¡±

    ¡°Falling into the trap of not knowing where you¡¯re going when you start talking,¡± Amaris said, clicking her tongue. ¡°Dangerous. We¡¯ll weed it out of you eventually.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure she has the capacity within her,¡± Rin said. ¡°Much as you are incapable of dressing properly. That¡­ thing you are in right now. Garish.¡±

    Amaris twirled as though she were on a runway. Emma clapped.

    Rin opened her mouth like she wanted to object, but then a confused expression crossed over her face.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Emma asked.

    ¡°I just¡­ felt a strange urge to turn and walk away.¡±

    ¡°Mighta been funny,¡± Amaris said. ¡°If you timed it right.¡±

    ¡°Or you might just wanna get home already, like me,¡± Emma said with a groan. ¡°Why did classes have to end up like this? I want dinner¡­¡±

    Orville popped into Amaris¡¯ perceptions. ¡°Greetings!¡±

    ¡°Oh, girls, Orville just showed up,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Hi, Orville.¡±

    ¡°Freaky ghost¡­¡± Rin muttered.

    ¡°Hi Orville!¡± Emma said cheerfully, even though he was not in her memories right now.

    ¡°Such a pleasant girl,¡± Orville said. ¡°Anyway, Amaris, just dropping by. Went on a trip to the far north, found volcano creatures. I¡¯ll tell you more about it for your notebooks later. Has anything happened while I was gone?¡±

    Amaris shook her head. ¡°No, not really. Jenny¡¯s found some crop circles, if you want to check those out. Otherwise same as usual.¡±

    ¡°Great. In that case, I¡¯m off to pay Irene a visit. Hopefully the customers haven¡¯t driven her insane yet.¡± He tipped his hat and vanished.

    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t seen him myself I would still think you were crazy,¡± Rin said.

    ¡°Magic is real, and nobody can deny it anymore,¡± Amaris said with a chuckle. ¡°You just happen to get a front-row seat.¡±

    ¡°Joy.¡±

    At this point, Amaris noticed something odd.

    The hallway was abandoned except for the three of them.

    Amaris narrowed her eyes. ¡°Girls, something¡¯s up.¡±

    Emma immediately inched closer to Amaris. Rin rolled her eyes. ¡°Really, Amaris?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m serious. The hallway is abandoned. It¡¯s never abandoned.¡±

    Rin glanced around, frowning. Not only was it abandoned, but every single locker was closed and locked tight. The hair on her tail started to stand on end. ¡°We need to run, don¡¯t we?¡±

    Amaris tilted her head. ¡°Maybe, but from what and where?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know, we just need to run.¡±

    ¡°Jenny will protect us, right?¡± Emma asked.

    Amaris shook her head. ¡°We can¡¯t count on that, whatever¡¯s made everyone vanish from the hall could have made her vanish as well¡­¡± She turned to Rin. ¡°You said earlier that you had a strange urge to turn and walk away all of the sudden. Maybe something caused that.¡±

    ¡°¡­I got something similar,¡± Emma said. ¡°But I just thought it was me being hungry¡­¡± She gripped Amaris by the arm. ¡°I-is something going to eat us?¡±

    ¡°Not if I can help it,¡± Amaris said. The school didn¡¯t allow any weapons, so she didn¡¯t have her bow on her, but she did have some fragments of the anti-magic crystals. She always kept those on her.

    She whipped her head left and right, trying to find anything to indicate what was wrong. However, all her eyes showed her was an empty hallway in both directions. Her ears, however, told her a different story. She could hear something a fair distance away grinding along the ground¡­ like some kind of massive granite stone that was rolling slowly toward them.

    ¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯s that way,¡± Amaris said, pointing down the hall. ¡°Back the other way, Rin, keep your eyes behind us in case there¡¯s something over there.¡±

    ¡°G-got it,¡± Rin stammered. Emma was in no position to do much more than slowly back away, horror evident on her face. They¡¯re just kids, Amaris noted. Even Rin¡¯s not prepared for this.

    As they backed away, Amaris determined that whatever was following them was not truly invisible¡ªshe saw two pupil-less orange eyes appear as if they were rolling along the outside of an invisible sphere. The rolling stopped as soon as the eyes were directly forward, and the grinding sound ceased.

    The only sound was the heavy near-panicked breathing from Emma.

    The creature dropped its invisibility, revealing itself to actually be made out of granite. The eyes looked painted on, despite the fact that they were glowing. Everything about it seemed old, worn, and decaying. The only other defining feature was its mouth¡ªa pie-shaped wedge cut out of its front that was filled with granite teeth lined up in row after row, dozens of rows going so far back there was no way that much space could physically exist within the granite sphere they were looking at.

    The teeth began whirling like a chainsaw. The beast began to roll at them, except this time the eyes and the mouth remained fixed on them, sliding across the surface of the sphere like it wasn¡¯t really part of them.

    Amaris didn¡¯t think she could kick her way through a stone monster, and an anti-magic plan would probably only stop the infinite mouth, allowing them to be crushed by the rock. So the only option really was to run right now.

    ¡°Run!¡± Amaris called. Rin listened¡ªEmma didn¡¯t, so Amaris had to hoist the girl up in her arms and take off down the hallway. Emma may have been a light girl, and Amaris very strong, but she was still slowed by the weight of a whole other person in addition to her backpack. Amaris realized with some annoyance that the direction they were heading was deeper into the school, but she didn¡¯t really have any other options.

    The hall was filled with the sounds of Amaris and Rin¡¯s feet mixed with Emma¡¯s soft sobs¡ªat least the girl wasn¡¯t resisting being carried. Amaris pushed all of this aside and focused on one thing: how to keep them alive. She brought up her mental map of the school, looking for some kind of window or path to the exit. To her shock, there simply wasn¡¯t one in the direction they were going. It led to the central classrooms for the seniors, all of which were in the center of the building.

    Who designs a school like this!?

    She hadn¡¯t figured out a course of action by the time they arrived at the end of the hallway, so she darted to the left without really thinking. They were a little faster than the rolling creature, but that wasn¡¯t going to mean much if there was nowhere to go.

    Amaris¡¯ choice led them into another, shorter hallway that was slightly wider, but still not wide enough to safely look at the ball chasing them. In fact, she didn¡¯t think any of the classrooms here were large enough for that¡ªshe could do it, certainly, but making sure all three of them survived while dancing around a bunch of classroom desks wasn¡¯t something she trusted herself to do.

    If looping it wouldn¡¯t work, perhaps angering it, getting it to charge and embed itself in a wall? That was extremely risky and would involve her playing decoy. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t exactly going fast, it might not get stuck long enough for them to get around it. She filed the idea away for later in case she ran out of options.

    Finally, though, her mental map gave her something interesting. The hallways in this part of the school looped. They just had to run all the way around the section and make it back to the start, at which point they could run to the exit.

    It would be a long run, but it was doable.

    Rin collapsed onto the ground.

    But she won¡¯t be able to make it, and I won¡¯t be able to carry both of them effectively¡­ She still reached down to help Rin up. ¡°We¡¯ll need to run a lot longer to go for my current escape plan. Can you do it?¡±

    Rin shook her head, breathing too heavily to speak.

    Amaris glanced back at the stone rolling at them. They had some distance between them, but only a few seconds. She let out a terse breath and threw Emma into the air so she could pick Rin up and stack them both on top of each other. Now the weight was too much for her and the stone thing would catch up, but her new plan didn¡¯t involve running for much longer. It involved a gamble.

    ¡°Rin! Get the crystals out of my backpack!¡±

    Rin was aware enough to do this while Amaris ran, getting the crystals that had been harvested from the arrowheads. Each one was bound together with string, allowing two crystals to flash in sequence, continually active.

    ¡°Good. Now smash the lock when we get there!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Smash the lock when we get there!¡±

    She slid to a dramatic stop in front of a heavy, metal door that had a huge padlock on it. The sign on the door said BASEMENT: NO ENTRY. Was this going deeper into the school? Yes. However, Amaris didn¡¯t know what the rooms were like down there, and if she knew anything, basements were used for storage and often had very large rooms, especially for buildings of this sort. Might even be some things in there she could use, maybe some chemistry experiment chemicals, or something.

    Rin drove the crystals into the lock, their supreme sharpness utterly destroying the lock¡ªand making a few cuts in her hands as her attack was very uncontrolled. But that was enough, the door could be opened. As Amaris¡¯ hands were still very busy with two people, she reached out and opened the door for them¡ªit was a very rusty and awkward knob, to be sure.

    It led to a stairwell that descended deep into the ground, deeper than any basement should have been built.

    ¡°Welp!¡± Amaris said, jumping through the door. ¡°Into the frying pan and into the fire, I guess!¡± She turned around, pushing the door closed with her foot. It was heavy, metal, and reinforced. ¡°I sure hope we didn¡¯t just release something¡­¡±

    Before she could get it fully closed, though, the stone creature arrived, ramming itself into the doorframe. The force was at an angle¡ªthe creature was trying to prop the door open, not force it open¡ªbut it was still enough to knock Amaris back from the door. Even with her excellent coordination, she was unable to hold her footing and was forced to backpedal down the stairs. There would be no closing the door.

    So, instead, she twisted around¡ªan act that twisted her ankle since she was so heavy¡ªand ran down the stairs.

    Running down stairs is a very dangerous activity. But it is very fast, which is quite necessary in situations where one is being chased by a rolling ball that has no issue at all going downhill at a rapid pace.

    Despite the difficulties, they did arrive at the basement. But it was not at all what Amaris was expecting. Sure, it was made largely of polished stone, and it was a bit larger than the rooms above ground, but nothing was stored here. It was completely empty. There were walls, metal doors like the one at the top of the stairs, and that was it. There wasn¡¯t even any dust.

    She wasn¡¯t sure anyone had been down here in years.

    She ran to one of the metal doors, starting to feel the pain in her legs. She had been careful to keep her physical health up, but this was a bit extreme. Her legs would give out if they had to keep this level of nonsense up for much longer. Rin pulled the door open and they entered another room with nothing in it, but there was a door on the other side.

    A lightbulb went off in Amaris¡¯ head. I just need to find a way to cycle around¡­

    The sound of rock rolling along rock told her she did not have much time. She had to hope the loop she wanted would be a short one, or one she could make faster than the beast. She bolted across the room and opened the door, finding another empty room, but this one had multiple doors and was much larger.

    She didn¡¯t trust herself to try to dodge around the creature at the moment, so she went with her current plan. She chose the door that looked like it might lead back to the original room eventually. The room on the other side looked identical to the one two doors previously¡­ except there was a full human skeleton encased in some kind of glass cube situated to the side.

    Think about that later, it¡¯s not useful. ¡­Might be dangerous though.

    She ran across the room. Rin opened the door¡­ and they arrived back where they had been originally. Good. I can loop it.

    She did not trust herself to climb the stairs, she wasn¡¯t sure if the beast could follow. However, she had a better idea. She ran back to the first room they had entered. The moment she did so, she dropped her two friends and slammed the door shut. There was no lock, but the doorknob¡¯s bolt was rusty and very firm.

    The spherical monster rammed into the door. There was a supremely loud clang that made everyone¡¯s ears hurt¡­ but the massive door held.

    Amaris wasted no time running to the other side of the room and closing that door.

    ¡°A-amaris! You just sealed us in!¡± Rin shouted.

    ¡°I¡¯m just covering my bases in case it¡¯s smarter than it looks,¡± Amaris said. There was another loud clank from the same door as before. ¡°And it doesn¡¯t seem to be the case.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll break that door down eventually¡­¡±

    Amaris examined the door, frowning. The door hadn¡¯t budged. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure¡­ but we don¡¯t need it to last lo¡ª¡± she was interrupted by another loud clang. ¡°¡­We don¡¯t need it to last long anyway. Emma, can you stand?¡±

    Sniffling, Emma stood. ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°I need you and Rin to stand next to that door over there, the one the monster isn¡¯t at, with my backpack.¡± She took off her backpack and handed it to them¡ªthough Pitch opted to stay on her, wrapping around her neck. ¡°You need to be ready to open it and run through at a moment¡¯s notice. Got it?¡±

    Emma nodded slowly while Rin did so dutifully.

    ¡°Our goal is to trap the creature in this room. It has no hands, it can¡¯t use doorknobs.¡±

    Rin and Emma did as asked. Meanwhile, Amaris herself approached the door the creature was periodically slamming into. With a deep breath, Amaris placed her hand on the knob. She took in a sharp breath. Please let this work.

    Amaris waited for a clank. Then she opened the door and took off at full sprint. ¡°NOW!¡±

    Emma and Rin opened the door and ran through. Rin remembered what they were doing and stayed behind to slam the door shut just after Amaris passed through it.

    ¡°Make sure the knob is secure!¡± Amaris yelled back as she continued running. At full speed, she was a sight to behold. Even exhausted, she moved like the wind, pumping her arms left and right and taking extremely tight turns by jumping and ramming her foot into the ground at an angle. She passed through the skeleton room once again and returned to the original room.

    She could see it. Through the doorway, the stone creature, ramming against the door Rin had closed.

    Gotcha.

    As she closed the distance to the door, her footsteps alerted the creature. It turned around and saw her approaching it. It had no facial expression, but she sensed that it was quite angry. It charged.

    Amaris ran to the door, grabbed the knob, and pulled it shut.

    The slam was nowhere near as loud as the previous ones, but the finality of it sent shivers down Amaris¡¯ spine.

    ¡°We¡­ we did it!¡± Amaris shouted. ¡°It¡¯s trapped!¡±

    Rin and Emma emerged from the skeleton room, carrying Amaris¡¯ backpack. She graciously accepted it back from them, taking a moment to take stock of the two of them. Rin was clearly shaken but was able to hold herself up. Emma, on the other hand, was a red-faced sniffling mess who shook with every step.

    ¡°Emma¡­ let¡¯s get you out of here,¡± Amaris said, putting an arm around her friend¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°H-how do you do it?¡± Emma stammered.

    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t have a choice.¡±

    At this point, Jenny ran down the stairs, fists aflame. ¡°All right, I hear the monster, where is it!?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± Rin spat.

    Jenny performed a quick head count. ¡°You all seem fine.¡±

    ¡°We just ran for our lives from a giant¡­ ball¡­ mouth¡­ monster thing!¡±

    ¡°And none of you are injured or dead, that means I didn¡¯t arrive too late.¡± She dusted off her gloves. ¡°So, where i¡ª¡± There was a loud clang from the door behind them. Emma winced. ¡°Ah. There. Trapped, I guess?¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°This¡­ basement seems to be a good place to hold things. I am¡­ really not sure why, though. There¡¯s also a skeleton encased in glass in that room over there.¡±

    Jenny poked her head through and, sure enough, there was the skeleton. ¡°Weird.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll explore this place for you,¡± Jenny said, flexing her wrist. ¡°You get the other two to safety.¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s get you girls home.¡±

    ¡°Home¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Amaris returned later that afternoon to the basement with a lock. A lock she had the key to, naturally, but a lock nonetheless. She replaced the one they¡¯d broken¡­ and then descended the stairs.

    The basement looked much the same as before, though Jenny had moved some heavy furniture and placed it in front of the door keeping the rock monster in. Currently, it wasn¡¯t trying to ram into or destroy anything. All of the other doors had been opened. One of them looked like it had been burned and battered.

    ¡°Jenny!¡± Amaris called.

    Her words easily echoed through the basement, reaching Jenny quickly. ¡°Coming!¡± The immortal child took a minute to get to her, but arrive she did.

    ¡°So, what have you found?¡±

    ¡°These doors are extremely strong, I¡¯m not even sure what they¡¯re made of,¡± Jenny said. ¡°The punches weren¡¯t doing anything to them. I¡¯d have more luck tunneling through the rock walls! Which¡­ yeah it turns out I can do. Rock punch for the win.¡± She flexed her wrist.

    ¡°Did you find anything?¡±

    ¡°More skeletons encased in¡­ well I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s not actually glass but it sure looks like it. All human, no cats, no neko, nothing else. I¡¯ve found four edges to the area but I haven¡¯t mapped the entire thing out yet, so this isn¡¯t some endless corridor nonsense. But¡­ there¡¯s like, nothing down here at all but the skeletons. It¡¯s lifeless here.¡±

    ¡°And nothing strange happened to you while you were here?¡±

    Jenny shook her head. ¡°Absolutely nothing.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ we¡¯ll need to test a bit more to make sure this place is truly inert and not a curse waiting to happen. But if it is safe¡­ nobody uses it, so we might be able to use it.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°Some of the things we encounter can¡¯t be killed or destroyed, or maybe we don¡¯t want to do that to them. We¡­ could keep them here.¡±

    ¡°¡­Lock monsters in the school basement?¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­ it¡¯s probably the safest place to put them, if even you couldn¡¯t destroy those doors. The school¡¯s clearly not using it¡­¡± Amaris frowned. ¡°And I don¡¯t think I could even ask for permission. The university¡¯s official stance is still that magic isn¡¯t real.¡±

    ¡°Idiots.¡±

    ¡°I think more like slow bureaucracy.¡± Amaris tapped her foot. ¡°Until we find a better place to deal with all the things that go after me, we can use here.¡±

    Jenny shrugged. ¡°If you think so. Seems like a disaster waiting to happen for me.¡±

    ¡°Same here. But we should be trying to deal with all these things rather than just trying to survive. Remember, I do want to turn this curse into a way to help more people.¡± She shook her head. ¡°This town used to be normal, and now the Strider¡¯s brought all sorts of nonsense¡­¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ Amaris?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure this basement has been here much longer than the Strider has, and a basement full of nothing but glass-encased human skeletons is not normal.¡±

    Amaris blinked. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s true.¡± A shiver ran down Amaris¡¯ spine. ¡°My curse doesn¡¯t make new things¡­ it just makes things that are already there show themselves.¡± She placed her hand on one of the basement walls, frowning. ¡°¡­There was that mirror in the Cat-ival. There¡­ of course there could be more.¡±

    Pitch licked her cheek.

    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with this, Jenny.¡± Amaris took a step back from the wall. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is. But there¡¯s something wrong. And we¡¯re going to figure out what it is.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡±

    Amaris giggled. ¡°Yeah. Anyway, I¡¯m going home to have dinner, got quite the story for Mom and Dad today.¡±

    ¡°What are they going to think about you locking monsters in the school basement?¡±

    ¡°Dunno. I expect Dad will immediately try to find a way to use his influence to get somewhere ¡®better¡¯ and less ¡®legally dubious.¡¯ Mom will want to come down and see it. I¡¯m more worried about Emma¡¯s parents, honestly, if they ever find anything out. She won¡¯t even tell them about Rin¡¯s existence, and I can¡¯t bring myself to blame her.¡±

    ¡°What about Rin¡¯s parents?¡±

    ¡°Currently believe the stories she tells them about me are exaggerations.¡±

    ¡°Well we can fix that¡­¡±

    ¡°Most people don¡¯t believe us, we don¡¯t have time to go out of our way and clarify everything to everyone.¡± Amaris shrugged. ¡°It is¡­ the way it is. Anyway, see you around.¡± She hoisted up her backpack and set off to home.

    Home.

    She could go home after adventures, now.

    A big, stupid grin sat on her face the entire way back.

 Expunged

    EPISODE XV

    Expunged

    Amaris quite liked the very tall chairs at her therapist¡¯s office. Supposedly, they were present so cats could sit on them and be of comparable eye level to humans. However, the chairs were padded and large enough to hold humans, so she always sat on them and kicked her legs back and forth the entire time.

    Her therapist was a small brown cat by the name of Antonio Valente, who wore a simple collar and bow tie, the color and pattern of which changed regularly, though now that she had seen him enough times, Amaris had noticed he was starting to cycle through the ones he owned.

    ¡°So¡­ you left it there, locked it beneath the school?¡±

    ¡°I mean, what else were we going to do with it?¡± Amaris asked with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s secure there, nobody¡¯s using the area, and it¡¯s not like I want to try to move it anywhere. That just sounds like a recipe for disaster¡­¡± She tilted her head to the side. ¡°Dad tried to figure out if he could section off the area, but it¡¯s not even on the building¡¯s floor plan so as far as the University is concerned it doesn¡¯t exist, can¡¯t be rented out, and all paperwork about it is a ¡®glitch.¡¯ Scarlet¡¯s looking into the historical records for us to figure out where the basement came from. So far, no leads.¡±

    Antonio was silent for a moment, and then he chuckled. ¡°Well, that¡¯s certainly a story. Which I do believe, not saying it¡¯s not real.¡±

    ¡°Antonio, at this point I know you trust me, you don¡¯t have to keep clarifying.¡±

    ¡°Force of habit, I do have many patients. You have a lot less self-doubt than most, which is a very good thing. You should be proud of how you¡¯re able to carry yourself, Amaris.¡±

    Amaris shrugged. ¡°It really doesn¡¯t feel all that special. I just¡­ am, and all the bad stuff is part of me. The curse is also a gift and I wouldn¡¯t be where I am today without it. Without me, for instance, that stone creature would probably be roaming around crushing people, but since it targeted me I was able to get it locked up where it¡¯ll never hurt anyone again.¡± She smiled. ¡°That¡¯s what my life is for.¡±

    ¡°You are still free to define your life as you wish.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s true, but I don¡¯t care even if it is. I want to put this curse to use. So many nasty things have come out of the Strider, and there might even be a few things already here. I can find them just¡­ by existing.¡±

    ¡°You have a noble heart, Amaris.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, but I¡¯m not exactly sure I did anything to earn it.¡±

    ¡°Most wouldn¡¯t, I¡¯d say. Such things are a gift.¡±

    ¡°As are flaws, in a way.¡±

    Antonio nodded. ¡°Indeed they are, for they are what makes us¡­ us.¡± He paused for a moment, and chuckled. ¡°Sometimes I wonder if you¡¯re the therapist in this relationship.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ you don¡¯t have all the scary experiences living rent-free in the back of your mind.¡±

    ¡°True. All I have are accounts from other people of the things.¡±

    ¡°And I actually¡­ have a question for you.¡± Amaris folded her arms. ¡°¡­My teachers keep suggesting I should join the gymnastics team.¡±

    Antonio took in a deep breath. ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think I can really explain to them what Toad did to me without being accused of lying. But they keep pushing.¡± Amaris shook her head. ¡°Antonio, I really don¡¯t want to be on a stage showing off¡­ me ever again. But most everyone is convinced that I should want the glory and the fame¡­ sure, they can¡¯t force me to do it, but they can keep asking, keep mentioning it, keep offering to just have me ¡®come watch¡¯ and¡­ eeeegh!¡± She crossed her legs and sat forward, frustration building up. ¡°There¡¯s no freaky magic evil here for me to run away from or figure out how to defeat, it¡¯s just people being people, and some of them are really doing it because they think it would be good for me!¡±

    Antonio nodded. ¡°In cases like yours, I usually recommend keeping your abilities a secret so people don¡¯t notice them, but given your tendency to encounter the strange and unusual, that may not be possible.¡±

    ¡°I also use it to avoid getting decked or embarrassed by bullies.¡± She frowned. ¡°And still, Judit has it out for me anyway despite my best efforts¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you afraid of her?¡±

    ¡°No, I could take her and her entire posse, but they probably won¡¯t resort to violence first and will just be annoying. I¡¯m expecting a toilet-papered house, a rotten egg in the mailbox, awkward confrontations that I have to run away from¡­¡± she put her fingers to the sides of her head and started rubbing it around. ¡°I wish it were possible to just ignore them. But fate has other plans.¡±

    ¡°It sounds as though the fantastical and extreme are comfortable to you, but the mundane challenges of everyday life are proving to be more difficult. You shouldn¡¯t feel ashamed of this, just because you¡¯ve gotten strong and experienced in one area doesn¡¯t mean you are in others.¡±

    ¡°But these issues are so¡­ so¡­ small!¡±

    ¡°Perhaps in the grand scheme of things, yes, but so are our lives in general. However, they are not small to you. You really have experienced great horrors, and because of them you have good reason to not want to be put on display; but just because you¡¯ve experienced these horrors and adapted to them does not mean you should be able to handle social situations you have not encountered before. Yes, these things are small, but you haven¡¯t dealt with them before, why should you just be able to handle it?¡±

    ¡°You make a good point and I don¡¯t like it.¡± Amaris rested her chin in her palms and let out an annoyed grunt.

    Antonio flicked his ears. ¡°As for practical advice, for the gymnastics you will probably just have to say that you do not feel comfortable doing any sort of public performance due to past experiences and if they doubt you, you can tell them your therapist agrees, and that you should not have to explain why to anyone.¡±

    Amaris blinked. ¡°I can use you as an excuse?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not an excuse, it¡¯s part of my job to help patients operate in the world, and if I think they shouldn¡¯t have to do something I can give an official medical recommendation. If anyone ever tries to force you into it, call me immediately, I do have some authority in the matter.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. The thing with the bullies is actually far more problematic, as I know how ineffective reporting bullies is.¡±

    Amaris snorted. ¡°Everyone who uses the system to report anyone gets all the bullies on them. Punish one, get seven more on you, and then the other one that was punished will return having learned nothing and start it all over again.¡± Amaris tapped her foot against the leg of the chair angrily. ¡°It¡¯s unjust, is what it is, the system needs to be better.¡±

    ¡°I agree. Sadly, school reform does not appear to be on the docket. However, you¡¯ve dealt with grand monsters and immense evil. Surely you can put up with a bunch of annoying kids?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not so much that I can¡¯t put up with it that I think there should be a solution that just deals with it, but, egh, I guess it can¡¯t just be that simple.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, no. But Amaris?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± She looked up, sensing he was going to say something important.

    ¡°You can do this. I mean it. You are one of my more well-adjusted patients and your spirit is very, very strong; you have been through the flames and come out all the better for it. You can do this, no matter how annoying or complicated something gets, you can do it.¡±

    ¡°I think you might be pushing it a bit there. I did break down several times on my journey.¡±

    ¡°And do you think if you encountered any of the things you faced again that you¡¯d break again?¡±

    Amaris thought for a moment, running through her adventure. The doppelganger¡­ the witch¡­ the Predateor¡­ even the Strider itself, if she were presented with them, she was pretty sure she¡¯d keep her head. Even if she woke up with the suit on again, as she still had nightmares about, she would still be able to make it through, she was almost sure of it. Would she feel comfortable? No, of course not. But she¡¯d face it.

    There were still probably things out in the world that would get to her, horrific things that could drive her mad¡­ but if she had to go through the entire journey again, she could do it.

    ¡°Huh¡­ thank you, Antonio,¡± Amaris said, brightening considerably. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about it like that before.¡±

    ¡°Just doing my job.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad my parents found you. I needed someone who would just¡­ believe me.¡±

    ¡°There are many people who see strange things. Some of them are insane, some are not, but all of them need an ear that will at least give them the time of day. I am ashamed to say that most of my colleagues are not able to give that ear.¡±

    ¡°You should consider training some new people.¡±

    ¡°You offering?¡±

    Amaris chuckled. ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. After all, I still have this gift of mine to use.¡±

    ¡°Figured I¡¯d ask.¡±

    ¡°Though if I find anyone who I think would be interested, I¡¯ll let you know. Who knows? It might be interesting if I did!¡±

    ~~~

    Later that day, Amaris hopped into the car with her parents and Irene. The car was a very ordinary, blue car with an overall square shape. It was late afternoon on Saturday, which meant it was time to go to the local Sanctuary for meditation service.

    Scarlet waved at them as they left the house. ¡°Have a good time!¡±

    Amaris¡¯ dad rolled down the car window. ¡°You¡¯re always welcome to join us, Scarlet.¡±

    Scarlet shook her head. ¡°You know I¡¯m not going to take you up on that offer.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to keep offering until you do.¡±

    ¡°Then you¡¯ll be offering for eternity, and this game we play will go on for¡­ well, ever.¡±

    ¡°Or until one of us moves,¡± Amaris¡¯ mom added.

    Scarlet nodded. ¡°That too. By the way, Amaris, still no updates on the basement beneath the school.¡±

    ¡°Not exactly surprised,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Anything on the stone creature?¡±

    ¡°A handful of red splatters on the ground that might have been caused by it, but they only go back about a week or two, so probably just another beast from the Strider.¡±

    ¡°Oh well, thanks anyway.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±

    ¡°Have a good evening,¡± Amaris¡¯ dad wished Scarlet.

    ¡°I will, got great plans for sitting alone in my basement tonight!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be going out with the family after meditation.¡±

    ¡°Sounds fun, hope the food¡¯s as good as Irene¡¯s.¡±

    Irene, who had been silent until this point, flushed. ¡°Y-you don¡¯t have to compliment my cooking every time, you know¡­¡±

    ¡°I will ask how it was later. Anyway, you all get going, you don¡¯t want to be late.¡± She waved them on, and Amaris¡¯ dad listened to her advice and drove off. Soon, they were out of the suburb and in the city of Nuk proper.

    Nuk was not a large city, but it was clearly a city complete with several suburbs, multiple farms on the outskirts, a downtown area with some buildings that approached the definition of a skyscraper without being large enough to definitely deserve the moniker, and of course now it had the Strider, which, while it was very tall, actually only had enough space to hold about half of Nuk¡¯s population, and it currently held much less.

    In between downtown and the suburbs, however, there were places that weren¡¯t fully either. Lines of stores, malls, and restaurants fighting over customers that drove by on the highway, and several places with lesser traffic that held the ¡°hidden gems¡± of the City. They would be going down one of those lesser-used streets later that night, but for now they were headed down a very active road that led to the Sanctuary of Keeper Harold. Had they been going in the morning, there would have been a traffic jam here since that was by far the more popular time for meditation service.

    Amaris¡¯ parents had grown tired of getting stuck in traffic, so they went to the late afternoon session. The Sanctuary was large enough that it had public services every day of the week at multiple times for everyone to come and sit in silence together for a time, as was tradition for the Aware, as they called themselves. There was generally a short message as well, though that was rarely intersting to Amaris.

    Upon arrival, they pulled into the parking lot next to two cars Amaris recognized¡ªa beat-up old pickup that looked like it was ready to fall apart at any moment and a sleek convertible with pixelated flames painted on the side. The two people these vehicles belonged to were standing on the sidewalk, talking to each other.

    The owner of the pickup was Grandpa Kelvin, Amaris¡¯ grandfather on her dad¡¯s side, a man with a truly massive white mustache, huge circular glasses, a floppy black hat, and a sweater. He always wore sweaters, and seemed to have one of every color; today¡¯s was a pleasant forest green.

    The owner of the convertible was Auntie Nina, the older sister of Amaris¡¯ mom. Despite being older, Auntie Nina had more youthful energy about her, wearing bright clothing such as a long t-shirt with a stylized logo of a video game controller and earrings that looked like health potions.

    Amaris only caught the tail-end of the conversation when her dad cut the car¡¯s gas. Auntie Nina was talking. ¡°¡­and I am being serious, Old Man! I think you¡¯d really enjoy the exploration of the game! You always talk about how when you were a kid you¡¯d just hike into the forest and see what you wanted to see¡­ well you can still do that in a game!¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t think it would be the same, Nina, but you are quite insistent¡­¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯ll give it a shot?¡±

    ¡°Eh, sure.¡±

    ¡°Are you letting her indoctrinate you, Old Man?¡± Amaris¡¯ mom said, stepping out of the car while shaking her head.

    Grandpa Kelvin grinned. ¡°It¡¯s not like she¡¯s trying to get me to do anything crazy.¡±

    ¡°Next thing I know both of you will be acting like children¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that such a bad thing?¡± Amaris asked as she gave her greeting hugs to Grandpa Kelvin and Auntie Nina. ¡°Nina¡¯s been a lot more fun since I came back.¡±

    ¡°And proud of it!¡± Nina declared, putting her hands on her hips. ¡°By the way, you owe me a rematch at Duel Slimes.¡±

    ¡°After the meditation, you¡¯re on.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t forget to charge your GameBrick this time, did you?¡±

    ¡°Nope!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡±

    Amaris¡¯ mom put her hand behind her back. ¡°You know, Dmitri, sometimes I like the new hobby my sister¡¯s found¡­ and sometimes I think it¡¯s just embarrassing how much she hangs around the rowdy young crowd.¡±

    ¡°Gamers are hardly drug-crazed partiers,¡± Amaris¡¯ dad added.

    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised,¡± Auntie Nina said.

    ¡°Nina, I¡¯m trying to help you here.¡±

    ¡°While I appreciate the effort, I don¡¯t need any help and making my sister uncertain is one of my favorite pastimes.¡± She slapped her sister on the back, grinning. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    ¡°Well it certainly isn¡¯t left,¡± her sister said.

    ¡°But what did we leave behind?¡±

    ¡°Our butts, hopefully.¡±

    As the two sisters devolved into friendly nonsense banter, Amaris turned to Grandpa Kelvin. ¡°So¡­ you sure nothing strange has been happening to you?¡±

    Grandpa Kelvin shook his head. ¡°Nope, life¡¯s been normal as normal.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ I worry sometimes.¡± She glanced at Nina. ¡°I wasn¡¯t even here and her life suddenly got more interesting. Not that I¡¯m complaining, she¡¯s a much more involved person now, it¡¯s just¡­ I can¡¯t help but feel it wasn¡¯t her choice but my curse that forced it on her, and I worry about you.¡±

    ¡°I still live alone in that house, spending the day writing down tales of my exploits that¡¯ll never be published.¡± Grandpa Kelvin shrugged. ¡°Same as it has been for the last ten years.¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ let me know, okay?¡±

    ¡°Amaris, you will be the first to know if I can get your mom to hand you the phone.¡±

    ¡°Or if you can find me, for all you know I¡¯ll be in an alternate dimension at the time.¡±

    ¡°Touche. Oh! I¡¯ve got something for you¡­¡± He glanced to her parents and quickly slipped her a handful of gummy candies.

    ¡°You know they know you do this.¡±

    ¡°Of course, but they don¡¯t know how much I give you and it¡¯ll stay that way.¡±

    Amaris giggled, shoving the candies into her mouth. They were quite delicious, though not anything special. With that, Grandpa Kelvin and Amaris rejoined the rest of the conversation.

    ¡°So, Irene,¡± Auntie Nina was saying. ¡°I have two coupons for a free treatment at the spa. I was thinking you might wanna join me?¡±

    ¡°You? A spa treatment?¡± Irene raised her eyebrows incredulously.

    ¡°Ah, you got me!¡± Nina put her hands over her chest as though she had been shot. ¡°Sniped!¡± She slapped her leg. ¡°Yeah, all the fancy froo-froo stuff may not be my thing, but I know it¡¯s yours, and I do have these coupons. C¡¯mon, I know you¡¯ll enjoy it.¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­ I will¡­¡± Irene nervously tapped her fingers together. ¡°I don¡¯t know, going for a full treatment¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there to do all the talking and get you exactly what you need. I grew up with the artist over there, I know the exact thing to order.¡±

    ¡°I choose to take that as a compliment,¡± Amaris¡¯ mom said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Death of the author.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still kicking, ain¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°That foot of yours is firmly planted in the ground.¡±

    Amaris¡¯ dad chuckled and shook his head. ¡°I love this family.¡±

    ¡°And mister sentimental returns!¡± Nina declared, grinning.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be? We¡¯re all here, together, having¡­ the best time.¡± He adjusted his glasses. ¡°I thank Dia every day that the dark times are over, and that we can all be here together and just¡­ live.¡± He turned to Irene. ¡°Yes, even you.¡±

    ¡°M-m-me?¡± Irene stammered.

    ¡°You¡¯re part of this now whether you like it or not!¡± Grandpa Kelvin laughed. ¡°Try not to get overwhelmed by the smiles. ¡­I can see your smile growing, threatening to tear your face in half, I told you not to be overwhelmed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m s-sorry, it¡¯s just¡­¡± Irene quickly turned away, trying to subtly wipe her eyes, but she didn¡¯t fool anyone. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize¡­ th-thank you.¡±

    ¡°So¡­¡± Nina put her arm around Irene. ¡°About that spa visit¡­¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, I¡¯ll go. It¡¯s¡­ thank you.¡± She bowed slightly to them.

    ¡°Heartwarming as this all is, we should probably go inside so we aren¡¯t late,¡± Amaris said. ¡°It¡¯s starting soon.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right!¡± Auntie Nina clapped her hands together. ¡°To meditation!¡±

    ¡°If you can sit still,¡± Amaris¡¯ mom ribbed.

    ¡°Never going to let me live that down? Good. Good. You¡¯ve learned well.¡±

    The Sanctuary itself was a large structure painted bright white with Dia¡¯s triangle plastered all over it in its full glittering glory. When she was young, Amaris had never questioned why the Sanctuary was so big when the room they entered was only large enough for a few hundred people, but after her adventures, she understood¡ªthe rest of the structure was for the Keepers to live their lives.

    They found their seats, sat down, and waited for it to start. Keeper Harold, a human with a thick brown beard in white robes, was currently in the center of the room, waiting for all the people to shuffle in so he could begin. He checked his watch regularly, waiting for the exact time. When it arrived, he cleared his throat.

    ¡°Fellows Aware of the Truth, we are gathered here today¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Go forth to your homes, remembering what Dia has done for us in all that is, was, and will be. Wherever we go, She is with us, guiding us through our Choice.¡±

    With that, the Kelvins left the Sanctuary.

    ¡°You know, Keeper Harold¡­ is kind of boring,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°I agree¡­¡± Nina said with a yawn. ¡°He only talked for like five minutes at the end there, how did he manage to make it feel luke such a drag?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, he says good things, it¡¯s just¡­ there¡¯s not any feeling behind it, it¡¯s almost like he¡¯s reading it from a piece of paper.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that how all Keepers are?¡± Amaris¡¯ mom said. ¡°The message is not meant to excite, but to grow wisdom.¡±

    ¡°Keeper Ashton was much better. He felt more¡­ alive.¡±

    ¡°Keeper Ashton was a missionary,¡± Grandpa Kelvin said. ¡°It takes a very unusual and driven sort of person to go out into the frontiers and set up a Sanctuary. I¡¯ve seen a few in my time, and Amaris is right, they generally do feel more inspiring to just be around. However¡­ Amaris, you have to remember, most Keepers are just normal people. Harold¡¯s not some amazing adventuring mystic, he¡¯s just a guy.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Amaris put a finger to her chin. ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought about it like that before.¡±

    ¡°So give him a little break, he¡¯s still devoting himself to Dia, just in his own way that¡¯s not quite as flashy or impressive.¡±

    ¡°Got it. It¡¯s not like the short message was the purpose anyway. That would be the meditation itself, our collective thoughts, together and yet personal.¡±

    Grandpa Kelvin turned to his son and grinned. ¡°This girl of yours is becoming a little theologian.¡±

    ¡°You always said that we often learn more through experiences.¡±

    ¡°And I was right!¡±

    Auntie Nina whipped out her GameBrick. ¡°Amaris, remember that duel?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah!¡± Amaris turned to Irene. ¡°Irene, can you drive? Nina and I need to have a duel on our way to the restaurant.¡±

    ¡°M-m-me? Drive¡­ th-that?¡± Irene shakily pointed a finger at Nina¡¯s fancy convertible.

    ¡°She drives like a dream, you¡¯ll love her,¡± Nina said.

    ¡°B-but what if I crash!?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°¡­I do not have that level of confidence¡­¡±

    ¡°A good way to gain that level of confidence is to do it anyway!¡± Nina all but shoved Irene into the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Step on it, sister!¡±

    Irene proceeded to do all the pre-drive safety checks that almost nobody ever did. At least it gave Amaris and Nina time to get into the backseat and link their GameBricks together for a duel.

    Amaris lost.

    ~~~

    This week, for dinner, they were trying a new restaurant, opened recently by one of the previous inhabitants of the Strider, a gari by the name of Joraan. His plastic was a deep purple and he had opened Joraan¡¯s Cravings only a few weeks after the Strider had been defeated. Amaris¡¯ family had been nervous about coming to somewhere run by people from the Strider, but Scarlet had reviewed the restaurant herself recently and said that not only was it fine, but they had a sizable customer base that was native to Nuk.

    The restaurant specialized in what Nuk would consider ¡°exotic food¡± and what the people of the Strider would consider local cuisine. The menu was chosen very specifically to include things that smelled good to humans and cats, so the more noxious or disgusting aspects of the Strider were simply not present. There was, notably, not a single plant in the restaurant, a deliberate choice, allowing the mixed metal, stone, and plastic ornaments to give a very weak impression of what the Strider had been before Coleus overran it with greenery.

    Despite the theming and the food, it operated much like a normal restaurant. When the six of them entered, a neko server took them to their table and gave them a bunch of menus. It was clearly obvious that most of the restaurant¡¯s staff were nekos, and happy ones at that, who really seemed to love their jobs.

    ¡°How nice of Joraan to employ them,¡± Amaris¡¯ mother said as she opened the menu. ¡°If there¡¯s been one good thing about this Strider business, it¡¯s that the nekos are finally being given proper work.¡±

    ¡°They had proper work before,¡± Grandpa Kelvin said.

    ¡°No restaurant in town would have hired a neko by choice as a server.¡±

    ¡°Well, no, you have to think of the impression a place leaves, though. True or not, nekos are generally thought of as thieves, if you hire one as a server you shoot your business into the ground.¡±

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Seems to be working here,¡± Amaris said.

    Grandpa Kelvin sat back. ¡°Take a look around at the customers, Amaris.¡±

    Amaris had already done so and knew immediately what her grandpa was referring to. About half of the patrons were inhabitants of the Strider, and most of the other half were nekos themselves. This was not to say there were no humans and cats in here, there were quite a few, most of whom looked like locals, but they were in the minority. Amaris sighed. ¡°This place only works because it¡¯s generally for people not like us, I know¡­¡±

    ¡°I do find it strange that such an image of nekos is so prevalent¡­¡± Irene said. ¡°We didn¡¯t even have them where I came from. ¡­We had just humans in Unrust, actually, but I can¡¯t imagine a neko being given any more distrust than a normal outsider.¡±

    Amaris raised an eyebrow. ¡°The general vibe I got from the places around Unrust was that outsiders were driven out of town regularly just for looking at people strangely.¡±

    ¡°W-well¡­ yes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a very high bar to cross.¡±

    ¡°M-maybe not¡­¡± Irene started twiddling her thumbs.

    ¡°Y¡¯know, if I hadn¡¯t joined the gaming scene, I¡¯d still be nervous around them,¡± Nina said, sitting back. ¡°But they¡¯ve got some of the best close-knit tournament groups, and they don¡¯t call me Old Lady and laugh at me when I try to join the tournaments, so¡­¡±

    ¡°The dynamics between the three races has always been a complicated one,¡± Amaris¡¯ dad said, looking up from his menu. ¡°I personally think it¡¯s only gotten worse since the Strider came back. I originally thought that the nekos would become more integrated with the rest of us since there is something we could consider an enemy sitting right outside our borders¡­ but that doesn¡¯t seem to have happened. If anything, they¡¯ve gotten angrier.¡±

    Amaris frowned. ¡°Dad, the nekos are just tired of being treated like they are.¡±

    ¡°And why are they treated that way?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not actually sneaks, Dad.¡±

    ¡°Even your friends are, Amaris. Rin and Suuk are both great people and I¡¯m glad you know them, but you have to admit, they are what could be described as ¡®sneaks.¡¯ Just like cats are curious and humans are stubborn.¡±

    ¡°You got stubborn right,¡± Amaris muttered under her breath.

    ¡°Perhaps we shouldn¡¯t be talking about this so openly in a restaurant filled with nekos, hmm?¡± Amaris¡¯ mom suggested. ¡°Might not be the¡­ smartest decision.¡±

    Irene let out an eep and started looking around like any one of the patrons might murder her at any moment. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t look like anyone had been listening to them.

    At this point, a waitress came to them, a neko; naturally. ¡°Hello! My name is Namiwa and I will be your server this evening.¡± She flicked her tail and smiled warmly. ¡°Have you decided what to order?¡±

    Grandpa Kelvin chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry miss, looks like we managed to distract ourselves with questionable conversation. We¡¯ll need a few more minutes.¡±

    ¡°Okay! Take your time, I¡¯ll be back in a few.¡± She winked at them and made a friendly gesture with her hand before walking off and attending another table.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem sneaky to me¡­¡± Amaris muttered under her breath. She knew her mother heard her, but she said nothing and started talking instead about a new art piece she was working on involving the Mandelbrot set.

    ~~~

    The thoughts of the awkward conversation were soon left behind and everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves over plates of highly unusual, yet delicious, food. Amaris herself was eating some kind of fruit that sure looked and kind of felt like pink plastic, but melted in her mouth to produce a flavor that was sweet, sour, and unlike any fruit she had ever eaten yet nonetheless was definitely fruity. She had considered trying to sneak a few pieces of it to Pitch, but she couldn¡¯t be sure his digestion would accept it, and plus, people might see her and if Pitch was revealed that might not go well.

    She did find that quite annoying, now that she was back home what was ¡°socially acceptable¡± mattered a lot more. Pitch couldn¡¯t just be taken out randomly. She had to eat properly and not like a slob¡ªshe did find it annoying that Irene had been completely right about that. She was still a kid, so people permitted her a lot of leeway just for being young, but she knew that wouldn¡¯t last forever.

    At least it was easy to eat the weird plastic-fruit properly without making a mess.

    Amaris took a drink of her fizzy pink liquid¡ªshe had forgotten what it was called¡ªand then realized that she needed to use the bathroom.

    ¡°I gotta go,¡± she told her mom, standing up. ¡°Be right back.¡±

    For a moment, Amaris caught her mom¡¯s eyes dart across the various patrons of the restaurant, paying special attention to the nekos¡ªnot even the actual monstrous-looking people there, just the nekos. Amaris¡¯ heart sank as she saw this, but there was a glimmer of hope as her mother forcibly suppressed the desire to do anything about it and just said ¡°hurry back, Amaris.¡±

    Amaris hoisted her backpack onto her shoulders and went to the women¡¯s restroom. By the time she had sat down on the toilet, she was deep in thought.

    What was it with adults? Why couldn¡¯t they just¡­ see things differently? She remembered back when she had met Suuk, she didn¡¯t trust her at all¡­ and then¡­ she did? What exactly happened to do that? Suuk had saved her life, yes, but there hadn¡¯t been any discussion or talk or anything, it had just¡­ happened.

    How could she show something to her parents she wasn¡¯t even entirely sure how she had seen in the first place?

    She sighed, not able to find the answer. The best she had was just to keep exposing them to Rin, maybe she would eventually win them over, though Amaris¡¯ dad was right, she was a bit of a sneak. Not to mention also arrogant and full of herself just because her family was rich. Of course, if Suuk was still around, that would be even worse, the girl had made a career out of sneaking in and out of places she wasn¡¯t supposed to be as an agent for Sarah.

    That didn¡¯t mean every neko deserved to be distrusted¡­

    But why not? She kind of just¡­ knew it to be true, but the different races she had encountered really did seem to have differences about them and certain ways they tended to be. Gari were generally more emotional, qorvids were loud, and humans sure did have a stubborn streak. ¡­Or did they? She did know several humans who were pushovers¡­

    She started grumbling to herself about how all of this wasn¡¯t logical and it was all just people feeling things without thinking about them and she eventually went on an internal mental rant that went nowhere. Deciding that it would be best not to come back to the table with a sour look on her face, she pushed the thoughts out of her mind and finished her business.

    It was only then she noticed that there was a strange blackness around one of the tiles in the floor. She stared at it. The darkness had creeped around the edges, growing almost like little vines, surrounding the edges of the tile. As she stared at it, the darkness seemed to twitch, and she was sure it was growing, but the tile didn¡¯t get any more or less dark than it had been previously. Was it even moving at all? She couldn¡¯t really be sure.

    Whatever it was and whatever it was doing, it was clearly unnatural, clearly not intended. The darkness reminded her vaguely of what she had seen in Ashton¡¯s Sanctuary and the depths of the Strider.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to have to deal with this¡­¡± Amaris sighed. Rather than deal with it immediately, she left the bathroom and walked back to her family. Irene was looking directly at her plate, talking under her breath. Everyone else at the table looked decidedly amused.

    ¡°Orville, you have to stop coming to me in public, people are going to think I¡¯m a schizophrenic¡­¡± She paused, and her expression became decidedly annoyed. ¡°Oh ha-ha quite fu¡ªand he¡¯s gone.¡±

    ¡°That ghost of yours is a riot,¡± Grandpa Kelvin chuckled.

    ¡°He sure is¡­¡±

    Amaris walked up to the table but didn¡¯t sit down. ¡°So, Orville¡¯s not here any longer?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ no?¡± Irene asked. ¡°¡­Something¡¯s happened.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Weird dark tile in the bathroom. I¡¯m going to have to check it out, it¡¯s probably dangerous if left alone. It¡¯d be better if we could grab Jenny but I don¡¯t know where she is right now, and we can¡¯t just wait for Orville to come back. So¡­ Irene, you¡¯re with me, rest of you, sit tight while we hopefully deal with this thing.¡±

    Amaris¡¯ dad frowned. ¡°Amaris¡­¡±

    ¡°Dad, we talked about this. If the opportunity presents itself I will use my gift. You agreed, remember?¡±

    He folded his hands. ¡°You¡­ are correct. I still have my trepidations.¡±

    Auntie Nina stood up. ¡°I can watch her and provide some of my own protection.¡±

    Amaris raised an eyebrow. ¡°This isn¡¯t going to be like a video game Auntie Nina. ¡­Probably, anyway, it looks like dark demon stuff, but I could be wrong.¡±

    ¡°Well, then it¡¯ll be exciting!¡±

    Amaris looked her up and down. ¡°I guess I can¡¯t stop you if you want to come¡­ we shouldn¡¯t spend time arguing, I¡¯d suggest you stay here but¡­¡± she shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ve wasted enough time, come on.¡± Amaris set out with Irene fast at her heels and Nina a short way behind. The patrons gave them a few odd glances as the group of three entered the bathroom and made their way to the tile.

    ¡°Yep. That¡¯s darkness all right,¡± Auntie Nina said, letting out a low whistle.

    Amaris frowned, leaning down to investigate it without touching it. ¡°I have this feeling that it¡¯s gotten darker than what it was before¡­ but I can¡¯t prove it? Maybe it¡¯s just moved?¡±

    ¡°Maybe it messes with your head.¡± Irene pointed her palm at the tile, and nothing happened.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s mindless, whatever it is,¡± Amaris concluded.

    ¡°Good!¡± Auntie Nina pulled out a tape measure and started poking the tile with it. It gave way, falling into a hole in the ground.

    ¡°¡­For the record, mindless does not mean harmless,¡± Amaris said, looking over the tape measure. ¡°It doesn¡¯t appear to have done anything to that, though.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes you just gotta do something,¡± Auntie Nina said, hands on her hips and standing proud. ¡°Now, what¡¯s down there?¡±

    Amaris pulled a flashlight out from her backpack and shone it down the hole. Suddenly, six piercing yellow eyes opened up from the darkness, looking up at the three of them. ¡°You have awoken me from my nap.¡±

    Auntie Nina froze. Amaris and Irene took up a defensive stance, though Irene was shivering in fear¡ªbut she was holding out her hand.

    ¡°I should probably eat you. But I find myself more curious as to how you found me.¡±

    ¡°A-aren¡¯t we l-l-lucky that you aren¡¯t murderous right now!¡± Irene stammered.

    ¡°In a surprisingly good mood, actually. Quite lucky.¡±

    Yeah, that¡¯s totally luck, buddy¡­ Amaris took a breath. ¡°Your darkness was¡­ growing? On one of the bathroom tiles.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating. I must have rolled over in my sleep a bit too aggressively. Shame, that, I was hoping to wait a bit longer before revealing myself.¡±

    ¡°We could cover you back up,¡± Amaris suggested.

    ¡°And let you report me? I can see it in your eyes, child, you have some inkling of what I am and have no desire to let me run free. If I wish for a suitable sacrifice for my Lady, it will have to be soon. It does not have to be immediately, however¡­ I sense one of the greater curses on you. Tell me, what sort is it?¡±

    ¡°May your life be interesting.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, such a devious one!¡± The monstrosity let out a laugh that grated against their ears like glass shards scraping a chalkboard. ¡°Unfortunate for me as it has led to you discovering me, no doubt, but your life¡­ oh, what fun you must be. Such a shame that I have to kill you, really.¡±

    ¡°You know you just removed any inclination I had to help you, right?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°Eh. Doesn¡¯t really bother me for some reason.¡±

    ¡°Can I convince you to give us a head start to make this chase more of a game?¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmm. Sure. I¡¯m in a charitable mood and I want to see my prey squirm. Twenty seconds, starting now.¡±

    Amaris booked it, grabbing Auntie Nina by the hand and dragging her along since she was still quite frozen. Irene needed no such assistance to run, she scrambled and scrambled far faster than Amaris.

    ¡°Hahahahahaha! This will be fun!¡±

    Amaris, Irene, and Auntie Nina burst out of the bathroom. ¡°Everyone run now!¡± Amaris shouted.

    The patrons of the diner all looked at her in confused disbelief, making no move to actually listen to her command as she ran past them.

    ¡°Are you all nuts!?¡± Grandpa Kelvin shouted, standing up. ¡°That¡¯s not the shout of someone playing a prank, that¡¯s the shout of someone who¡¯s serious! Run!¡± With that, he stood up and followed her instructions. Her parents followed suit, getting over their shock and running.

    Several of the patrons decided that, maybe, this was serious. They began to flee, while roughly half just remained sitting and looked at everyone else like they were crazy. This was to be the undoing for many.

    A massive black claw barged through the bathroom door, shattering it into a dozen pieces. A second claw emerged, falling down on the three people sitting closest to the door, absorbing them into the dark sludge in one swift motion. The two claws pulled on the ground, cutting massive gashes through the tiling, pulling a black sphere larger than a human head through the opening. This head contained six yellow eyes that cycled around the surface as though they were boats on a sea of void. Two other claws launched from behind the sphere, attacking two other tables.

    ¡°Pretty sure that wasn¡¯t twenty seconds!¡± Amaris called back.

    ¡°I know!¡± the monstrosity declared. ¡°I just recognized how fun it would be to go back on the deal¡­ and now this entire restaurant will burn to please our Lady!¡± It lashed out in every direction, caring not if it completely absorbed people or simply absorbed part of them, leaving bloody chunks behind of every shape and size. A few of the patrons tried to fight back, but even the larger or more magical creatures could do nothing to the darkness.

    At this point, Amaris and her family ran out the front doors with a flood of other patrons. Amaris, Irene, and Auntie Nina were in the middle of the crowd, but since Grandpa Kelvin had acted so quickly, he and Amaris¡¯ parents were near the front. They had chosen to go to Nina¡¯s car for obvious reasons¡ªit had the highest top speed.

    ¡°Hope you¡¯re able to drive!¡± Amaris called.

    ¡°Y-yes, I¡­¡± Auntie Nina gasped for air as she was dragged along. ¡°I know how to drive like a hog being chased like a branding iron.¡±

    ¡°¡­I think that means fast, so I¡¯ll take it.¡±

    There were not enough seats in the convertible for everyone, but at the moment things like traffic safety laws were very low on their list of concerns. Nina jumped into the driver¡¯s seat and quickly turned on the engine. Grandpa Kelvin took the passenger¡¯s seat, while Amaris, her parents, and Irene crammed into the back seat in a haphazard pile. Seatbelts were forgotten.

    Auntie Nina floored it. The sound of screeching tires and the scent of burnt rubber filled their senses and the pixel-flame convertible took off at blazing speed, smoke trailing behind it. A few other patrons had managed to get into their cars and were doing much the same. The first wave of cars had easy access to the low-traffic roads, but the rest of them created their own traffic jam.

    Amaris could hear the sound of cars crashing into each other. For a brief moment, she wondered if she had been the one to cause their suffering. That if she had left it well enough alone¡­

    No, that demon was looking for a sacrifice, this way at least some of them get to survive.

    That said, she did force herself to watch. She twisted herself around and leaned over the back of the convertible, watching as flames started to rise from the parking around the restaurant. One of the demon¡¯s dark hands emerged from the building¡¯s roof, and it pulled itself out to have a look around.

    ¡°Look at all those fancy cars, running away¡­ remember this day well, those who survive! For at any moment, one of my kin could come from you from anywhere and at any time! Nowhere is safe! No-¡°

    ¡°Target Acquired.¡±

    The voice was clearly synthetic. It didn¡¯t come from any particular direction, but rather just appeared in the minds of everyone present¡ªthey could hear it clearly through the screams, the shouts, and the exploding cars. And yet, it wasn¡¯t loud; quieter than most people would talk. Direct. To the point.

    ¡°Who in the¡ª?¡±

    There was suddenly an immense beam of light that surrounded the entire restaurant. The light was only there for half a second, but it was enough to blind people near it, and for those as far away as Amaris it felt like staring at the sun, forcing her eyes to water.

    Then, the light was gone. And so was the restaurant. And a full ten meters of ground beneath it, completely gone, vaporized into a circular hole. Floating above the hole was a white¡­ thing. Amaris had a hard time focusing on it. The center was roughly spherical, but she could never quite pin down the entire shape at once. What vaguely appeared to be wings made out of glowing white glass shimmered around the sphere, constantly changing shape and form.

    Had it not been for the definitely synthetic-sounding voice, Amaris might have believed she was looking at an angel. As it was, she was judging it for overkill in taking care of the dark monster, but was ultimately thankful for its presence.

    This attitude changed immediately when the ¡°angel¡± spoke next.

    ¡°Target Eliminated. Turning to witnesses.¡± A much smaller beam of light dropped from the sky and vaporized a nearby car with a family of nekos inside. ¡°Eliminated. Next target.¡±

    ¡°Irene, try to calm it down!¡± Amaris shouted.

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ see it¡­?¡± Irene shook her head, letting out a groan. ¡°No, I can, just¡­ fuzzy¡­¡± She held out her hand ¡°Everything in that general direction, just, happy!¡±

    ¡°Attack identified,¡± the ¡°angel¡± said, suddenly stopping its assault on the cars near the restaurant. It flew toward them.

    ¡°It¡¯s gaining!¡± Amaris shouted. ¡°Auntie¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what it is and I don¡¯t care!¡± Auntie Nina said with a deranged laugh. ¡°You should know this girl has turbo!¡±

    ¡°Nina!¡± Amaris¡¯ mom shouted. ¡°That¡¯s not street legal!¡±

    ¡°Bet you¡¯re glad I¡¯ve rediscovered my rebellious phase, then!¡± Nina pressed a button and suddenly the speed of the car increased immensely.

    But the ¡°angel¡± was still faster, though it was gaining on them at a slower rate. Amaris had no idea how far its range for those beams of light was, but she sure hoped it wasn¡¯t very big.

    ¡°W-we can¡¯t do anything to that thing!¡± Irene shouted. ¡°W-we need Jenny!¡±

    Yes, where is Jenny? Amaris wondered. The commotion should have grabbed her attention by now¡­

    ~~~

    Jenny was currently dragging a very large sack along the sidewalk in the middle of the night. Every now and then, the sack would twitch or let out a growl, and Jenny would kick it.

    ¡°Oh no, mister crocogator, you won¡¯t be ruining Amaris¡¯ family dinner tonight! For I, Jenny, saw you and beat you up! You¡¯ll be another addition to our collection under the school! Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    The ¡°crocogator¡± let out a whine.

    ¡°Sure are wimpy for a creature made out of haunted blood¡­ but you still would have ruined the night. But now you won¡¯t! Ha!¡±

    Jenny heard an explosion from somewhere behind her. If she listened closely, she could hear screams.

    She let out a sigh. ¡°Apparently someone else is going to ruin the night¡­¡± She tied the bag to a nearby street lamp so the ¡°crocogator¡± wouldn¡¯t get away. ¡°If you run, I will kill you instead of capturing you, got it, crocogator?¡±

    The beast could not understand her, but it was already beaten so badly that it could barely do anything more than growl and whimper.

    Jenny kicked it once more for good measure.

    ~~~

    The ¡°angel¡± was gaining, and Auntie Nina couldn¡¯t do anything else about it. ¡°The turbo¡¯s about to run dry!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m working on it!¡± Amaris called back as she dug through her backpack. In school, she wasn¡¯t allowed to have a weapon, but while out in public she sure was, but it didn¡¯t do to have it in an obvious place. Since she never used it, she stuck it near the bottom of her backpack, which was using up valuable time right now. Where had it gone?

    Pitch hissed, flicking at a brown handle that was on the other side of the backpack from where it should have been. Amaris grabbed it and yanked it out¡ªa miniature crossbow, loaded with a single anti-magic arrow.

    ¡°Irene, hold me steady!¡± Amaris called. Irene did as asked, holding Amaris¡¯ legs as she stepped out of the back seat and stood on the back of a speeding car. ¡°No sharp turns, Auntie!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try!¡±

    Amaris lifted the crossbow and pointed it at the ¡°angel.¡± It was¡­ impossible to tell exactly where the shifting shimmering thing was, only its general direction. She pointed at where she thought its center was and released.

    The arrow sailed true and hit exactly where Amaris was aiming. It just didn¡¯t hit the ¡°angel.¡± Did it dodge? Or was it not actually where it looked like it was?

    It didn¡¯t matter. Amaris pulled out another anti-magic arrow. I¡¯m not going to be getting these ones back, am I? ¡­How many do I have left? She wasn¡¯t entirely sure, but it was less than ten, for sure, and some of those were not converted to the crossbow¡¯s size and were instead still designed for her actual bow, which she was far more comfortable using, it was just too large to carry around in public.

    She took aim at the ¡°angel¡± and fired again. There was no obvious sign of contact, but she heard something, like a claw scraping against glass. Maybe she grazed it?

    Nina had to swerve to avoid something, making Amaris slide¡ªbut Irene held tight, keeping her from flying off. ¡°Auntie!¡±

    ¡°Sorry!¡±

    Amaris pushed her annoyance behind her and took aim once more. If I grazed it¡­ try a little¡­ lower¡­ The arrow flew true.

    It definitely struck something this time. There was the sound of glass shattering and a section of the wings suddenly started fragmenting into multiple pieces, though those pieces continually changed position. The ¡°angel¡± itself was clearly diverted off course significantly¡ªjust in time, too, for a beam of light struck the road right next to the car, having only been knocked off target by Amaris¡¯ arrow.

    That was close.

    But the ¡°angel¡± was not down, it had merely been struck. It was moving slightly slower¡ªbut at that moment the turbo gave out and they were suddenly much slower than it.

    Amaris now knew how close it had to be to summon those beams of light, and they had all of three seconds. There was nothing else she could do, it would take longer than that for her to load the crossbow.

    ¡°Take this you sparkly hunk of junk!¡±

    Jenny jumped from the roof of a nearby building, fist brimming with the power of darkness. She was enveloped in the light of the ¡°angel¡±¡ªbut she still struck something, and hit a lot harder than Amaris had. Every single wing shard shattered into several pieces, each one shattering further and further, every break re-arranging the apparent position of the shards, until they were too small to be seen.

    What remained was the core, which was sent crashing into the ground. It lost its white glow, revealing it to be a physical object. A glass sphere with some kind of clockwork mechanism inside that was no longer moving.

    ¡°Stop the car, Jenny¡¯s here!¡± Amaris called.

    Auntie Nina stopped the car. Had Irene not been holding onto Amaris, she would have been thrown over the front of the car onto the road. Instead, she and Irene just flopped forward and ended up in between the driver¡¯s seat and the passenger seat.

    ¡°Ow.¡± Amaris muttered.

    ¡°Um. You said stop it¡­¡± Auntie Nina said.

    ¡°Yeah, I did, that is my bad,¡± Amaris grunted. ¡°Get us back to Jenny at a normal, leisurely pace. Please.¡±

    Auntie Nina did as requested, and they rolled back to where Jenny was. She had hefted up the glass sphere in her gloved hands and was investigating it. While Jenny herself showed no signs of damage¡ªshe never did¡ªthe arm she had used to punch the ¡°angel¡± was devoid of any clothing save her glove, and the shoulder of her current shirt was burned to nonexistence. Had she been anyone else she would be down an arm right now.

    The glass orb itself was heavily cracked from the punch, and a few of the gears within had been bent so as to make them impossible to turn. Amaris couldn¡¯t tell what material the gears were made out of¡ªit was white, whatever it was, and looked vaguely like marble but wasn¡¯t quite of the right luster.

    ¡°Weird,¡± Jenny said, turning the ball over in her hands. ¡°Welp, another addition for our collection, Amaris!¡±

    Amaris hopped out of the car and walked over to her. ¡°Yeah. Seen anything like this before?¡±

    ¡°Well, probably.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± Amaris tapped the glass with her finger. It felt normal. ¡°What took you so long?¡±

    ¡°There was a crocogator looking like he wanted to eat you, was taking care of him. Speaking of, I left him tied up in a bag several blocks away, I should go make sure he hasn¡¯t gone anywhere.¡± She hefted the glass sphere in her arms and gave Amaris a friendly salute. ¡°I¡¯ll get both of these things to the school, don¡¯t you worry.¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± With that, Jenny scampered off¡­ and Amaris turned to her family.

    Her mom and dad were holding each other tightly, simply staring at the sky. Grandpa Kelvin looked unusually tired. Auntie Nina had not left the car and still had her hands planted firmly on the wheel.

    Irene was standing nearby, tapping her foot. ¡°Oh no, that¡­ that wasn¡¯t good for them, oh no¡­¡±

    Amaris sighed. ¡°I think we should all go home.¡±

    ~~~

    Jenny slammed the door on the crocogator, locking it. ¡°And now we have both a crocogator and a¡­ stone ball thing.¡± She glanced at the door the stone ball thing was behind. ¡°I need to come up with a better name for you. Rollpocalypse?¡±

    The stone monster did not slam against the door in response. Which usually happened. It rarely got riled up enough to do that anymore.

    ¡°Right, so now¡­ you.¡± Jenny turned to glance at the cracked glass orb. ¡°I¡­ I want to put you on a pedestal. I don¡¯t have one. So¡­¡± She dragged one of the chairs they had set up in the school basement and placed it against a wall, resting the glass sphere on top of the chair. ¡°You get the best seat in the house.¡±

    The broken sphere made no response.

    ¡°Right, well¡­¡±

    Orville sat on top of the sphere. ¡°Hey, Jenny, Amaris told me to check in on you.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Why?¡± Jenny tilted her head. ¡°I was just fine when I left.¡±

    ¡°She seemed¡­ very confused.¡±

    Jenny tilted her head. ¡°What¡¯s there to be confused about? She was being chased by some white monster of unholy geometry, I smashed it, and its remnants are here.¡±

    Orville raised his eyebrow. ¡°White monster of unholy geometry?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re sitting on its remains right now.¡±

    Orville looked down. ¡°How strange¡­ Amaris didn¡¯t mention it. Hold on, let me go check something¡­¡± And he was gone.

    ¡°Weird,¡± Jenny said. Deciding she had done enough tidying up of the basement, she went to the stairs and entered the school proper. Walking at a leisurely pace, she made plans to go back to Amaris¡¯ house to keep a closer eye on her. They might need to get some more friends to watch her if two things happened at once again, like they had tonight.

    ¡°Jenny, this is important.¡±

    Jenny recognized the urgency in Orville¡¯s eyes. ¡°Has a third thing happened?¡±

    ¡°What are the two things you think happened tonight?¡±

    ¡°Well, there was a crocogator, and then a¡­ a¡­¡± Jenny frowned. ¡°There were screams for some reason¡­¡±

    ¡°Jenny, something¡¯s messing with your memory.¡± Orville gestured back to the door to the basement. ¡°You don¡¯t remember the conversation we just had down there, do you?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Jenny smacked herself in the head. ¡°I remember you were there¡­?¡±

    ¡°But not what we talked about.¡±

    ¡°Something¡­ about Amaris wanting to check up on me? Which¡­ um¡­¡± Jenny shook her head. ¡°Okay, my memory may be bad but it isn¡¯t this bad.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Do you remember what I was sitting on?¡±

    ¡°You were sitting?¡±

    Orville took in a deep breath. ¡°I can¡¯t even go back to that moment through your memory, it¡¯s so jumbled. But¡­ I want to try something, come down the stairs, see if your memory comes back.¡±

    Jenny did as asked, descending the stairs. She saw the glass sphere. And immediately remembered everything.

    ¡°That¡¯s creepy,¡± Jenny said, pointing at the sphere. ¡°That¡¯s very creepy.¡±

    ¡°You should leave the basement so you can remember what I say,¡± Orville said.

    ¡°No arguments here¡­¡± Jenny left the basement, with a smile on her face and a spring in her step.

    ¡°You don¡¯t remember the sphere,¡± Orville said.

    Jenny blinked. ¡°Um¡­ what?¡±

    ¡°Do you remember the conversation we had before you entered the basement?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! You asked me to go down for an experiment and¡­ and¡­ then I came back up?¡± Jenny paused. ¡°Okay, um¡­¡±

    ¡°There is a sphere down there that erases itself from your memory the moment you stop being aware of it, apparently. You don¡¯t remember it right now, Amaris doesn¡¯t remember the beast it came from, nobody does. It¡¯s a self-keeping secret¡­ except for when you¡¯re looking at it, then you can remember everything.¡±

    ¡°¡­Am I allowed to remember you talking about it?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I am not sure¡­ let¡¯s try.¡± Orville was gone. Jenny felt a little lost as to what to do, but she certainly remembered him leaving this time. She kicked the tiling on the floor, glancing uncertainly at the door that led to the basement.

    Orville was back.

    ¡°I still remember talking about the sphere,¡± Jenny said.

    ¡°That¡¯s good, you can at least remember that there is something that wipes your memory. It does not appear to be able to affect me, I need to know everything you do about it.¡±

    Jenny took in a deep breath. ¡°All right, here we go¡­¡±

    She descended the stairs once more, jumbling her already spotty memory like spaghetti. Orville took careful notes¡ªand then suggested that they write it all down.

    ~~~

    ¡°¡­And that¡¯s all Jenny knows about it,¡± Orville finished explaining to Amaris as Auntie Nina pulled into their driveway.

    Amaris nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll need to go look at the sphere myself, see what I can remember¡­ later, though. Right now¡­¡± She glanced at her family. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°¡­They¡¯re not used to this, Amaris, this experience has shaken them. You need to be there for them.¡±

    Amaris took in a deep breath. ¡°Right.¡±

    Auntie Nina and Grandpa Kelvin did not drive off in the car back to their homes¡ªthey entered the house with everyone else. Wordlessly, the family sat down in the living room, everyone but Amaris and Irene staring blankly into space. Amaris patiently waited for the rest to take a moment to process what had happened.

    Suddenly, Amaris¡¯ mom stood up. Wordlessly, she walked over to the kitchen and opened the fridge, grabbing a jar of pickles. Amaris knew exactly what she was doing¡ªstress eating. Usually she¡¯d do it with pieces of fresh fruit or vegetables, so the pickles were slightly odd, but the behavior wasn¡¯t unheard of. She sat back down next to her husband and made it through an entire pickle in seconds. Then another. Then another.

    Amaris wasn¡¯t sure when her mom had started crying, but she certainly was now. Her husband reached his arm around her, a gesture which she accepted¡ªfor a few seconds. Almost without warning, she suddenly let out a howl and stood up, smashing the pickle jar on the ground and making quite the mess.

    ¡°A-ana!¡± Auntie Nina stammered.

    Amaris¡¯ mom ignored her sister and rushed over to Amaris, pulling her into a tight hug. ¡°My sweet baby girl¡­ you¡­ you¡¯ve suffered so much¡­¡± Amaris felt like she was being bruised, the hug was so tight, so desperate, but she refused to complain about it. ¡°I couldn¡¯t¡­ I couldn¡¯t understand. How¡­¡± She had no words, she couldn¡¯t fully describe the feelings.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Amaris said. ¡°I¡¯m okay. You¡­ you¡¯re the one who we¡¯re not sure about.¡±

    ¡°How did you do it?¡± she asked. ¡°How¡­ how could you just¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t. It took months of this to get to where I am.¡± Amaris looked down, her own eyes watering. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ amazing what you can do when you have no choice.¡±

    ¡°Amaris¡­¡±

    ¡°I wish I could protect you,¡± Amaris said. ¡°But this¡­ this is attached to me. It¡¯s essentially what I am. Wherever I go, strange, dangerous, and often horrifying things will follow. I¡­ can¡¯t say you¡¯ll never see it.¡±

    ¡°Amaris¡­ we know.¡±

    ¡°But now¡­ you know.¡±

    Her mother slowly released Amaris from her grip, a faraway look in her eyes. ¡°We know¡­¡± she repeated, breathlessly.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± her father said, hand to his forehead. He was glancing from his wife to his daughter, unable to figure out who he should be more concerned about in this moment. ¡°Amaris, I know what you¡¯re thinking. And I want you to stop.¡±

    Amaris¡¯ heart caught in her throat. ¡°D-dad?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not going to abandon you.¡±

    ¡°Y-you wouldn¡¯t be abandoning me. I can survive on my own, I can take Jenny and we can¡­¡± Amaris stopped herself. ¡°No, you¡¯re right Dad¡­¡± She forced a smile. ¡°I should stop thinking about that.¡±

    ¡°When you came back, you told us all about this. We accepted it.¡± He approached her and kneeled until he was at her level, taking her hands into his. ¡°Just because we¡¯re scared beyond belief doesn¡¯t mean we aren¡¯t going to stay with you. We want you here, Amaris. Our lives¡­ were so empty with you gone. Even if occasional terror comes with it¡­ it is worth it.¡±

    Her mother nodded in agreement, though words were not forthcoming.

    ¡°You¡¯re a good kid¡ªa really good kid, Amaris,¡± Auntie Nina said. ¡°I¡¯d hate to see you forced to live without a home.¡±

    Grandpa Kelvin smiled. ¡°And I¡¯m old, I could use a few more scares to liven up my life.¡±

    Amaris put her hands on her hips. ¡°Grandpa, that¡¯s not the reason and you know it.¡±

    ¡°But it introduces some levity, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It¡­¡± Amaris couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°It does.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re a family, Amaris,¡± Grandpa Kelvin said. ¡°And part of being a family is dealing with all the crazy trouble everyone gets into, no matter what it is.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Why, in your case it isn¡¯t even your fault! Your father here¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh here we go¡­¡± Amaris¡¯ dad said.

    ¡°What? You were quite the troublesome rascal! Both of you were!¡± He chuckled. ¡°You thought it was a good idea to egg Ivan McCallister¡¯s house and steal his garden gnomes! Both of you!¡±

    ¡°We¡­ were young.¡±

    ¡°You were older than Amaris is now!¡±

    Amaris¡¯ dad couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the memory. ¡°Yes, it was¡­. A bad idea.¡±

    ¡°He deserved it though,¡± Amairs¡¯ mom added.

    ¡°¡­But were the consequences worth it?¡±

    ¡°Well. No.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard this story before¡­¡± Amaris said, perking up. ¡°You¡¯ve told a lot, but¡­¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t old enough to hear it!¡± Auntie Nina said with a snort. ¡°Oh, this is good, see, those two somehow managed to be sweethearts starting¡­ oh, a little older than you. They did everything together, and they were the smartest kids in school. And hot gravy on a pancake, were they arrogant. Thought they could get away with everything just because of how much of a gift their brains were to society¡­¡±

    ¡°I do believe that¡¯s an exaggeration¡­¡± Amaris¡¯ mom said.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± both Grandpa Kelvin and Amaris¡¯ dad said at the same time.

    Amaris¡¯ mom considered this for a moment. Then, with a red, tear-stained face, she broke out into a grin. ¡°You know what, you¡¯re right. We were a couple pieces of work, weren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°I do believe we¡¯ve been distracted from the story,¡± Irene said. ¡°Lawn gnomes?¡±

    ¡°W-well¡­¡± Amaris¡¯ mom was clearly embarrassed by the story. ¡°See, Ivan McCallister was¡­ well he was a jerk and a pervert but perhaps more importantly to the story he was rich and the son of the current Mayor¡­¡±

    Amaris sat down and listened to the tale of her parents¡¯ past exploits. It was certainly less interesting than the things she had gone through¡­ but it was a part of them she¡¯d never heard about before, a part that forced the family into a bit of a dire strait due to their own arrogance. But they made it through¡­

    ¡­and the best part was that they were laughing about it now.

    Just like she could laugh with Coleus about the Predateor, or Irene about the monsters on ice cream mountain, or any of her other adventures.

    In that moment, she felt more assured than ever that they could make it through this, whatever the world threw at them.

 Bad Neighborhood

    Episode XVI

    Bad Neighborhood

    The vines erupted from the ground and stabbed the fleshy wall. Highly pressurized blood erupted from every puncture point and the wall itself let out a dog-like whimper. Flowers sprouted around the holes, stopping the spray with their roots. White petals became crimson, and flesh became wood.

    A face emerged from the remaining flesh, human, stuck in a silent scream. It tried to pull itself out of the wall, but the outer edges became wooden and were no longer malleable. The face twisted to the left and the right, each twist with less and less freedom of motion. The fear became rage, rage against the oncoming plants. Teeth formed in the mouth and the eyes expanded in size horizontally, becoming elongated slits of murderous intent. It tried to roar, but all that emerged was the sound of a whimpering dog.

    With that, the face became completely wooden. Flowers started to bloom all over It and no longer were their petals forced to become crimson, spreading out in all sorts of pastel colors.

    ¡°Whew!¡± Coleus said, lowering her hand. ¡°That was a pretty difficult inter-face! Whatever was in there was particularly nasty.¡±

    Amaris nodded, scribbling a quick note in her notebook. ¡°You sure there¡¯s not going to be any lingering side effects?¡±

    ¡°Not yet, the roots are working out on egg-stracting¡­ an egg of darkness!¡± She gestured at the ground where a large blue flower was budding. When its petals spread, inside there was a black egg with numerous faces moving along its surface, all of them silently screaming. ¡°Can¡¯t just convert this, gonna have to purge it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s always fun.¡±

    Coleus picked up the egg with a bag made out of vines so it didn¡¯t come in contact with her directly. ¡°You bet! To the Glen!¡± Coleus pointed an excited finger and they left. They emerged from a room that was still being converted from fleshy, disgusting Strider mess to verdant green beauty into a land that had already been converted. Grasses of all sorts of shapes and sizes covered the ground, trees dotted every surface¡ªeven the ceiling¡ªand massive flowers were constantly blooming and sending sweet aromas into the air. However, there were also large pieces of machinery in operation, made largely out of plants and wood but undeniably machines nonetheless. Large conveyor belts of lily pads moved through lazy rivers, vines moved up and down on pulley systems moving people to different levels, and there were even a handful of metal structures that blew smoke into the air, but smoke that was quickly captured by windmill-like flowers.

    ¡°I¡¯m always more impressed every time I come here,¡± Amaris said as they boarded a lily pad and started to drift lazily along the river. ¡°Only you could make an industry of nature.¡±

    ¡°I know, right? It¡¯s so cool! Who says plants have to be slow? ¡­I mean, yeah, the elders but they wouldn¡¯t be cleaning this place up so quickly.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°And they keep telling me I should put down my roots already. Hmph.¡±

    ¡°Can you do that now?¡±

    Coleus nodded. ¡°I¡¯m old enough, but the window¡¯s large. I¡¯m doing the best I can to completely purge this place before I become rooted in the Glen.¡±

    ¡°Sure is going to be different with you becoming a big tree.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Coleus rubbed her arm. ¡°I¡¯m a little nervous. Will thinking slower make me change into someone unrecognizable? I¡¯ve never seen another dryad put down roots¡­ but every elder I see doesn¡¯t act at all like me.¡± She paused. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen very many dryads like me, either. For some reason letting young dryads interact isn¡¯t encouraged.¡±

    ¡°Weird.¡±

    ¡°The elders do things and they don¡¯t think they have to explain.¡± Coleus shrugged. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll get answers out of them eventually, but converting the Strider is more import-ant.¡± Coleus glanced to the side. ¡°Hmm. I thought this was where the anthill was¡­¡±

    At this point, a gari shouted at them from the river. ¡°Hey! That¡¯s the plant-freak!¡± He pointed at Coleus. ¡°This is all your fault!¡±

    Coleus tried to melt into the background which was really hard to do on top of a barren lily pad.

    ¡°You¡¯ve taken our home away!¡±

    ¡°Um, well¡­¡± Coleus coughed, realizing that she wasn¡¯t just going to be able to blow this off. ¡°L-look, I¡¯ve built you a new home without all that murder and curses a¡ª¡±

    The gari pulled out some kind of scepter with a purple crystal in it and pointed it at Coleus. ¡°That¡¯s the problem! I haven¡¯t gotten to kill anyone for months! I¡¯m starting with y¡ª¡±

    Coleus flicked her wrist and he was suddenly wrapped in a tangle of vines that pulled him forcefully to the ground. Her nervousness was gone, and now her gaze was one of extreme disapproval. ¡°If you need to murder people then you don¡¯t deserve my pity or consideration. You¡¯re grounded, mister.¡±

    Amaris chuckled while the gari let out a string of obscenities.

    ¡°I¡¯m really not sure what to do with all the people,¡± Coleus said as the lily pad passed away from the gari. ¡°I give them plentiful food and it¡¯s not like I kick them out, but so many of them were raised to essentially believe evil was good.¡± She tapped her fingers together. ¡°I want to help them, but so many people just want to go on a murder spree. It¡¯s alarmingly common, you have no idea how many people I have grounded right now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably not a long-term solution.¡±

    ¡°Well, the long-term solution is killing them, but I really don¡¯t want to do that.¡±

    Amaris frowned. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t either, but I¡¯m not sure how you can change people, much less an entire society.¡±

    ¡°The elders recommended I forcibly eject everyone from their homes and restore purity to the Glen.¡±

    ¡°Geez, that would result in a war between Nuk and the Strider¡¯s people almost immediately.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, apparently they didn¡¯t think of that.¡± Coleus crossed her arms. ¡°Now they just want me to seal up the central Glen and let them sort themselves out. ¡®Mortal lives are of no concern to us,¡¯ blah de blah de blah¡­¡± Coleus sighed. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here Amaris, it¡¯s hard.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here to handle all of this; without the friendly magic pun-loving plant girl to keep everything in line I¡¯m pretty sure everything would have gone very wrong long before now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not convinced it won¡¯t go sideways any moment,¡± Coleus said with a nervous laugh. ¡°The Strider itself listens to everything I ask it to, but that doesn¡¯t solve every problem¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°But I¡¯m working on it, and the elders are at least good for pointing out where problems might arise. I just half to ignore half of them!¡±

    At this point, they reached the end of the river and hopped off onto the ground. Here, this close to the center of the Strider, there were not only plants but animals as well. Shimmering insects and small mouse-like creatures ran to and fro, reflecting the warm light that came from all directions. Coleus and Amaris moved to a staircase made out of living, square logs and descended.

    The central Glen of the Strider was a sight to behold. A roughly spherical space cut out of the bulk of the Strider that had trees on every surface, creating a forest with treetops that all pointed to the very center, which consisted of a chunk of earth resting on a single pillar of smooth metal. The six stone monoliths that marked the edge of the Glen glowed a soft green, the runes flickering on and off in some unknown pattern. Just outside the stones were a few metal boxes that housed electrical equipment, as well as a few screens that could be used to interface with the remaining technical parts of the Strider.

    There was a ¡°bridge¡± that led from their current location to the center, but it was highly unorthodox, being made out of a few dozen independent floating stones covered in tangled moss. Coleus and Amaris hopped across these floating rocks, arriving at the Glen outskirts. Coleus checked the computer terminal briefly before passing through the barrier.

    Amaris walked right into an invisible wall.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Coleus put her hands on her hips and glared toward the elegant trees that occupied the center of the Glen. ¡°You stop that! It¡¯s Amaris, she¡¯s coming in, and I know you don¡¯t want an extended argument.¡±

    The runes on the Glen flashed rapidly for a second.

    ¡°You can come in now.¡±

    Amaris passed through the barrier without issue. ¡°Geez, petty much?¡± She glared right at the trees that she knew were the elder dryads. They made no response, which was normal.

    ¡°She asked you a question,¡± Coleus said, grumbling at the elders who still weren¡¯t listening to her. ¡°¡­Come on.¡±

    The interior of the Glen was perfectly clean and had an aura of healing about it. It was enough to rouse Pitch from his slumber and come out of the backpack just to appreciate the clean air and sense of rejuvenation that came with the place. All the plants that grew here were extremely vibrant, the flowers were stupendously aromatic, and the serene quiet was greatly calming.

    In the center, there was a pool of water surrounded by the elder dryads. From a distance, they looked like normal, if slightly too perfect and unusually angled, trees. But this close it was possible to see that there were faces in the tree bark, all of which were twisted into deeply dissatisfied expressions.

    ¡°Geez, are they that upset at me?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°No, they just don¡¯t like being here,¡± Coleus said. ¡°They recognize that it¡¯s necessary to guard the Lost Glen, but they had to leave their preferred places to be here. They would rather be where they consider home.¡±

    ¡°¡­Surely you can handle things and let them go home?¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t think so.¡± With that, Coleus lifted up the bag that held the dark egg and dangled it over the central pool of water. The water was so clear, so pure, that it was possible to see the bottom and the semi-transparent fish that were swimming within. All the fish turned to look at the egg dangled above them.

    ¡°Here¡¯s something else for purging! Don¡¯t get too egg-cited now!¡± Coleus dumped the egg out of its container. The moment it hit the water, it started dissolving. For a brief moment, there was a slight blackness to the water surrounding the egg, but even this was burned to nothing by the purity of the water in the center of a dryad Glen. There was a soft sizzling sound, as though the water were on the cusp of boiling, and then the egg was simply gone without a trace.

    Amaris whistled. ¡°Effective.¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t found anything the Glen can¡¯t purge yet!¡± Coleus said, putting her hands proudly on her hips. ¡°Take that, darkness, the power of dryads you feared so much is your undoing! You thought you could corrupt us? Well, now we¡¯re Coleu-rrupting you!¡±

    ¡°¡­I would ask if I can bring my own artifacts of darkness here to purge them when I find them, but something tells me the elders would skewer me.¡±

    ¡°They just wouldn¡¯t let you in,¡± Coleus said with a sigh. ¡°And they¡¯re giving me the eye, time for us to gooooo.¡±

    They quickly left the Glen and returned to the lazy river. To Amaris¡¯ surprise, Scarlet was there waiting.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Coleus said. ¡°Right, I have an interview. I almost forgot, sorry Scarlet!¡±

    Scarlet nodded. ¡°Well, you¡¯re lucky, we haven¡¯t been waiting very long. And hi, Amaris!¡±

    ¡°Hi Scarlet!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I couldn¡¯t turn up much about your encounter a few days ago. There have been a few cases of buildings being vaporized like you described, but there have never been any survivors to question until this time.¡±

    That ¡°angel¡± must have been really effective on a population that didn¡¯t believe magic existed¡­ Amaris nodded. ¡°Well, that does go with what I currently thought was going on. Looks like something really doesn¡¯t want any of the dark demon things in Yeshalo.¡±

    ¡°Seems that way.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, have fun with your interview!¡± Amaris said, waving at them. ¡°I¡¯ll see myself out.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have the Strider watch you,¡± Coleus said, waving Amaris along. ¡°Anyway, Scarlet, what do the people of Yeshalo want to know about me this time?¡±

    ¡°Honestly they want to know what your diabolical plan for world domination is, but we both know that¡¯s not actually a thing, so how about we ask what your plans for the future are?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Well, my main project is getting all the evil out of the Strider¡ªbig project¡­¡±

    Amaris made her way through the Strider to one of the exits. This was one part of the Strider that had changed the least¡ªthe way in and out was to descend one of the lifts. The locations of the lifts had been altered considerably¡ªthe fleshy walls were gone, replaced with greenery and wood, for the most part. However, Coleus had chosen not to destroy most of the vehicles, so it was here where some of the Strider¡¯s original variety could be seen. There were a fair deal of normal cars from Nuk, but there were also mechanical things with legs covered in saws, a few fleshy spheres that floated above the ground, and, of course, the Retrograde.

    Amaris ran her hand across the vehicle that had gotten them so far. ¡°You¡¯re a good car.¡±

    With that, she descended the lift. Technically speaking she probably should have waited for a platform to arrive, but instead she just jumped on the cable and started climbing down. She eventually arrived at a platform that was already descending that held a small family of squid-people in a jellyfish-like vehicle. They stared at her in bafflement.

    She waved happily at them. Unfortunately, the cable ended at the platform, so she couldn¡¯t climb down the rest of the way and had to wait for the ground to be reached. It wasn¡¯t a long wait, though.

    That came on the ground. For on the ground there were several dozen military tanks, numerous green tents, and at least a thousand soldiers all keeping a very careful eye on the Strider and everyone who came in and left.

    ¡°Do you have your papers?¡± A tall, gruff man called out to them, easily identified as a General by the platinum star on his uniform and cap. His jaw was square and covered in stubble that somehow managed to look neat. Amaris knew this man¡ªhe was General Mason. She saw him almost every time she came to the Strider.

    Even though he clearly recognized her, she still took out her papers. ¡°Amaris Kelvin, returning home.¡±

    ¡°Good to see you, Amaris,¡± he said with a curt nod. ¡°And what about you lot?¡±

    ¡°We need papers?¡± the squid blubbered.

    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t have them, you¡¯re about to get them! Take yourselves and your vehicle over to registration!¡± He pointed at a tent with a red flag flapping over top of it. ¡°You¡¯ll get your papers, identification, everything you need! I highly recommend you cooperate!¡±

    ¡°And be patient,¡± Amaris added. ¡°Losing your patience is a good way to get the big burly men with guns angry at you.¡±

    The squid-people were decidedly unnerved by this, but they did as asked and began the registration process.

    General Mason softened slightly¡ªwhich was to say he no longer looked on the verge of anger and was now just grumpy. Amaris had learned that this was his resting face. The man never smiled.

    ¡°As usual you have to wait while we process everything,¡± General Mason said.

    ¡°You¡¯d think the system would know me by now,¡± Amaris added.

    ¡°Everyone gets the same treatment, kid.¡± Mason crossed his arms. ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when you¡¯re cleared.¡±

    ¡°¡­I have a question, General.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Why do you oversee arrivals and departures personally? Surely you have subordinates who could do it.¡±

    ¡°I want to see everything that goes in there and comes out with my own eyes. Everything is a potential new enemy. Most of the people may be harmless, but each new type of person is a new type of enemy that could be encountered. I need to study everything I can. The game has changed, and I¡¯m in a position to be a leader while it''s changing." He looked down at her. ¡°In my work, mistakes kill people. I¡¯m preventing future mistakes.¡±

    Amaris smiled. ¡°That¡¯s great, actually. Most people don¡¯t like change.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it one bit either, but I see it, and I¡¯m not going to stick my hands in my ears and go to la-la land trying to pretend like everything¡¯s going to stay the same.¡±

    ¡°You were definitely the right person to send here.¡±

    ¡°You all just got lucky that I was the closest General here, the President probably would have sent General Piccolo if he had the choice, and handling this situation with that level of ¡®by the book¡¯ would have ended in disaster.¡±

    ¡°Involving explosions?¡±

    ¡°Most likely.¡±

    The conversation lulled and Amaris didn¡¯t push. The General liked talking to her, but he wasn¡¯t much of a talker to begin with so she didn¡¯t try to force a conversation out of him. She just waited for several minutes for her papers to clear. It took somewhere between ten and thirty minutes now that she was properly registered and a regular, but for most others it took an hour, and for those who didn¡¯t have any papers at all¡­ they¡¯d be lucky to get out of here before the sun rose tomorrow morning.

    It was annoying, to be sure, but at least people were allowed back and forth. Everyone was very fortunate that the military hadn¡¯t set up a permanent blockade. Though Amaris had heard a lot of people complain about it, finding it ¡°unnatural¡± to have ¡°those monsters¡± walking on their streets in broad daylight without an armed escort.

    Which¡­ to be fair, there were a lot of nasty things coming out of the Strider, but a good chunk of them could just bypass the military checkpoint and had emerged during the first few hours of the Strider¡¯s arrival. It was definitely a complicated situation with a lot of unknowns, but it was what it was. She herself thought the current peaceful and cooperative interactions were the best option, but that was just a feeling. The truth of the matter eluded her. Perhaps in a few years, she could look back on this and know for sure.

    ¡°You¡¯re cleared,¡± General Mason said.

    ¡°Yay!¡± Amaris hopped up. ¡°Thank you, General!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Good talking to you, tell your folks I said hello.¡±

    ¡°Will do!¡± With that, Amaris scampered off, back into Nuk proper. It was a long walk, but long walks were nothing to her at this point.

    ~~~

    Later that afternoon, Amaris met up with Emma at a bus stop. The two briefly hugged.

    ¡°You ready?¡± Amaris asked.

    Emma rubbed her hands together. ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting a long time for this¡­ of course I am.¡±

    ¡°You sure? Even if a giant rolling monster shows up?¡±

    ¡°W-well you¡¯ll protect me again, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll certainly do my best, and Jenny will as well.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s nearby?¡±

    ¡°Talked to her like ten minutes ago, she¡¯s doing that thing where she ¡®patrols.¡¯ ¡° Amaris paused. ¡°Though we know from experience at this point that it¡¯s easy for monsters to distract her¡­¡± She put a hand to her chin. ¡°A better warning system might be needed¡­ not sure how to make it though. Yet.¡±

    Emma shivered slightly. ¡°You¡¯re so¡­ cool. Like¡­ in a literal sense! Cool under pressure.¡±

    ¡°There aren¡¯t exactly any monsters here right now.¡±

    ¡°But you stayed cool even with the rock monster thing! You have it¡­ all under control.¡± As though she had just convinced herself of this fact, Emma lit up. ¡°You¡¯ve got it all under control.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I wouldn¡¯t say that¡­¡±

    ¡°You know, if anyone had told me Amaris was coming back, I wouldn¡¯t have expected her to be too humble. It looks good on you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Amaris turned her head to look forward along the sidewalk. ¡°Think we should get going?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    They left the bus stop and walked slowly into the depths of Nuk. The roads quickly went from well-maintained to degrading and cracked. Trash littered the streets, and the quality of the architecture was markedly lower than most of the rest of Nuk. Several windows were boarded up, and on at least one house a door was straight-up missing.

    ¡°If my parents knew I was here¡­¡± Emma muttered to herself.

    Amaris frowned. ¡°Where do they think you are, by the way?¡±

    ¡°Your house. Can¡¯t have them knowing of Rin¡¯s existence, after all¡­¡±

    ¡°Wish you didn¡¯t have to do that.¡±

    Emma nodded. ¡°Be glad you can tell your parents and they won¡¯t call the cops.¡±

    Amaris sighed. They had had this conversation many times and it never went anywhere, always ending with the two of them agreeing the situation sucked and there wasn¡¯t anything they could do about it. They were kids. Curiously more able to battle monsters than to tackle social issues.

    A pair of neko men with ski masks on jumped out from a dark alley. ¡°Well well well, what have we here, two little girls lost all alone in the Dregs?¡±

    ¡°Such a shame, they really should teach their kids better navigation skills.¡±

    ¡°They really should,¡± Amaris agreed, placing herself between the nekos and Emma. ¡°But that is not the case with us, we are here to visit a friend of ours.¡±

    ¡°Ooooh, kids from outside, sneaking away from their parents!¡±

    ¡°My parents know I¡¯m here.¡±

    The neko man glared at her. ¡°You really are making this annoying.¡± He pulled out a knife. ¡°Maybe you need to scream a little bit¡­¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you.¡±

    He laughed and swiped at her. She kicked the knife out of his hand and grabbed it herself, pointing it at him. She raised an incredulous eyebrow.

    The first neko was stunned into silence. The second laughed, finding the whole situation hilarious¡ªbut then he suddenly pulled out a gun and pulled the trigger.

    Amaris was faster than his hand, ducking under the path of the bullet and kicking him right in the arm, knocking his gun away. Rather than taking the gun, she opted to use the force she got from kicking away from the first man and drive her boot into the head of the second. As he went down, she returned to the other neko, who was trying to draw his knife. He got a boot to the face as well and went down.

    Amaris stood tall over them, hands smugly on her hips. ¡°I warned you.¡±

    Pitch slithered up her neck and licked her face.

    ¡°Woah¡­¡± Emma said, looking down at the two men.

    ¡°They were ordinary people, no match for me at all.¡± She gave Emma a wink. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry to Rin¡¯s now, don¡¯t want to inadvertently start a gang war do we?¡±

    ~~~

    Right smack dab in the middle of the Dregs, there was suddenly a house that wasn¡¯t in a massive state of disrepair. It was everything the houses around it weren¡¯t: clean, big, modern, flashy, and just screamed big money. Hedges in the front yard were cut into animal shapes, there was a beautiful flower garden next to these trees, and there was even a fountain with sculptures of nude dancing nekos.

    Amaris had not actually been to Rin¡¯s house prior to this, so the fountain statues were more than a little startling. Art like that always made her feel weird in a way she couldn¡¯t describe. She would have suspected that meant something puberty-related, but she had gone through that while she was out on her journey.

    She was suddenly struck by the sensation that she didn¡¯t remember the struggles that came with puberty all that much, they all came during her journey and seemed to be minor compared to all the chaos going on around her at all times. She had just¡­ gone from a kid to a somewhat taller kid. The experiences of her journey meant a lot more to her than any physical differences that had occurred along the way.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°You okay?¡± Emma asked.

    ¡°Just¡­ felt like I might have missed a part of childhood entirely.¡± She paused. ¡°I was about to say that was ¡®no big deal¡¯ but that probably is a bigger deal than I think it is.¡±

    Emma put a hand on her back. ¡°I think you¡¯re alright.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Amaris walked up to the front door and knocked.

    The doors quickly opened to reveal a tall neko woman in an outfit that was not only very revealing but also clearly expensive with all that gold-trimmed velvet. She was smoking something in a long thin pipe.

    ¡°Ah, Rin¡¯s friends,¡± the woman said, breathing a ring of smoke into the air.

    ¡°Yep!¡± Amaris said. ¡°We¡¯re here for the sleepover!¡±

    Mrs. Kugimiya took a moment to scrutinize the two of them¡ªshe clearly didn¡¯t trust the girls. But she found nothing worthy of balking at, so she put on a forced smile and invited the two of them in. ¡°Rin! Your friends are here!¡±

    Rin was there in a second. ¡°Girls!¡± She pulled Emma and Amaris into a hug. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re here!¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t miss it for the world,¡± Emma said.

    ¡°You sure that¡¯s technically true?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°Amaris! It¡¯s an expression! Not everything has to be so rigid!¡±

    ¡°I dunno, could lead to miscommunications¡­¡±

    At this point, Rin¡¯s Father, Mr. Kugimiya, opened the door to his office. He was wearing a very nice black suit and had a cane that he clearly didn¡¯t need to use to walk, he just had it to look fancy. He and his wife briefly embraced in what was clearly meant to be a passionate kiss but to Amaris looked more like two robots going through their programming without thinking.

    Then Mr. Kugimiya turned his attention to the three girls. ¡°Welcome to the Kugimiya household. Don¡¯t touch anything that isn¡¯t in Rin¡¯s room, and even then listen to what Rin tells you to do. You may stay up as late as you wish tonight so long as you are quiet once the two of us go to bed. Dinner is seasoned chicken tenders, by Rin¡¯s request, and it will be sent up to her room. You are to enjoy yourselves, but respect the house and the ground it rests on. Do you girls understand?¡±

    Amaris nodded, though she was mildly confused as to why Mr. Kugimiya was bothering to say all this. It wasn¡¯t painting a very favorable impression.

    ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have more work to do.¡± He patted Rin on the head. ¡°Dazzle them, my little spark.¡±

    Rin beamed like this was the best compliment she had ever received. ¡°Amaris gives me some competition, dad.¡±

    ¡°Healthy competition strengthens us.¡±

    Mrs. Kugimiya folded her arms. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that¡­¡±

    ¡°Let them have their fun.¡±

    Mrs. Kugimiya looked like she wanted to object, but she shook her head. ¡°Yes, you girls have fun. Rin, remember who you are.¡±

    Rin locked her hands behind her back. ¡°The heir of the Kugimiya fortune!¡±

    ¡°Yes, and remember what that means.¡± With that, the two adults were out of sight. The three girls quickly scrambled up the stairs and to Rin¡¯s room, which was decidedly large. The bed was king-sized, there was a massive window that overlooked the street outside, a carpet patterned with various colors of flower shapes, and a full entertainment system with every video game console Amaris had ever heard of, and some she hadn¡¯t. Not to mention the giant princess dolls and plushies Rin had carefully stacked in one corner of her room.

    Emma let out a low whistle. ¡°Impressive.¡±

    ¡°Being stinking rich has its perks,¡± Rin said with a wry grin. ¡°Including the ability to throw an excellent party, and I finally get to test it out!¡± She pulled a remote out of a cabinet and pointed it at the ceiling. Immediately a disco ball descended and various colored lights turned on, along with some dance music playing at a loud but not too loud to be talked over volume. ¡°Tah-dah!¡±

    ¡°Rin, this is amazing!¡± Emma cheered, jumping up and attempting to dance, revealing that she really didn¡¯t know how to. There was something endearing about the erratic, crazed motions, though.

    Amaris put down her backpack, allowing Pitch to slide onto her arm. Then she twirled out into the middle of the room, landing with an outstretched hand in front of Emma. ¡°Would you like to learn a bit?¡±

    ¡°A-amaris! You don¡¯t like¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not performing for anyone here,¡± Amaris said, grabbing Emma¡¯s hand. ¡°I can show you some things.¡±

    ¡°O¡ªokay!¡±

    And so Amaris took Emma¡¯s hands in her own and started twirling her around¡ªslowly at first, taking the time to tell Emma exactly what she was doing, what sorts of steps needed to be taken, and how to keep everything balanced. Then she¡¯d twirl away and start doing the same for Rin.

    Rin was far less receptive to instruction than Emma, for Rin kind of knew how to dance. Only formal, high-society dances though, and she never got to practice outside of her parent¡¯s insistence. It took some time but Amaris eventually got her shuffling her feet to a beat.

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Amaris said, clapping her hands. ¡°One, two, one, two, left, right, left right.¡±

    Emma got the brilliant idea to try to dance with Rin, and Rin confidently agreed. The two tried to twirl each other around at the same time, which only resulted in their legs getting locked up and the two of them falling to the ground.

    Amaris burst into delighted laughter, slapping her knee. ¡°You two need a bit more practice!¡±

    ¡°¡­But soon I¡¯ll be even better than you!¡± Rin declared.

    ¡°Oh, you sure?¡± Amaris proceeded to perform a triple-flip in the air, slamming her foot into the ceiling, then landed on the ground with her hands where she proceeded to walk all the way to a corner and flip back, landing gracefully on her feet with her arms outstretched.

    Emma clapped. ¡°Amaris, that was amazing!¡±

    Rin was clapping as well, though with disbelief on her face.

    Amaris took a bow. ¡°I can sort of see it now¡­ how the motion of the body is itself an art, much like drawing or singing.¡± She thrust her leg into the air, striking a pose. ¡°I think¡­ that it¡¯s good a few people see what I can do, every now and then. You two aren¡¯t a faceless audience.¡±

    Emma pressed her hands together in front of her mouth. ¡°Amaris¡­ I know how much this means to you, and I¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t need to say anything, we are here to celebrate, right?¡±

    Emma flushed slightly but nodded. ¡°Right. Celebrate. Ahem.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ what now?¡± Rin asked, sitting down on her bed. ¡°I¡¯ve got games, dances¡­¡±

    There was a knock at the door. ¡°Dinner!¡± Mrs. Kugimiya called.

    ¡°Food sounds like a good option!¡± Amaris said, opening the door.

    Mrs. Kugimiya set out three plates on a little table. She glanced at the disco ball and all the fancy lights going on, smiling at Rin. ¡°Well done!¡±

    Rin bowed. ¡°Thanks, mom.¡±

    ¡°You show them what you¡¯re made of.¡± She winked and left the three of them to their devices.

    ¡°She¡¯s really¡­ supportive,¡± Emma noted.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Rin said, smiling. ¡°She really is the best mom ever.¡±

    Emma and Amaris glanced to each other with uncertainty.

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t think so?¡±

    Emma eeped. ¡°I¡ªI didn¡¯t say that¡­¡±

    ¡°She was thinking it though, we both were,¡± Amaris said.

    Rin¡¯s expression soured. ¡°Oh, so yours are better?¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­¡± Emma looked at the ground. ¡°Mine would call the police on your entire family if they knew I was here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d say my Mom is better,¡± Amaris added. ¡°But like, she has her problems. Likes messing with people a bit too much. Gives more credit to emotions than she should.¡±

    ¡°So mine¡¯s the best then, yours have problems.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ Rin, nobody¡¯s perfect, the chances of¡­¡± Amaris stopped herself, a probabilistic argument wasn¡¯t going to get anywhere here. ¡°The only reason anything happened is because we were concerned about you.¡±

    Rin tilted her head. ¡°You¡­ huh?¡±

    ¡°Everyone should think their mom is great, but saying she is the best ever, after she specifically goes out of her way to try to make you give a good impression on visitors through leverage?¡± Amaris folded her arms. ¡°¡­She¡¯s even coached you on what to do and say, hasn¡¯t she?¡±

    Rin looked down at the ground. ¡°A lady always seeks to make the best impression, even if it isn¡¯t necessary.¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t have to be a lady with us.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t.¡± After a moment of nothing, she picked up the remote and turned off the crystal ball and the lights. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s play some Skyline Fighter and forget all this nonsense.¡±

    Emma whined. ¡°Awww, why that fighting game?¡±

    ¡°Because I want to beat you two up, obviously.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re on!¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°And I, the little third girl, will die to the crossfire¡­¡± Emma sighed.

    Emma then proceeded to win the first match because Amaris and Rin threw each other off the edge.

    ¡°Huh.¡± She took a bite of the seasoned chicken tenders. ¡°¡­You know these are just chicken nuggets.¡±

    ¡°I call them my nugs when nobody¡¯s looking,¡± Rin said with a giggle. ¡°Mom¡¯s all on about how I have to eat refined, specialty food¡­ but nugs, man. Nugs are second only to fresh fish. But I chose nugs for tonight since I thought you two would like them.¡±

    ¡°I can never eat fast food nugs again,¡± Amaris said. ¡°So great¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Jenny called from the window. ¡°Can I have one?¡±

    The three girls looked up and stared at Jenny. She waved back at them.

    Rin marched over to the window and opened it. ¡°You have to be careful, you could set off the security system.¡± She handed Jenny a nugget.

    Jenny took it and bit into it ravenously. ¡°You already showed me how to get around that.¡±

    ¡°You are going to trip it anyway through carelessness.¡±

    ¡°Pfft, this is Jenny you¡¯re talking about, not gonna happen.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Amaris said, holding up a hand. ¡°You¡¯ve been here before and know how to bypass the security system?¡±

    Jenny nodded. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve checked Rin out a few times. Was spying her out to make sure she wasn¡¯t an evil were-cat, you understand.¡±

    ¡°Jenny¡¯s been to my house too,¡± Emma said. ¡°My brother likes her.¡±

    ¡°How did I not know about this?¡± Amaris asked.

    Jenny shrugged. ¡°Wasn¡¯t important, I guess?¡± She munched more on the nugget. ¡°Anyway, just wanted some food. The coast looks clear, no sign of monsters or freaky curse dispensers.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Jenny,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Sure you don¡¯t want to come in?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ party inside a rich girl¡¯s bedroom¡­ patrol around the block and beat up would-be robbers. I like option two better. You¡¯d be surprised how many vagabonds just want to rob and take advantage of a little girl walking around.¡±

    Rin sighed. ¡°I am soooo glad you girls can handle that. Nobody¡¯s braved the journey before today. ¡­Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Jenny said with a wink. ¡°Now, I¡­¡±

    They heard the shattering of glass downstairs.

    Rin¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t the alarm¡­?¡±

    Jenny cracked her knuckles and hopped into the room. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m going to check that out. You three wait here.¡± She left the room and descended the stairs.

    Rin sighed. ¡°Well, whatever it is, it¡¯s being taken care of.¡± She folded her arms grumpily. ¡°Now we wait.¡±

    Amaris nodded, contemplating whether she should go down to help Jenny. She decided not¡ªshe could stay here and protect the girls just in case. She walked over to the open window and grabbed it, intending to close and lock it tight.

    There was suddenly a face in the darkness. Followed quickly by a fist that hit Amaris in the face and sent her skidding back into the room.

    A very large human man pulled himself in while Amaris was dazed, holding a gun in his other hand. He pointed it right at Amaris. ¡°Nobody move! No¡ª¡±

    Amaris collected her wits and kicked the gun right out of the man¡¯s hand, following this motion up with a kick to the chest. The man managed to take the attack head-on without being thrown out the window. He planted his feet in the ground and drove his fist forward. Amaris was able to twist herself, but not to avoid the attack entirely. The fist grazed her jaw and she was knocked into the pile of plushies.

    She jumped out, ready for more fight¡ªbut the intruder was smart. Instead of focusing on Amaris, he grabbed Emma¡¯s neck. ¡°Stand down, kid!¡±

    Amaris froze, feet planted in the ground. She was too far away to reach Emma, and it would be too risky to take out her crossbow. She started running through her options and was liking less and less how ¡°be cooperative¡± seemed to be the best one.

    She lowered her hands. ¡°What do you want?¡± She glanced to Rin as she said this, checking to make sure she was okay. While Emma was clearly scared out of her wits, Rin was¡­ while not exactly calm, she had an aura of control about her. Her hand was placed firmly on the edge of her nightstand.

    The intruder dragged Emma with him as he walked over to his gun, picking it up. ¡°You got quite the pair of legs on you, kid.¡±

    ¡°Been through a lot,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°I wonder what a good, strong kid like you is doing in the house of these backward wretches¡­¡± He shrugged. ¡°Doesn¡¯t really matter. Here¡¯s how we¡¯re going to do this. First, I am going to tie all three of you up. Then we are going to go down to where my partner has taken care of the ¡®man¡¯ of the house and demand he give us access to his bank account for your safety. Make sense?¡±

    ¡°Sense? Yes.¡± Amaris¡¯ nose twitched. ¡°Do I like it? No.¡±

    ¡°Why not? You get to live, and these rats get some of their haughty possessions taken from them. We¡¯re doing the world a favor!¡±

    Amaris glared. ¡°You¡¯re just doing this because this is the easiest way you could think of to make a quick buck, don¡¯t get all high and mighty with me.¡±

    The man scowled at her. ¡°¡­If you had a pair of ears, this bullet would have had your name on it.¡±

    I was actually hoping to provoke you into shooting, I could take advantage of that¡­

    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to chance anything. So¡­¡± He released his hand from Emma¡¯s neck and took out a piece of rope. ¡°I think I¡¯ll need the special knots for you.¡±

    ¡°Good eye,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°Thought so. No¡ª¡±

    There was a gunshot from somewhere downstairs, followed very quickly by a second, slightly different in tone. The intruder¡¯s eyes widened and he turned to the door. ¡°That wasn¡¯t his gun¡­¡±

    Now that the intruder was properly distracted, Rin all but threw open her nightstand¡¯s drawer and pulled out a single, ornate throwing knife. With expert precision, she threw the blade, embedding it right in the intruder¡¯s neck, spraying blood over Emma¡¯s face.

    Amaris let out a wince as the intruder fell to the ground, lifeless.

    ¡°Are you two okay?¡± Rin asked, running over.

    ¡°Me, yes,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Emma?¡±

    Emma was staring blankly at the dead body in front of her.

    Amaris quickly ran to her. ¡°Emma it¡¯s not your fault, he was trying to steal from Rin¡¯s family and was probably going to kill them later. Rin just acted in self-defense and¡­¡±

    ¡°Did he deserve it?¡± Emma asked.

    Amaris frowned, looking down at the body. ¡°I¡­ geez, Emma, that¡¯s a hard one¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Did he?¡±

    ¡°¡­I think, in some sense, everyone deserves punishment. But we should never dole it out unless we don¡¯t have a choice.¡±

    Emma stared at the body, blankly. ¡°¡­Amaris?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Emma?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±

    ¡°Emma, I didn¡¯t think you were¡­¡±

    ¡°Somewhere in your mind, you were.¡± She smiled sadly. ¡°You can¡¯t hide your feelings that well.¡±

    Amaris frowned. ¡°Emma, you can still¡­¡±

    Emma shook her head. ¡°I¡­ Amaris, you shouldn¡¯t have to be alone.¡±

    Rin grumbled. ¡°Would you two stop trying to be supportive of each other and missing it? There¡¯s a dead body in my room and there were gunshots downstairs! We should probably deal with that!¡±

    At this point, Jenny threw the door open, Rin¡¯s parents behind her. ¡°Okay so we¡¯ve got a dead body down there, genius here shot the robber.¡±

    ¡°He shot you!¡± Mr. Kugimiya blurted.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°How was I supposed to know that?¡±

    ¡°Believe Rin¡¯s stories, maybe?¡± Jenny suggested with a shrug.

    Mr. Kugimiya snorted. ¡°Am I supposed to believe all the nonsense tall tales of ¡®Amaris the Great Adventurer?¡¯ How absurd.¡±

    ¡°I mean, I am Jenny, and I am in a lot of those¡­¡±

    ¡°This is unimportant,¡± Mrs. Kugimiya said, her ears flicking. ¡°We have two dead humans in our house. This is bad.¡±

    Emma stared at the body, frowning. ¡°W-why? They can¡¯t do anything to hurt us anymore¡­¡±

    ¡°Innocence, so annoying¡­¡± Mrs. Kugimiya grunted. ¡°Look, we don¡¯t have time to explain.¡±

    ¡°Yes we do,¡± Rin said, clearing her throat. ¡°The police will find a way to blame us for them, calling us murderers. We are nekos, they are humans. Self-defense doesn¡¯t work that well in court for us.¡±

    ¡°Stupid,¡± Amaris grumbled.

    ¡°You try to fix it.¡±

    ¡°Easier said than done, but I¡¯m looking.¡±

    ¡°You three need to leave,¡± Mr. Kugimiya said. ¡°It¡¯ll look even worse if you¡¯re here.¡± He glanced at the clock. ¡°I think half an hour before the reports of gunshots reach the police¡­ if we can clean this place spotless they¡¯ll write it off as another loon shooting a gun into the sky just for the heck of it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get the blood cleaner,¡± Mrs. Kugimiya added as she ran out.

    Amaris picked up her backpack. ¡°Can I try calling my parents to pick us up?¡±

    ¡°You may,¡± Mr. Kugimiya said. He led her to the phone and she dialed. As expected, she got the answering machine¡ªeveryone was asleep at this point.

    ¡°Guess we¡¯re walking¡­¡± Amaris said. ¡°Jenny, stick close by Emma and me, things might get dicey.¡±

    Jenny saluted. ¡°Roger that!¡±

    ¡°Emma, everything¡¯s going to be okay,¡± Amaris said. Emma didn¡¯t need her help to stand, but Amaris offered her support anyway and got her to the front door. ¡°We¡¯ve got you.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s got them, though?¡± Emma asked.

    Amaris glanced nervously back at Rin¡¯s parents, who were arguing about the best ways to dispose of the bodies and clean the mess they¡¯d made. Rin was standing beside them, looking more¡­ annoyed, than anything. Annoyed that her sleepover got ruined by a couple of intruders. She waved to Amaris sadly as she and the other girls left, setting out into the cold night air.

    ~~~

    ¡°Antonio says talking about it is the best thing to do,¡± Amaris told Emma as they walked along the street lit only by the incandescent slightly yellowed lamps that hung over the sidewalks.

    ¡°T-talk about what?¡±

    ¡°The brutal death of a bad guy,¡± Jenny said with decidedly less of a serious tone than the situation required. She put her hands behind her back and walked backward so she could look Emma in the face the entire time. ¡°It¡¯s a thing most people have a problem accepting.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ accepted it. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m¡­¡± Emma shook her head. ¡°No, no, I¡¯m not fine, I want to run to daddy and tell him everything but I can¡¯t do that and¡­¡±

    ¡°You can run to us,¡± Amaris said, holding her friend by the shoulders. ¡°You can always talk to us.¡±

    ¡°Th-thanks¡­¡± Emma said, holding herself close. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ he¡¯s dead. R-right through the neck. By Rin.¡± Emma wrapped her arms around herself as though she was trying to keep warm. ¡°If¡­ if that had gone a little differently, that would be me lying there. Dead.¡± She turned to Amaris with terrified eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever really thought about that before. Being¡­ dead.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s something I¡¯ve never thought of at all,¡± Jenny said. ¡°Can¡¯t really be dead.¡±

    Amaris glared at Jenny. ¡°Jenny¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it like?¡± Jenny asked.

    Amaris was about to scold Jenny for being insensitive, but this question got Emma to calm down and really think about it. ¡°It feels like¡­ like it¡¯s impossible. I can¡¯t imagine not being me, not having this body, not walking around¡­ but I know it has to happen. That I have a soul in here that will move on and this body will rot to bones. But¡­ how can I be me without this body? It¡­ it is me! It¡¯s how I see, it¡¯s how I taste, it¡¯s¡­ how can it go away?¡±

    Amaris blinked. This was¡­ not at all how she considered it. Her eventual death was just a fact that needed to be accepted, her emotions on the concept were secondary and nearly irrelevant. It was what it was and there was no use fretting over exactly what it meant. But there was something to Emma¡¯s words¡­ and with them came fear of the unknown.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Amaris eventually said. ¡°I could talk about death being a natural process of life, a part of the process of being a person, and about how Dia takes us all in the end¡­ but¡­ you¡¯re right, there¡¯s something strange about it. Something¡­ that doesn¡¯t feel right.¡± She looked up at the stars in the sky. ¡°Maybe we just think we understand it, but we really don¡¯t. There may be something secret¡­ something to uncover.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll uncover it eventually,¡± Emma said. ¡°You¡¯re going to become the most interesting person in the world.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if the curse really does go that far¡­¡± Amaris smiled awkwardly. ¡°You know, by sticking around me, you will become more interesting yourself. You¡¯ll have to keep asking these questions.¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s one thing you¡¯ve taught me it¡¯s that avoiding thinking about questions is very, very bad.¡± She giggled softly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to run away. You and Rin don¡¯t deserve to be alone for this.¡±

    ¡°Me and¡­¡± Amaris suddenly stopped in her tracks, staring far into nothing. ¡°Holy cow¡­¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°This¡­ none of this has been my curse, at least not mostly.¡± Amaris turned to stare at the Dredge around them, with all the worn-down houses and obvious evidence of poverty. ¡°This isn¡¯t me running into ¡®interesting¡¯ robbers, robbers are commonplace here. Rin¡¯s family is the richest here, of course they¡¯d be targeted, especially by people who think they can get away with robbing nekos¡­¡± Amaris¡¯ eyes regained focus on Emma. ¡°This is Rin¡¯s life, Emma.¡±

    Emma made a small, horrified gasp. ¡°Oh my¡­¡±

    ¡°She wasn¡¯t just lucky with that throw, she was prepared for it. Her parents know how to dispose of bodies and generally how long it will be until the police arrive. This¡­ this is normal, here. Where the nekos are forced to live¡­ there are just everyday horrors.¡± Amaris pressed her hands together. ¡°Her life has been much harder than we realized¡­ we¡­ we should do something¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­All we can do is be her friend, Amaris.¡± Emma turned to Jenny. ¡°You too, you know.¡±

    Jenny rubbed the back of her head. ¡°I¡­ guess. I¡¯m more of a roaming vagabond.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re using that incorrectly,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°Yeah, well¡­ you¡¯re a smarty pants.¡± Jenny crossed her arms. ¡°So there.¡±

    ¡°True.¡±

    ¡°By the way, Emma, you should probably wipe that blood off your face.¡±

    Emma gasped. ¡°Oh my gosh I entirely forgot! I¡­¡± She used her dress to wipe her face, but the dress was now red. ¡°Augh! I can¡¯t show this to my parents, they¡¯ll¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to my house,¡± Amaris said. ¡°I have extra clothes for you. ¡­Plus, your parents think you¡¯re at my house anyway, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh. Oh, good, I was¡­¡± Emma took a moment to breathe. ¡°I was panicking¡­ how was I going to explain a bloody dress to my parents!?¡±

    ¡°Burn it and pretend like the dress never existed,¡± Jenny suggested.

    ¡°This is one of my favorite dresses though and they know it¡­ but we can clean it at Amaris¡¯ house.¡±

    ¡°Blood might be hard to get rid of¡­¡± Amaris said. ¡°We could ask Rin later about how to really get it out.¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡± Emma paused. ¡°¡­We really can just ask her that and expect an answer, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°How¡­ I don¡¯t know the word.¡±

    ¡°Unsettling?¡±

    ¡°A bit.¡±

    At this point, Amaris heard a door open and close¡ªit was sudden, loud, and shocking. She whirled around, looking for someone who had just come out of a door, but saw none. She found herself mildly confused by the fact that she couldn¡¯t tell which direction the sound had come from. She checked above and below her just in case something weird was going on, but saw nothing.

    ¡°You two heard that, right?¡± Amaris asked. Both Emma and Jenny nodded. ¡°Right¡­ so, I think we¡¯re dealing with my curse now, something weird is probably after us. Be on the lookout, everyone.¡±

    Jenny lit one of her fists on fire. ¡°It¡¯s go time.¡±

    There was a loud rumble from somewhere below them. Emma¡¯s usual trick of hiding behind Amaris couldn¡¯t apply to an enemy coming from the ground, so she just squeezed as closely as she could to Amaris¡¯ position. Jenny¡¯s fists were ready to punch the ground, and Amaris had her crossbow drawn and pointed downward.

    A claw emerged from below as if the ground was made of liquid, various rocks and pebbles slipping off the browned flesh like water droplets.

    Amaris and Jenny wasted no time. The crossbow bolt sailed true, embedding itself in the claw, though it had no visible effect. Jenny¡¯s fist, on the other hand, made contact with the claw, lighting it entirely on fire. There was a loud yip from somewhere beneath the ground, and the hand retracted back below their feet.

    ¡°Ha!¡± Jenny shouted, stomping on the ground. ¡°That¡¯ll teach you to try to claw Jenny and company!¡± She lit her fist on green fire this time. ¡°Now let¡¯s see if you¡¯re going to go for round two of punishment¡­¡±

    The claw did in fact appear again, except this time it appeared directly beneath Jenny. Before she could do anything, it wrapped around both of her legs and pulled down. Suddenly, the ground was liquid to Jenny as well and she was pulled beneath the ground.

    The ground quickly solidified, just in time to completely block a crossbow bolt from Amaris.

    Both Amaris and Emma could hear muffled screams from beneath the ground. They weren¡¯t screams of panic¡ªthis was Jenny, after all¡ªthey were more screams of rage and anger. The screams of someone buried alive and unable to move in any direction, someone choking on earth falling down their throat and ignoring the pain.

    Alongside the angered screams of Jenny there was also the sound of the creature. It was also muffled from its position below the ground, but it did not have rocks in its throat, for it could easily bark and snarl and tear away, no doubt getting quite annoyed that Jenny wasn¡¯t dying.

    However, Jenny did eventually go silent.

    ¡°Wh¡­¡± Emma said.

    ¡°She¡¯s fine, just passed out,¡± Amaris said, continuing to point her crossbow at the ground. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to survive that.¡±

    Emma nodded. ¡°What do we do?¡±

    ¡°The creature¡¯s ground-based¡­ hold on!¡± Amaris quickly grabbed Emma by the waist and jumped. It wasn¡¯t an overly impressive jump, but it was enough to land them on a street lamp. It was fortunately a dry night and Amaris was able to get enough traction on the metal to pull herself up, away from the ground. Looking down, she saw the claw retreat into the ground where they had just been a moment before.

    Amaris pulled them the rest of the way up with a very awkward motion¡ªone of her arms was holding Emma tightly and the other was basically all she was using to hold onto the streetlamp. She was unable to use her crossbow¡ªit was currently hanging loose from her backpack. Amaris did manage to pull both of them on top of the lamp, though it was enough to make her need to catch her breath.

    However, they were away from the ground. The beast would have to come out of the ground to get to them.

    Without warning, the claw emerged from the streetlamp itself, slicing at them. Amaris let out a scream of panic and jumped, dragging Emma with her. This motion was far less coordinated than what she had done to get on top of the street lamp¡ªboth of them hit the ground hard and rolled a fair distance, dazed.

    The creature formed fully on top of the street lamp, revealing it to have a humanoid shape, though it was far taller and more muscular than any human should have been. Its feet and hands were tipped with claws, and its body was covered in a thin brown fur. The face was that of a jackal, but with ears that had been burned and eyes that were swollen shut. It lifted its snout to the night sky and howled. Then, instead of jumping down, it vanished into the street lamp and emerged from the base, ignoring the fact that there wasn¡¯t enough physical space inside the lamp to hold its body.

    ¡°Stay perfectly still!¡±

    Amaris tensed. That was Rin¡¯s voice. She performed a calculation¡ªtrust the voice, or think it could be a trick? She didn¡¯t have time to debate; the jackal-monster was extremely close and she didn¡¯t think she could fight it. It also had broken ears and swollen eyes¡­

    She¡¯s right, it can¡¯t see us. Amaris readily took to the advice. Emma did the same, though Amaris doubted it was because she¡¯d figured it out¡ªshe just trusted Rin¡¯s voice.

    The jackal-monster moved its head to the left and to the right. It stomped its foot into the ground a few times, not out of anger, but as some kind of listening motion. Testing the ground, feeling for vibrations in the ripples it created. It snarled, apparently displeased that it wasn¡¯t finding anything. It angrily lashed out in random directions, clearly aware that there had to still be people here, but lacking the intelligence to precisely find them. The only casualty from the mad lashing out was the lamp itself, which with one swiping motion was cut cleanly in half, plunging the nearby street into darkness.

    The jackal-monster let out another howl before disappearing into the ground.

    Somewhere, Amaris heard a door slam.

    At this point, there were suddenly arms wrapped around Amaris. She almost reacted defensively, but she recognized Rin quickly enough to cancel that. ¡°R-rin!?¡±

    ¡°I was so worried when I realized what time you left!¡± Rin said as she ran over to Emma. ¡°I knew with your curse you¡¯d be basically guaranteed to meet the Blind Dogman¡­¡±

    ¡°Blind Dogman?¡± Emma asked.

    ¡°Local legend. Walks around between midnight and one AM, supposedly takes children to the netherworld for being bad, but it¡¯s blamed for all sorts of things around here. Most don¡¯t believe it¡¯s real¡­ but you, Amaris¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, of course it would be attracted to me the one night I¡¯m here,¡± Amaris said with a chuckle. ¡°¡­Thanks for saving us.¡±

    ¡°I just knew what the legends said to do. I¡¯d¡­ never seen it myself.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to mark it in my notes¡­¡± Amaris said, taking out a notebook. ¡°If we figure out a plan, maybe we could capture the beast¡­¡±

    ¡°That can move through any solid object?¡± Emma asked.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be¡­ hard, yes, and I don¡¯t think we can do it yet, but maybe one day we can get rid of this¡­ Blind Dogman.¡±

    ¡°I sure hope you can,¡± Rin said. ¡°Because no one thinks it¡¯s real. That it¡¯s all stories.¡±

    ¡°Yeshalo sure seems to have that problem even with magic staring them in the face¡­¡± Amaris muttered. ¡°Maybe we sh¡ª¡±

    ¡°Rin Kugimiya!¡±

    The girls turned around to see Rin¡¯s parents drive up in their gold-painted sports car. Her dad looked afraid¡ªher mother looked furious.

    ¡°A Lady does not rush out in the middle of the night during a crisis!¡±

    ¡°The Blind Dogman was going to get them!¡± Rin shouted back. ¡°I had to help!¡±

    ¡°Blind Dogman!? Please! You need to let go of these stories and face reality!¡± Her mother marched out of the car and grabbed Rin by the nose. ¡°You are the heir of the Kugimiya fortune, remember what you are worth! You cannot be¡­ risking yourself like this on a whim!¡±

    ¡°Y-yes mother¡­¡±

    ¡°Come, your dad and I have cleaned up the house, we need to get you back quickly.¡± She quickly herded Rin back into the car. ¡°As for you two¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Amaris asked.

    Mrs. Kugimiya looked them up and down again, eyes narrowing. ¡°I¡­ forget it.¡± She muttered something about ¡®kids¡¯ under her breath and waved her hand, which her husband took as an indication to get going.

    Emma and Amaris remained, standing in the cold night air. The two friends stared at the place their friend had just been with great uncertainty in their expressions.

    ¡°¡­We should probably mark where Jenny¡¯s buried so we can dig her up later,¡± Emma said.

    Amaris blinked. ¡°Oh, right, yeah that would be important, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    Pitch hissed in agreement.

 May Your Revenge be Justified

    EPISODE XVII

    May Your Revenge be Justified

    ¡°Hey, Amaris!¡± Scarlet called from her obnoxiously red car. ¡°Want a ride home?¡±

    Amaris looked at the sidewalk she was walking on. It wasn¡¯t that far back home, but a ride with Scarlet was always welcome. ¡°Sure!¡±

    Scarlet pulled over and Amaris hopped into the passenger seat, setting her backpack in the back seat. Pitch slithered out of the backpack and made his way to Amaris¡¯ arm, licking her lightly.

    ¡°How¡¯ve things been?¡± Scarlet asked.

    ¡°Same as usual. A dogman lives in the Dregs. He can swim through rock.¡± Amaris shrugged. ¡°Had to dig Jenny out of the ground.¡±

    ¡°Interesting¡­ afraid I can¡¯t help you with that one, information on the Dregs is hard to vet. However¡­ I have found some interesting leads on that basement of yours in the school.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Amaris perked up.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Scarlet¡¯s warm smile faltered slightly. ¡°The original school plan didn¡¯t even have a door there. The modern instance of the plans show the door, though¡ªit was added later. But there¡¯s no evidence of any construction or even someone updating the floor plan. It was actually somewhat difficult to even find the original blueprint.

    ¡°So either someone built it and didn¡¯t want anyone to know, or it just showed up one day, or something weirder.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a little more ominous than that. I started performing a search on other buildings, entirely randomly. Houses, business offices, restaurants, gas stations¡­ They aren¡¯t too common, but I have found a few dozen instances of doors that were not there in the original plans but are there now.¡±

    ¡°So this is a recurring phenomenon.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. And we can¡¯t blame a particular construction company for just doing it deliberately, as the buildings I found them in show no relation to each other. Most were built by different people.¡± She made a hard right turn in the car, jostling Amaris. ¡°The most unnerving part is how the floor plans are just updated to include them. Nobody seems to care or notice.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re able to notice it, though.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Except¡­ is that only because I¡¯m actively looking?¡¯

    Amaris clicked her tongue. ¡°Maybe, but if there was some kind of memory magic afoot you wouldn¡¯t even be able to remember it, like the angel orb.¡±

    ¡°Or maybe it just works differently.¡± Scarlet paused. ¡°It¡¯s not just limited to Nuk, I found floor plans like this across Yeshalo. The timescale is also¡­ impressive. Your school is one of the newer buildings that has a door like that. I¡¯ve found ones that are over a century old with it.¡±

    ¡°So whatever this is, it¡¯s been going on for a while¡­¡± Amaris scritched Pitch under his chin. ¡°Is there any pattern in where these doors lead?¡±

    ¡°The majority of them lead to basements that aren¡¯t well-defined on the floor plan, but not all of them. One literally just makes a hallway to connect two other hallways. Another creates a second entrance to an attic.¡±

    Amaris nodded slowly. ¡°Thanks, Scarlet. I¡¯ll keep you posted. ¡­How are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s another murder I get to cover today!¡± Scarlet smiled. ¡°Those are always so exciting.¡±

    ¡°Wish they didn¡¯t happen¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course, but this one¡¯s special, the kid went missing a month ago and his body is now turning up in parcels all over town, quite the story. Watch the news, it¡¯ll be fun.¡±

    Amaris rolled her eyes. ¡°You and your morbid curiosity.¡±

    ¡°Someone¡¯s gotta do it, right?¡±

    ¡°It is helpful that you aren¡¯t squeamish, this is true.¡±

    At this point, Scarlet pulled up to Amaris¡¯ house. ¡°We¡¯re here. Let me know how your next adventure goes!¡±

    ¡°Will do!¡± Amaris said, waving goodbye. She went inside and called out. ¡°Hi, Mom, I¡¯m home!¡±

    ¡°How was school?¡± Amaris¡¯ mom asked as she painted a potato that was cut into a helix pattern. She was currently painting it while upside-down on a chair. Amaris didn¡¯t question this, it was as normal as anything else her mother did.

    ¡°Eh, boring. Most exciting thing that happened was Judit trying to subtly trip me. I¡¯m really starting to frustrate her by being impossible to bully.¡± Amaris chuckled. ¡°Still waiting for that ambush to strike while I¡¯m on my way home one of these days. ¡­I might have just avoided it, actually, considering that Scarlet picked me up.¡±

    ¡°We are fortunate to have such a neighbor. How is Emma doing?¡± Amaris mom frowned and she switched her paintbrush to her other hand, trying to get the shading on the edge of the potato just right.

    ¡°She¡¯s¡­ well, she¡¯s doing better?¡± Amaris shook her head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a good experience by any means, but she seems to be more scared of her parents finding out than anything right now.¡±

    ¡°A child should never fear her parents¡­¡± Amaris¡¯ mom sighed. ¡°But there isn¡¯t much we can do.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.. When¡¯s Dad coming home?¡±

    ¡°Should be back in time for dinner. Irene too, though her grocery hours are much more predictable.¡±

    ¡°I wonder how she¡¯s doing¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°I¡¯m here to return this,¡± a small, lanky man said.

    Irene blinked. ¡°¡­You want to return a half-eaten apple?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It tasted terrible. I demand a refund.¡±

    Irene let out a long, drawn-out sigh and rammed her face into the counter.

    ¡°Refund. Now.¡±

    Irene put on her signature forced smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we aren¡¯t allowed to offer refunds on produce.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a stupid policy. Change it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just the cashier, I¡¯m not allowed to change policy.¡±

    ¡°I know you can, just ignore the policy, give me my money back.¡±

    ¡°That would get me in trouble.¡±

    ¡°Do you think I care?¡±

    Irene¡¯s smile widened even further. ¡°Do you think I care? I¡¯m a grocery store cashier, of course I don¡¯t.¡±

    The man curled his tiny fingers into a fist. ¡°You. Are going to give me my refund.¡±

    ¡°Uh. No. I¡¯m not.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring my dogs back here and have them eat you.¡±

    Irene blinked. ¡°My word, you¡¯re serious. What on earth is wrong with you?¡±

    ¡°Just give me the freaking refund!¡±

    ¡°How about instead I call management and maybe the cops¡­¡± she picked up the phone.

    ¡°Your days are numbered, witch.¡± He slammed the apple into the counter, splattering its remains all over everything. He stormed off angrily.

    Irene sighed. ¡°What a wierdo¡­¡± rather than calling management, she called the intercom. ¡°Cleanup at cash register four¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Oh, Amaris, could you get the mail?¡± her mom asked. ¡°I¡¯m a bit¡­ occupied in this position.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± Amaris said, walking out to the mailbox and opening it.

    Immediately the noxious fumes of rotting flesh hit her nose. This did not make her recoil, but it was highly unpleasant. Inside was a rat carcass with a note on it. For your halfbreed friend.

    ¡°Geez¡­¡± Amaris grunted. She went back inside. ¡°I think Judit left me a rotting rat in the mailbox.¡±

    ¡°Goodness, how terrible, let me¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get down, I can deal with it. There was no mail, by the way.¡± Amaris quickly got a plastic bag and a can of disinfectant spray. She went out and sprayed the entire mailbox and the rat carcass. She put her hand inside the plastic bag and used it as a glove to grab the rat, the note, and everything else in the mailbox. Then she sprayed down the entire thing again, to the point at which it was dripping with so much disinfectant it smelled like a chemical factory. There were enough fumes that Amaris began to wonder if it was healthy to be breathing right now.

    At least that would take care of any rotting anything.

    She threw the rat in the outside garbage and proceeded to entirely disinfect her hands.

    ¡°Taken care of,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°You sure you¡¯re not bothered?¡± her mom asked.

    ¡°I mean, maybe a little bit? She¡¯s just a bully trying to figure out how to get to me. Not gonna work.¡±

    Her mom smiled. ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡±

    ¡°We might have to deal with some other annoyances, though. I¡¯m expecting her to try and push the ¡®you¡¯re friends with a neko¡¯ angle as hard as she can. Which won¡¯t be very far since she¡¯s not that clever, she seems to have forgotten that cats like rats too, and she¡¯s a cat.¡±

    ¡°Some people¡­¡± her mom sighed. ¡°I do wonder what happened to that poor girl to make her this way¡­¡±

    Amaris shrugged. ¡°No idea.¡± She went to the kitchen and started preparing herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for a snack. She had just finished and was about to take a bite when she noticed something white and fuzzy in the backyard. She had only seen it out of the corner of her eye, but it had been on top of the fence and dropped down behind a bush.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Amaris said. ¡°C¡¯mon Pitch, we¡¯re checking that out.¡± She set her sandwich down and went into the backyard, Pitch curled around her wrist. Cautiously, she approached the bush, circling it at first, trying to get some sense of what was hiding behind it. It was white and fuzzy, yes, but there was also a fair amount of red¡ªeither it had just finished hunting something or was injured itself, it was hard to tell through the foliage.

    It noticed her circling and started growling. It wasn¡¯t all that threatening of a growl, all things considered.

    Amaris eventually found a good angle where she could see what she was looking at. It was a fox-like creature with pale fur that had soft blue highlights. Much of it was bloodied and battered¡ªclearly from its own injuries, not from whatever it might have been hunting. It had two tails, both of which were twitching angrily.

    The creature glared right at her and snapped its jaws. Amaris could clearly see that it was trembling, though.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you,¡± Amaris said. ¡°¡­You don¡¯t look too good, but you do look mystical. Can you¡­ understand me? We have medicine inside¡­ you can come in and take it.¡±

    The creature snapped at her, but Amaris had seen understanding in the deep blue eyes.

    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t have to even be near you, you can just go in¡­¡± She backed up and gestured at the house. ¡°If you think you can use medical supplies yourself¡­¡±

    The creature snapped at her, growled¡­ and then its eyes rolled into its skull and it passed out from blood loss.

    Amaris clicked her tongue. ¡°Well. Let¡¯s hope you¡¯re not too far gone¡­¡± She approached the creature, warily at first, trying to make sure this wasn¡¯t just some elaborate ruse. Satisfied that the creature really had lost consciousness, she gingerly picked it up and carried it back into the house. ¡°Mom! Injured probably magical creature, get the medicine chest!¡±

    Amaris¡¯ mom left the project she was working on immediately and ran for the medicine chest. Amaris brought the creature to the kitchen table and set it on the tablecloth and checked its wounds closer. Most of them appeared to be cuts, the sort that would be made with a knife rather than the teeth of some predator. They weren¡¯t very old wounds either¡ªhad it really passed out due to blood loss, or simply the pain of being cut in so many places and all the excitement of trying to face off against Amaris?

    Amaris¡¯ mom ran back with the medicine chest and popped it open. ¡°Well, let¡¯s assume this creature is close enough to a cat for first aid to work¡­¡± She pulled out a shaver. ¡°We need to clear the fur from the wounds so we can properly bandage it.¡± Her hand was shaking.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Amaris said, taking the shaver. ¡°Just keep instructing me.¡±

    ¡°First of all, disinfect the shaver, then carefully¡­¡±

    It took a few minutes, but they managed to trim the fur away from the wounds. They were not doctors, they couldn¡¯t do stitches, but they could clean everything and use a special kind of powder that helped blood clot. Then they bandaged everything up and¡­ that was all they could do.

    Amaris let out a long breath. ¡°Well, that¡¯s all we can do for now¡­ I¡¯m going to send word to Coleus, ask her to come down, don¡¯t exactly think a vet or doctor will be that helpful with a mystic creature.¡±

    ¡°You sure it¡¯s magic?¡± Amaris¡¯ mom asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ pretty sure, but even if I¡¯m wrong, Coleus will still be better at this.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course. Right. How¡­¡± Amaris¡¯ mom sat down. ¡°Silly of me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, mom. Well. In general.¡± With that, she got up to send word to Coleus.

    ~~~

    Amaris moved the fox-like creature into her room for the moment and watched it closely. She was rather surprised to see it wake up.

    I didn¡¯t think we did that good of a job¡­ maybe she¡¯s hardy?

    The creature tried to stand up, but was too shaky to pull that off so instead it just sat on its haunches. It turned its gaze to Amaris, eyes digging right into her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a dryad coming to help you,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Do you know what a dryad is?¡±

    The creature nodded.

    ¡°She¡¯ll get you fixed right up.¡±

    ¡°¡­You saved me,¡± the creature spoke with a deep, but feminine voice.

    ¡°Yeah. What was I gonna do, let you die back there?¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re human.¡±

    Amaris frowned. ¡°Humans aren¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± she said, hanging her head. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ cursed to have humans hurt me. I have not seen¡­ kindness from your kind in a long, long time.¡±

    ¡°Cursed?¡± Amaris perked up. ¡°By some guy named Freddloi? Gave you the curse in a ¡®may your¡¯ format?¡±

    The creature stared right at her. ¡° ¡®May your revenge be justified.¡¯ ¡°

    ¡° ¡®May your life be interesting.¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°It is certainly¡­ interesting that I¡¯m allowed to interact with you without suffering for it.¡±

    ¡°Definitely is.¡± Amaris frowned. ¡°So, you¡¯re cursed to have humans do terrible things to you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. When it first came upon me, I¡­ was young, angry, and foolish.¡± She looked out the window. ¡°I thought humans were a blight on the world. My tribe originally hunted them for sport, but then we were forced into a new way of life by society around us, one dominated by humans. I wanted nothing more than to return to the old ways, to get them back for making me change, but it wasn¡¯t societally acceptable to do so. The curse¡­ was so that I would be ¡®justified¡¯ in my hunts.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like it¡¯s possible.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± she said. ¡°But I sure thought so¡­¡± She flicked her two tails. ¡°I have not been able to¡­ to talk to a human in so, so long. I¡­ it¡­¡± Tears started welling up in her eyes. ¡°Please. I have killed so many of you, and I regret every last one. I¡­ I am sorry beyond words, my soul screams within my chest, I¡­¡±

    Amaris walked up to her and placed a hand on her back. ¡°Shhh¡­ it¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not okay at all¡­¡±

    ¡°The death, no. But right here, right now? You¡¯re here with me. And you¡¯re safe. And I¡¯m not going to hurt you.¡± She paused. ¡°Unless you were particularly attached to that fur of yours we had to shave to help you.¡±

    The creature looked at the sections of her fur that were shaved. ¡°¡­If that¡¯s how the curse manifests with you that is extremely mild.¡±

    ¡°Good. Anyway¡­ you say it¡¯s humans that the curse affects? No other races?¡±

    ¡°Not except by proxy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep my family out of the room then, and Coleus¡ªthe dryad¡ªwill hopefully be able to help you.¡±

    ¡°All dryads close to a Glen can heal.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but she¡¯s also good at purging evil. She¡¯s never tried to get rid of my curse¡ªI¡¯ve come to think of it as a gift¡ªbut I¡¯m sure she can try.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you can try?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t promise anything. But I think it¡¯s worth a shot.¡±

    ¡°Th¡­ thank you¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Amaris. Amaris Kelvin.¡± Amaris smiled. ¡°You?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Vayvaresi, a kitsune.¡± She flicked her two tails. ¡°You have¡­ no idea what this conversation means to me.¡±

    ¡°Maybe one day you can help me understand.¡±

    ~~~

    Irene had headphones in her ears and was dancing and going ¡°da da da¡± to the tune of the music as she walked back to Amaris¡¯ house. She was in an extremely good mood. Work was over! She was going back and then she¡¯d get to cook dinner! And this song was really bopping, it really was such a shame that Unrust hadn¡¯t had much in the way of technology, she didn¡¯t think she could ever go back now.

    ¡°Da da da da da da, la da da da da da da da DA da¡­¡±

    She twirled around, jumping forward along the sidewalk like she was a girl playing hopscotch.

    As she was fully invested and rather oblivious, she didn¡¯t hear the barking for quite a while. However, not even the loudest and most bopping of songs could drown out the cacophony that was a dozen angry dogs barking as loudly as they could.

    Irene eventually opened her eyes in annoyance and looked behind her, only to see the dogs charging at her. All of the dogs weren¡¯t cute or cuddly; they were tall, muscular, and fit, the kind of dogs that worked as guards or police dogs. All of them had their teeth bared and were charging right at her.

    Immediately Irene let out a scream of panic and ran off, her feet hitting the pavement in time to her music track. She held her hand behind her, applying happiness to the dogs.

    This did not get them to stop chasing her.

    ¡°AAAAAAA!¡± She screamed. ¡°Somebody HELP!¡±

    Nobody came to help. The few people that were nearby saw the pack of dogs and decided to run away themselves. They were able to get away because the dogs were most definitely after her.

    ¡°Why oh why did I have to get the freaky weirdo with the dogs!?¡± Irene whined. ¡°Why me¡­ oh, wait, right, Amaris. AMARIS! HELP ME!¡±

    Amaris wasn¡¯t anywhere nearby, naturally. Neither was Jenny, today. Irene was alone as she ran from a pack of dogs and despite her freakishly long legs and surprising speed, she was not faster than the dogs. With a bark, the lead dog pounced her, paws pressing into her back.

    With a shout, she fell over onto the pavement. Her torso provided her enough cushioning that her head didn¡¯t slam onto the sidewalk and crack open, but she got numerous scrapes and bruises. The lead dog opened its mouth¡­

    ¡­and started licking her face. The rest of the dogs filed suit, dog-piling on top of her and licking her all over, wagging their tails excitedly.

    ¡°O-oh¡­ guess it did work¡­¡± Irene laughed nervously. She tried to sit up, but it was rather difficult with a dozen or so dogs jumping all over her. She found that she could get them to move if she scratched them behind the ears and at the base of the neck, which made their tails wag even faster.

    I wonder if these dogs have ever really felt happy before¡­

    She eventually managed to stand back up, and now she had a dozen happy dogs following her and playfully nipping at her heels.

    ¡°W-well,¡± she stammered. ¡°If I release you, you¡¯ll probably eat me¡­ so¡­¡± She realized she wasn¡¯t very far from Amaris¡¯ house. ¡°Ah, idea. Y-you all be good now.¡± The dogs seemed to understand that she wanted to walk now so they didn¡¯t get in her way too much, but they were still a little annoying.

    She arrived at the house and knocked on the door. ¡°Um¡­ hey, don¡¯t open the door, it¡¯s Irene, I have a d-dog problem.¡±

    Anastasia Kelvin came to the window and opened it. ¡°You really do have a dog problem.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s worse than it looks,¡± Irene said. ¡°They want me dead by default. N-need a way to get them off me.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Anastasia frowned. ¡°Have you tried showing them a cat?¡±

    ¡°Ana!¡±

    ¡°Right, right¡­ um¡­ Coleus is upstairs with Amaris right now, I think she can do something with her plants? Hold on, let me check¡­¡± Anastasia left the window.

    ¡°Oh. Okay. I¡¯ll just stand here. With a dozen really happy vicious dogs. No problem.¡± Irene looked down at all the canines. Happy though they were, those teeth were still visible, and slobber was dripping all over her shoes. She only now realized how badly all of them and, by extension, she smelled.

    A moment later Amaris and Coleus appeared in the window.

    ¡°Huh. Dogs,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Guess this really does confirm that interesting things happen to people when I¡¯m not around.¡±

    Coleus nodded. ¡°You want me to hold them down?¡±

    ¡°Please,¡± Irene begged.

    Coleus threw some seeds out the window. A few seconds later, some vines erupted from them and wrapped around the dogs, tying them down. They didn¡¯t whimper, they were still happy dogs, tails expectantly wagging, they just couldn¡¯t move anymore.

    Amaris opened the front door and Irene scrambled in, breathing heavily.

    ¡°Have a nice run?¡± Anastasia asked.

    ¡°Oh yes quite definitely uh-huh,¡± Irene shivered. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ let the dogs go first.¡±

    Coleus released her grip on the vines and the dogs were free. They could no longer see Irene. They could smell her, though, but they knew they couldn¡¯t get in the house and they didn¡¯t mind that. They just started excitedly moving around in random directions.

    Amaris closed the window. ¡°Let¡¯s see what they do when you release them, Irene.¡±

    Irene released them. Immediately, all the dogs became very serious and aggressive-looking¡ªbut they were not actively barking. They looked more confused than anything. They gave each other uncertain glances as they formed back into a single pack, almost as if they were discussing something. Then they all left at once, trotting away.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good,¡± Amaris said, hoisting up her backpack. ¡°Coleus and I needed to go out anyway.¡±

    Coleus nodded, pulling a backpack on her own shoulders tight as well. ¡°Yep. Sorry Irene, can¡¯t tell you about it.¡±

    Irene slumped into a chair nearby and let out a relieved sigh. ¡°You can have your secrets, right now I just want this chair¡­¡±

    ¡°You two have fun!¡± Amaris waved back. ¡°Let¡¯s get going, Coleus.¡±

    Irene paid them little mind. She just sat and recollected her thoughts, breathing.

    That is, until she noticed Anastasia go into the kitchen.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m still cooking dinner!¡± Irene said, standing up suddenly.

    ¡°You look¡ª¡±

    ¡°I like cooking, give me that frying pan.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°The elders will have to let us in,¡± Coleus said as she and Amaris they approached the military checkpoint around the Strider. Both of them had their backpacks. Amaris¡¯ was filled with all her normal things, but Coleus¡¯ had a very special passenger within hidden away from the sight of humans. This had annoyingly been the best thing they could come up with, even though Vayvaresi had said that being hidden rarely kept the curse from manifesting. ¡°Vayvaresi has never used dryad hospitality before, we must offer assistance to the needy.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°Just saying, they definitely wouldn¡¯t be on board with this if Vayvaresi was some kind of evil art-ifact.¡±

    ¡°Mom¡¯s paintings aren¡¯t evil.¡±

    ¡°Some of them look really weird. She was dissecting a potato! With math! Terrifying.¡±

    ¡°Coleus, you use math to build your plant engineering.¡±

    Coleus giggled. ¡°I know.¡±

    They arrived at the military checkpoint and Coleus waved at General Mason. ¡°Hello, General!¡±

    The General nodded in her direction. ¡°Coleus. Please hold a minute, I need to enter you in the system.¡±

    ¡°Can-do,¡± Coleus said, sitting down.

    ¡°Bringing Amaris in with you?¡± General Mason asked.

    ¡°Yep!¡±

    General Mason grumbled. ¡°That¡¯s gonna drive the paperwork monkeys insane.¡±

    ¡°I thought my special channel a-void-ed that?¡±

    General Mason sighed. ¡°Yes, technically, but the fact that you have express access at all really annoys them.¡±

    ¡°Diplomatic importance has its benefits. And I really do have to move in and out quickly sometimes, so¡­¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± General Mason said. ¡°They¡¯re still going to give me a hard time, as always. You too, if they can get their hands on y¡ª¡±

    ¡°You!¡± A man with rectangular glasses shouted. ¡°Are you running proper efficiency again? All the numbers are going to be out of alignment!¡±

    ¡°Oh do stop it,¡± Amaris said. ¡°She¡¯s the leader of the Strider, the President would get the same treatment if he ever wanted to come here.¡±

    ¡°The President knows not to come so we can keep everything aligned! Leaders should stay in their seats of power save for¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ahem!¡± General Mason shouted. ¡°I understand that you¡¯re technically not one of my subordinates, but you are out of line. Get back to your tent, calculate your numbers, and deal with them being out of alignment.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m writing a complaint about this!¡±

    ¡°You do that.¡±

    The man stormed off.

    ¡°That has to be really, really annoying,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°It¡¯s worse in meetings, then I actually have to listen to them. Or pretend to, anyway.¡± General Mason sighed. ¡°You¡¯re clear, by the way.¡±

    They quickly got on one of the elevators and began the ride up to the Strider.

    Vayvaresi poked her head out of the backpack. ¡°He didn¡¯t even check the backpack¡­ no humans elbowed it¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the leader of this place,¡± Coleus said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to check me for contraband since anything I bring in is automatically not-raband!¡±

    Amaris facepalmed.

    ¡°It sounded better than the rubber band pun I was going to go with first.¡±

    ¡°For someone who uses so many puns, you aren¡¯t the best at them,¡± Veyvaresi pointed out.

    ¡°Oh u-uh well¡­ it¡¯s¡­ uh¡­¡± Coleus shuffled her feet awkwardly.

    ¡°And decidedly awkward for a leader as well. You are right, Amaris, you are cursed to be interesting, this is endlessly fascinating.¡±

    ¡°Glad I could be of assistance!¡± Amaris beamed.

    Coleus stared at her hands. ¡°But¡­ I was¡­ the interesting one¡­ not¡­¡± Coleus shook her head. ¡°Right, abandoning the brain train, we have a curse to remove.¡±

    ¡°To the Glen!¡±

    The journey to the Glen was rather uneventful. Once they were down the stairs and past the area anyone could publicly go, Vayvaresi left the backpack and walked alongside them. Fully healed and healthy, she had a presence far beyond that of a wild animal. She was slightly larger than a cat and her fur was unnaturally smooth. One could almost describe her as glowing, but she produced no light of her own, her fur merely refracted light in an eye-catching way. Her two exceptionally bushy tails continually swiveled left and right, almost as though they were made out of liquid.

    ¡°This place¡­ it is pure,¡± Vayvaresi said, looking up at the trees and the runic stones that surrounded the Glen proper. ¡°Such purity I have not felt in¡­ ages.¡±

    ¡°How many tails did you have when you were cursed?¡± Coleus asked.

    Amaris blinked. ¡°What kind of question is that?¡±

    Coleus blinked. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know! Kitsune have nine lives when born, one for each tail, when injured to the point of death they consume one of their tails to regenerate.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Did¡­ I not need to help you?¡±

    ¡°I am still glad you did,¡± Vayvaresi said. ¡°I only have two left. I had all nine when I was cursed. Despite all the suffering, only rarely does one of my tails get consumed.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s similar to my curse, then,¡± Amaris said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be very interesting if dead.¡±

    ¡°Being dead does get in the way of revenge¡­ though, in this time, I am more of an obstacle to the revenge than anything.¡±

    ¡°You just don¡¯t want it anymore.¡±

    ¡°And yet, until today, the world continued to give me reasons for it.¡± She sighed. ¡°I hope this works.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Coleus said. She paused in front of the entrance to the Glen. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to be mean to Amaris again, are you?¡± She glared at the dryads in the center of the Glen. ¡°Are you?¡±

    Amaris took a step forward. The Glen did not block her entry.

    The three of them approached the central pool. Vayvaresi stared at it with wide eyes. ¡°Unbelievably pure¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a puree of purity!¡± Coleus declared. ¡°Kinda. You make it by congealing nature essence and then grinding it in a sort of metaphysical sense.¡± She kneeled down. ¡°Could you paw-sibly place your front paws into the pool?¡±

    Vayvaresi did as asked. The water not only soaked into her fur, but also her skin and somehow her bones. The feeling was pleasant, though slightly unnerving.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s see here¡­¡± Coleus placed one of her feet in the water. ¡°We have a visitor, members of the Glen. She is cursed. Let us purge it from her, for it is our duty.¡±

    The elder dryads responded. Slowly, they placed one of their branches in the pool as well. Vayvaresi actually started to glow.

    ¡°An injured heart¡­¡± Coleus frowned. ¡°I am so sorry. All you¡¯ve ever loved has been taken away¡­ let us ease your pain¡­¡±

    Vayvaresi let out a sigh of relief as the sensations of the pool washed over her.

    ¡°The man who cursed you no longer walks the earth¡­ we know who he was¡­ we can see¡­ there it is. Very subtle¡­¡± Coleus opened her eyes. Amaris jumped back a bit¡ªthey were white, devoid of any pupils, which was quite jarring considering how massive Coleus¡¯ pupils were in the first place. ¡°We shall¡­ remove th¡ª¡±

    The light level in the Glen dropped suddenly, as though an oppressive dark fog filled the area. Coleus winced, but didn¡¯t back down. ¡°It¡¯s strong¡­ a curse shouldn¡¯t be this strong¡­¡±

    The air around them became darker. Coleus started shaking from the strain.

    ¡°Coleus¡­?¡± Amaris asked. ¡°Are you¡­¡±

    ¡°Trying¡­¡± Coleus said through a haggard breath. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ something¡­ unusual¡­¡± She clenched her jaw. ¡°But we can see it, we just have to¡­ to¡­¡±

    Vayvaresi let out a yip of pain.

    ¡°How¡­ how dare he!?¡± Coleus shouted. ¡°It¡¯s attached to her soul! It¡­¡± Coleus¡¯ expression became forlorn. ¡°No¡­¡±

    Suddenly, the darkness abated and Vayvaresi stopped glowing. Everything was back to normal.

    Coleus collapsed to her knees, a few tears rolling down her face. ¡°I¡­ I am so sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡­ can¡¯t be removed?¡± Vayvaresi asked.

    ¡°It¡­ it¡¯s sewn into your identity, like¡­ imagine¡­ imagine a tapestry of threads sewn into your body. To remove them, we would have to take you apart piece by piece, and we wouldn¡¯t be able to put you back together. At¡­ at the very best case, you would get immense brain damage. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s far more likely to just outright kill you in a way your tail wouldn¡¯t be able to fix.¡±

    Vayvaresi let out a sigh. ¡°So there is nothing you can do. I¡­ suppose I let myself get too hopeful.¡±

    ¡°It¡­ shouldn¡¯t be like this.¡± Coleus said, standing up. ¡°No, really, it shouldn¡¯t. I was angry at Freddloi for daring to violate the soul in such a way, but the more I look at it, the more I realize¡­ he did not have the power or capacity to do something like this on his own. The level of precision and detail in the soul imprint¡­ it¡¯s so complicated the Glen as a whole couldn¡¯t even see it all.¡±

    Amaris blinked. ¡°What does that even mean?¡±

    ¡°It means Freddloi definitely couldn¡¯t have been giving these curses under his own power.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ where do they come from?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Coleus said, sitting down in the pool, allowing its pure energy to flow into her and rejuvenate her. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ far beyond us, though. Such a huge, nasty thing¡­ that hides so well. Most healers wouldn¡¯t even be able to see that there was anything there¡­¡±

    ¡°I thank you for trying, maiden of the leaves,¡± Vayvaresi said, tearing herself from the pool. ¡°I¡­ shall return to my old way of life, trying to find a land with few humans in it. Such places are rarely peaceful for long, but they are peaceful for a time.¡± She turned to Amaris. ¡°I am truly glad to have met you, Amaris. It¡­ is an immense blessing to be able to speak to one of your kind.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you want to leave?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°It is all I have ever done. With this curse remaining¡­ it shall not change. You may be immune, but others are not. They will either be humans and torment me, or be those I forge close bonds with only for them to be killed by humans in some way. It is the way of my life.¡± She flicked her tails to the side. ¡°But even in those times, I can hold to this memory. As a moment¡­ where there was hope, and there was actual understanding. I do not have many memories like this, Amaris, I shall treasure it greatly.¡±

    Amaris kneeled down. She was unable to resist giving the kitsune a hug. ¡°I¡­ really hope you find a way to escape your curse. If I ever find a way to get rid of them¡­ I¡¯ll find you.¡±

    ¡°If your ¡®interesting¡¯ curse can really go that far¡­ then I await that day.¡± She gave Amaris a lick on the cheek. ¡°Thank you for all you¡¯ve done, and goodbye.¡± With that, Vayvaresi backed away from them¡­ and vanished in a puff of white flower petals.

    Amaris blinked. ¡±¡­Can all kitsune do that?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ no,¡± Coleus said, tilting her head to the side. ¡°What even was that?¡±

    ¡°She is an ancient one,¡± one of the elder dryads spoke, startling the two girls. ¡°A great spirit of a bygone age.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Amaris asked.

    The elder dryad said nothing further.

    ~~~

    The next day, Amaris, Emma, and Rin were walking along the sidewalk with recently purchased ice cream cones in their hands.

    ¡°So¡­ this is going to be a little awkward,¡± Emma said. ¡°My birthday¡¯s coming up.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Amaris stopped short. ¡°Oh my, Emma, I entirely forgot I¡¯m so sorry I¡­¡±

    ¡°Amaris, don¡¯t worry about it. That¡¯s not the awkward part. The awkward part is that I can¡¯t invite Rin even though I really really want to.¡±

    Rin took a long lick of her fish-flavored ice cream. ¡°¡­Yeah, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be missing out on much.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the principle of the thing!¡± Emma said. ¡°You girls are my best friends, and I can¡¯t invite both of you.

    ¡°Just save me some cake, it¡¯ll be fine,¡± Rin said. ¡°You and I can have an after-party or something.¡±

    ¡°I know, but¡­ mmm.¡± Emma kicked a rock. ¡°I just don¡¯t like it, but there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to bring enough party for both of us,¡± Amaris said. ¡°¡­Even though big parties aren¡¯t usually my thing¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding, Amaris? You¡¯re the most interesting person in the room! You could be the life of the party if you wanted to!¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to¡­¡±

    ¡°You could or¡­¡± Emma blinked. ¡°Amaris. Invite as many weird friends as you possibly can.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°My parents won¡¯t know what to make of it. Invite Jenny. Invite Coleus. Invite¡­ I don¡¯t even know, just invite crazy people. Make this party the party to remember.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure Coleus at least will make your parents very uncomfortable¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, ah, but! Maybe they need to be made uncomfortable! Get them to¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± She put her hands on her hips. ¡°Just so long as none of them are nekos, my parents won¡¯t have any ground to stand on.¡±

    ¡°Not Suuk, got it¡­¡± Amaris said. ¡°It really is a shame that the elder dryads have put their foot down about allowing travel from here to Genk. I¡¯m sure I can throw something together though. How long do I have?¡±

    ¡°Three weeks.¡±

    ¡°I think I can work with that.¡±

    Rin chuckled. ¡°Be sure to tell me all the details about how badly you mess up that party. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be great.¡±

    ¡°You sure you want to potentially self-sabotage your party like this?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Emma said.

    ¡°All right then. Auntie Nina might know some people too¡­¡±

    It was at this moment they heard the dogs barking. Looking around in confusion, they eventually spotted the form of Vayvaresi jumping over the top of a fence. Following close behind her were a dozen angry dogs that were very familiar to Amaris.

    They were not familiar to Emma. ¡°How¡­ how cruel! They¡¯re chasing that poor creature!¡± Emma ran toward them. ¡°Bad dogs! Bad dogs, leave that fox alone!¡±

    ¡°Emma, get back!¡± Amaris shouted, pulling out her crossbow.

    Emma was not afraid of dogs at all, she had a way with them. However, when Amaris spoke with that tone of voice, she knew something was up. ¡°Uh¡­¡± she took a few steps back.

    Vayvaresi noted that Amaris was with Emma. With a nod, she diverted her path to the left, slowing herself considerably and allowing the dogs to catch up¡ªbut now her path would no longer take her past Emma and leave her between the dogs and their prey.

    Amaris aimed her crossbow at the lead dog and let the bolt fly, skewering it in the neck. It rolled to the side, limp. The other dogs completely ignored this.

    Rin took out her throwing knives and began assisting. Since the dogs were dead-set on going after Vayvaresi, they were making little if any attempt to defend themselves from the girls¡¯ attacks.

    Emma was crying, she couldn¡¯t bear to watch.

    ¡°WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY DOGS!?¡±

    Amaris didn¡¯t take her hand off the crossbow. ¡°They¡¯re attacking one of my friends.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re friends with that animal!?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not an animal!¡± Amaris shouted, still not even looking at the owner of the voice. She let another bolt fly.

    ¡°You stupid kids! Who lets kids carry weapons? You¡­ that¡¯s it, dogs! Get her!¡±

    The remaining dogs immediately stopped chasing Vayvaresi and went after Amaris. Amaris and Rin did their best, but they could not take them all out before they arrived.

    However, now that Vayvaresi was no longer a target, she could become a predator. She let out a growl that reverberated with an otherworldly echo. Her eyes went red and crimson patterns appeared on her fur. She opened her mouth and her teeth became encased with a red aura that extended them considerably.

    Even with this, the dogs were still able to reach Amaris and Rin. However, there were so few of them left that Amaris¡¯ agility was more than enough to deliver kicks and jabs and knock them down.

    ¡°You¡­ you stupid kids!¡± The man shouted. Now that there were no longer any dogs around, Amaris bothered to look at him. He was decidedly unimpressive, lanky, and looked kind of like he could play a goblin in a movie. Wait, do goblins actually exist¡­? ¡°I will make you regret this! Do you think that was all of my dogs!?¡±

    ¡°Sending dogs to attack little kids?¡± Amaris asked, tilting her head. ¡°Pretty sure that¡¯s a crime.¡±

    ¡°Definitely a crime,¡± Rin said.

    ¡°Why¡­ why would you make your dogs so cruel!?¡± Emma shouted.

    ¡°They¡¯re my dogs, I can do what I want with them!¡±

    ¡°Well, you can, you just have to face the consequences of breaking the law,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°No I don¡¯t! You dumb kids don¡¯t understand how anything works, do you?¡± He laughed. ¡°With my dogs I get what I want and nobody can stop me!¡±

    Amaris frowned. ¡°That¡¯s it, girls, we¡¯re paying a visit to the police station.¡±

    ¡°You think they¡¯ll listen to you!? Na?ve little morons!¡± He let out a deep cackle. ¡°I¡¯m not a Strider, they don¡¯t give a rip!¡±

    ¡°Pretty sure they¡¯ll care about a man sending dogs to attack people.¡± Amaris took out a notepad. ¡°Let¡¯s see, description of assailant¡­ short¡­ goblin-like¡­ obsessed with dogs¡­ happened at 4:30 PM¡­¡± She looked up at him. ¡°The longer you stand there the more likely it is they¡¯ll be able to ID you.¡±

    ¡°Idiots. Fools. You¡¯re in for a rude awakening¡­ a very rude awakening¡­¡± He laughed. ¡°I wonder if my dogs will get you first or not!¡±

    ¡°Send more dogs after me, I beat them up, okay?¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Vayvaresi bared her teeth. ¡°Leave, human.¡±

    ¡°You can talk!?¡±

    ¡°Leave before I rip out your throat!¡±

    This finally got the man to run off.

    Vayvaresi let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you, Amaris.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±

    ¡°But there is someone else I wish to thank.¡± Vayvaresi turned to Emma. ¡°You tried to help me.¡±

    Emma, through her tears, nodded.

    ¡°You¡­ are a human?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes¡­?¡±

    ¡°I thank you for your kind heart, young one.¡± Vayvaresi turned to Amaris. ¡°It seems as though your curse extends beyond just you.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ really?¡±

    ¡°Such a thing could not have happened before.¡± She approached Emma and let the girl pet her to calm her down. ¡°I believe¡­ here might actually be the safest place for me.¡±

    Rin frowned. ¡°Eh¡­ safe is pushing it¡­ we¡¯ve been getting into death-defying situations every few weeks with her around.¡±

    ¡°But those around her will be made ¡®interesting,¡¯ and I shall be free. And I¡­ can use what I know to mitigate the consequences of the ¡®interesting¡¯ events that plague you.¡±

    Amaris gave her a warm smile. ¡°Two are better than one?¡±

    ¡°True, in many ways.¡±

    ¡°Great to have you on board then, Vayvaresi.¡± Amaris paused. ¡°We should still report this to the police.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Though something tells me the man was not bluffing. He must have some sort of trick against them.¡±

    ¡°Please, he attacked us in broad daylight with a ton of dogs, that might not even be magic, they¡¯ll get him.¡±

    ¡°I do not know¡­ but we shall go nonetheless, my testimony shall corroborate things, and we can determine to what extent your curse counteracts mine.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°And you got his description?¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not the best artist, but here¡¯s my sketch.¡± She ripped the page out of her notebook and handed it to the officer sitting behind the receptionist¡¯s desk at the police station. The officer in question was a calico cat, and she took the page neatly in her paws and laid it down on the table to look at it. She nodded slowly.

    ¡°Thank you for your report, we will do everything in our power to get him behind bars, don¡¯t you kids worry none.¡± She tipped her hat at the four of them. ¡°I¡¯ve taken all your statements. I would suggest having us drive you home, but you sound like you can protect yourselves.¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°Thanks for the offer, officer. Come on girls. Vayvaresi, let¡¯s show you the basement¡­¡±

    As they left, the officer looked down at the sketch and let out a long, drawn-out sigh. She quickly put the sketch in the shredder.

    An older officer walked by. ¡°Those were the kids?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Derek neglected to mention the fox-creature entirely. Not surprising, considering his track record.¡± Her ears twitched. ¡°You really gotta stop that grandson of yours from playing all these mean-spirited jokes, it¡¯s just going to get more of his dogs killed.¡±

    ¡°The man listens to no one,¡± the man said, taking a long drink of his coffee. ¡°I¡¯ll fine him again for disturbing the peace.¡±

    ¡°I do wonder how he manages to get those dogs to be so convincing when chasing people¡­¡±

    ¡°Man has a way with animals, what can I say?¡± The officer shrugged.

    ¡°You think losing so many will get him to stop?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we should do something a little¡­ more, this time? He is a bit of a nuisance.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re we gonna do, lock him up? Pretending to attack people ain¡¯t a crime. Threatening is, but that¡¯s what the fine is for.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± The cat looked up and out the window. She thought she had seen that¡­ kitsune creature out there for a split second. ¡°Nevermind, just seeing things.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s focus on more important things. There was that kid who was actually murdered¡­¡±

    Vayvaresi slowly assembled herself from white flower petals on top of Amaris¡¯ backpack. ¡°I doubt you are going to appreciate what I just heard.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°Well¡ªAGUH!¡± Vayvaresi jumped off the backpack, hair on end, as Pitch poked out his head. ¡°SNAKE!¡±

    ¡°Pitch is harmless,¡± Amaris said as Pitch coiled around her arm and between her fingers. ¡°¡­And not venomous.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ have a snake¡­ okay that would be interesting¡­¡±

    ¡°Had him before I was cursed.¡±

    Vayvaresi stared at her. ¡°¡­Why?¡±

    ¡°Snakes are cool?¡± Emma ventured.

    ¡°Her parents were weird?¡± Rin suggested.

    ¡°I¡­ forgive me.¡± Vayvaresi shuffled her tails around, trying to use them to lay her fur flat. ¡°It will take some time to get used to his¡­ presence.¡± She let out an unusual half-whine half-growl noise. ¡°I had news. The police are not investigating our man.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°They know the man, Derek. He¡¯s the grandson of one of the older officers. They apparently believe that he has trained the dogs to pretend to attack people and fine him for threatening people and disturbing the peace.¡± Vayvaresi narrowed her eyes. ¡°Those dogs were not pretending.¡±

    ¡°How¡­ the cops are supposed to help us!¡± Emma shouted. ¡°This¡­ this isn¡¯t how it works!¡±

    Rin frowned. ¡°I really did think they were more effective for you people¡­¡±

    ¡°What are we gonna do?¡± Emma asked, eyes widening. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ just gonna send more dogs after us!¡±

    ¡°Me, specifically, I think,¡± Amaris said. ¡°But yes, that will get annoying, and something tells me his supply of dogs is nearly limitless¡­¡± She tapped her foot angrily. ¡°We can¡¯t just lock him beneath the school, that would definitely get the cops on us.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ what?¡±

    ¡°We aren¡¯t out of options. If the cops won¡¯t listen¡­ we do have other avenues.¡± Amaris slowly started to grin. ¡°Time to call in some favors.¡±

    ~~~

    Derek lived in a very nice house, one with a huge backyard that had to hold hundreds of dogs, all of them tough, strong breeds that were often violent. Every last dog continually growled and walked in regular, circular patterns. The yard was somehow devoid of dog poop¡ªevery last one of them went to the hole in the ground to do their business without fail.

    Derek himself lived alone aside from the dogs, but only a chihuahua was allowed inside the house.

    Most of his money had been inherited from his father and was slowly accumulating interest, so he never ran out. He had no job aside from letting the computers in his basement gather cryptocurrency. The rest of the time he either spent prowling around the town like some kind of vulture, or scowling at his computer and arguing with people on the Internet.

    Considering how new the Internet was in Yeshalo, this setup was not only supremely unusual, most people wouldn¡¯t even be able to understand his life. But it was what it was.

    Derek scowled as he got up from the computer. The only time he showed restraint was when he wanted to punch his computer. It was too much of a hassle to wait a day for a new one to be delivered, and sometimes he lost data in the transfer. He needed to blow it off somehow, perhaps by ordering his dogs to attack something.

    There was a man in his living room in a distinguished suit. He was sitting on a chair reading a newspaper.

    ¡°KILL THE INTRUDER!¡± Derek shrieked.

    His chihuahua looked at him in confusion.

    ¡°Idiot! That intruder right¡ª¡± Derek no longer saw anyone sitting in the chair. ¡°Wh¡­ what¡­?¡±

    ¡°Quite the setup you have here,¡± the man said, now behind Derek.

    ¡°You¡­ KILL HIM!¡±

    ¡°They can¡¯t see me, only you can.¡±

    Derek¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wh¡­ what? That¡­ that¡¯s¡­ impossible!¡±

    ¡°I am a problem you can¡¯t send your dogs at.¡±

    Derek thrust his fist forward, punching the man. The man caught the fist in his hand, and the next thing Derek knew he was barfing on the ground. ¡°H-how¡­¡±

    ¡°Best not to try to touch me. Also¡­ that punch was quite sad. What a pathetic man you are¡­¡±

    ¡°Pathetic!? You¡¯re pathetic! You hide where my dogs can¡¯t get you!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t have a choice about that, can¡¯t appear in animal minds.¡± The man shrugged. ¡°Anyway, my work here is done.¡± He smiled at him. ¡°Make of this what you will.¡±

    Then he was gone.

    And Derek¡¯s doorbell rang.

    Derek took in a sharp breath, noticing that his hand was shaking. He slapped his hand with his other fist. ¡°Stop that!¡± He did his best to pretend like his hands weren¡¯t still shaking and he threw open the front door. ¡°WHAT!? This better be important or the dogs will get you!¡±

    There was a soldier in uniform on the other side of the door. ¡°Mister Derek Hauser, I presume?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to give my name to you!¡±

    ¡°Ah, well, I do have a picture of you, and you do match, so I¡¯ll make this quick. I am here on the order of General Mason. There have been reports of you attacking children with dogs.¡±

    Derek snorted. ¡°I pay my fines, idiot, talk to the police station.¡±

    ¡°Oh, we have.¡± The soldier narrowed his eyes. ¡°The precinct is currently under investigation for corruption and nepotism.¡±

    ¡°Are you¡­ trying to take away what I have?¡±

    ¡°I am merely following orders, sir. Can I come in?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back later, then, presumably with a search warrant.¡±

    ¡°You will NOT go through my HOUSE! If you do I will send the dogs after you!¡±

    The soldier seemed surprised. ¡°Threatening a soldier? Mister Hauser, do you understand the severity of your claim?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Derek laughed. ¡°Oh you fool¡­ I¡¯m untouchable. I¡¯ll demonstrate that to you.¡± He snapped his fingers. ¡°Get him.¡±

    Dozens of dogs erupted from the house, bearing their teeth at the soldier. The soldier didn¡¯t look afraid, he simply put up his fists to defend himself. The dogs bit down on his arms and legs¡­

    ¡°Scream, idiot! SCREAM IN FEAR!¡±

    ¡°U-uh, he w-won¡¯t be,¡± the cashier at the grocery store said, holding out her hands. Why was she still alive? He¡¯d ordered her torn limb from limb and devoured! She was¡­ ¡­wait why were his dogs suddenly being friendly to the soldier?

    The soldier rolled up his sleeve, revealing that he was actually much thinner than he looked and had subtle body armor on.

    ¡°What on earth¡­?¡± Derek said, eyes wide.

    ¡°That was almost too easy,¡± Scarlet said, revealing herself to be hiding behind a bush with a high-quality camera. ¡°And there you have it, folks! A menace to society that was slipping through the cracks, exposed! Caught on tape trying to murder an officer with his dogs, what a shame!¡±

    ¡°My¡­ my dogs are clearly just playing with him!¡± Derek shouted. ¡°See?¡±

    ¡°Oh we definitely have murder-intent bite marks on the armor,¡± Scarlet said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter how we pacified the dogs, really. Or how we got you riled up. Or how we knew exactly what you¡¯d do in certain situations¡­¡± Scarlet grinned. ¡°Just know that you attacked the wrong kids yesterday, they had connections.  Would you like to know what you¡¯ve won?¡±

    ¡°Your condescending voice needs to END!¡± He rushed her.

    The soldier backhanded him and knocked him to the ground, dazed.

    ¡°You¡¯ve won an all-expenses paid trip to jail!¡± Scarlet declared. ¡°Where you will face a trial and, let¡¯s be honest, we¡¯ll find plenty of evidence of your dogs ripping people up so you¡¯re probably going to get the death penalty, but hey, maybe that grandfather of yours can pull some strings! Maybe lose his job in the process!¡± She very condescendingly patted him on the head.

    He tried to bite her hand. ¡°This will not happen to me! My dogs will¡­¡± He looked around with wild eyes at his happy, playful dogs. Tears began to well up in his eyes. ¡°What have they done to you¡­? My weapons¡­ my faithful weapons! YOU FAILED ME! You¡­¡±

    ¡°Good gravy, I have no idea how someone could get as far gone as you,¡± Scarlet said with a click of her tongue. ¡°Take him away, lieutenant.¡±

    ¡°Will do,¡± the soldier said, picking up Darek and dragging him along.

    ¡°This is going to be a great news story,¡± Scarlet said, beaming.

    ~~~

    Scarlet narrowed her eyes at the station manager. ¡°Explain to me why this isn¡¯t something we can show. Nobody got hurt, we did nothing illegal, and a criminal is now behind bars.¡±

    ¡°There will be way too many questions,¡± the fat man beside the desk said. ¡°You used magic to get to him.¡±

    ¡°Yes? Problem?¡±

    ¡°The people don¡¯t want to hear about that. And it¡¯s not necessary for them to know about some idiot kid who killed people with dogs for fun.¡±

    ¡°Really? I¡¯m sure there are a ton of families missing kids who would very much like to know what happened.¡±

    The manager let out a long sigh. ¡°Scarlet, I¡¯m going to level with you. You did good, you stopped a terrible man from roaming the streets. But this story is not the sort of thing this station publishes. All this¡­ magic, the people see it as an evil.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    ¡°Obviously, we stopped evil with it.¡±

    ¡°Scarlet¡­¡±

    ¡°You received orders from higher up and are trying to justify them to me to shut me up, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    The manager stared blankly at her.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I know how it is.¡± Scarlet stood up. ¡°I do care enough about my job not to run it through the ground by publishing my own work, you don¡¯t have to worry about me getting sanctions imposed on us. But I would very much like to know what the higher-ups actually want from us.¡±

    The manager looked down at the desk. ¡°I would too. I suspect they don¡¯t know what they want in regard to all this Strider nonsense.¡±

    ¡°¡­Can I still cover the unsolved murder cases?¡±

    ¡°Scarlet, you¡¯re the only one who really wants to.¡±

    ¡°Great! See you tomorrow then!¡± She walked out of the room with a smile on her face. This quickly turned into an uncertain frown once she was out of sight range. An unpleasant realization was slowly bubbling to the surface of her mind.

    They know.

    ~~~

    ¡°So, you keep the monsters you¡¯ve captured down here?¡± Vayvaresi asked, looking around the basement. ¡°Seems rather empty.¡±

    ¡°Most of them are locked behind doors,¡± Amaris said. She was giving the tour alone, everyone else had gone home. ¡°That door has the rolling bolder creature, that door has the crocogator. You generally can¡¯t get the rolling creature to do anything, but the crocogator¡­¡± Amaris kicked the door. ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m a helpless child, come at me!¡±

    There was a gurgling roar from the other side of the door followed by a loud slam. After this came pained whimpering.

    ¡°The crocogator is quite stupid.¡±

    Vayvaresi looked at the angel remnant. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°The orb that makes you forget about it when you stop being aware of it.¡±

    Vayvaresi blinked, turning to Amaris. ¡°How does that work?¡±

    ¡°No idea.¡±

    ¡°No idea about what?¡±

    ¡°The orb that makes you forget about it when you stop being aware of it.¡±

    Vayvaresi blinked. ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, exactly.¡±

    ¡°We also have some magic crystals over here,¡± Amaris gestured at a bunch of pink-colored shards lying on a pedestal, mixed with some blue and green ones as well. ¡°Not really sure what they do, but they do glow, and the pink ones can be used to make anti-magic stuff. Also, very sharp.¡±

    ¡°I have seen such things before¡­ there are wizards in distant lands who can do incredible things with these crystals. But there, they weren¡¯t so¡­ rare.¡±

    ¡°Not very common here,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Most of these come from the Strider, haven¡¯t found any in Yeshalo itself.¡± Amaris stopped, smiling. ¡°Ah, and here¡¯s the broken magic mirror that started it all.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    Amaris picked up the broken mirror. ¡°Yes, see, right after I was cursed, I found this thing at the Cat-ival¡­¡±

 Nom Nom Nom

    EPISODE XVIII

    Nom Nom Nom

    Emma¡¯s birthday had arrived, and she was already having a great time. The guests were arriving, piling little presents on top of the kitchen table, and already the snack-bar style lunch her parents had set up was bringing so many kids together. Humans and cats, all mostly of Emma¡¯s age, were scrambling around all over throwing crackers, laughing, and talking loudly. A somewhat large number of board games were laid out, a trampoline was set up in the backyard, there were video games hooked up to a truly gigantic TV for a Yeshalo home, and there was even live music.

    To be fair, the live music was just Emma¡¯s brother Richard playing instrumental tunes on his electric bass, but everyone seemed to be enjoying it, including Richard. He was almost of the age to go to college, but had made no indication that he wanted to go; instead, he played his bass all day and wrote music. His girlfriend, Taylor, was also here, and Taylor was just the coolest in Emma¡¯s mind. She always wore vibrant clothing and blue-tinted glasses that looked like they belonged in an action movie. She was currently running the video game station as a bit of an announcer.

    ¡°Aaaaand¡­ Ivanoe wins!¡± Taylor shouted, pointing at the cat who had just whipped everyone¡¯s butts in the fighting game. Most party games of this sort in Yeshalo were designed to be played by both cats and humans, and there were two different kinds of controllers to match; handhelds, and four-paw floor controllers. There were many arguments about which controller was more suited to what kind of game, but for a party such as this the arguments didn¡¯t really matter. ¡°Come and get your prize!¡±

    The cat jumped to the front of the room and took the peanut butter and chocolate candy that was on offer only for winners, and then Taylor started another round.

    One might think, from this image, that Emma¡¯s parents were well off. This wasn¡¯t precisely the case, they had a pretty standard income for a family in Nuk, they just spent most of it on things their children would like, such as games, special food, and an unusually large number of basses for Richard. Mr. and Mrs. Richardson (every first son in the family was named Richard) stood at the back of the room with the handful of other adults who had come and were making small talk, letting the party just be¡­ a party.

    Emma herself was not as popular as the number of guests implied, most of these kids were just acquaintances, not actual friends¡ªreally, only Amaris and Rin actually cared about Emma, and at the moment neither of them was here. But Emma liked spreading joy around so she never complained about her parents throwing such large parties. It was fun.

    That said, currently, Emma was getting a little frustrated. She was attempting to talk to Ralph, mister muscular and sporty and, above all, dreamy. She was the birthday girl, surely she would be able to get his attention? But luck was not on her side, even now he had a gaggle of boys and girls following him everywhere he went. He looked kind of tired, actually.

    ¡°Y¡¯know, you can take a break,¡± Emma tried to say.

    ¡°Ralph? Take a break!?¡± one of the girls snorted. ¡°Emma, you¡¯re delusional! He never stops!¡±

    Ralph forced a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right! Onward to victory! Sleep is for the weak!¡±

    ¡°O-oh okay¡­¡± Emma backed away, grumpily sitting down on one of the couches near the video games. Taylor let the round of gaming continue without a commentator for a while and sat next to her.

    ¡°Still trying to make the moves on my brother?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°I keep telling you, it¡¯s not gonna work, life¡¯s too chaotic for him. He doesn¡¯t even notice the girls around him all the time.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ but that means I have a shot!¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­¡± Taylor tilted her hand from side to side. ¡°Then again, I am his sister, I think he¡¯s a huge dork.¡±

    ¡°He is an amazing sports superstar!¡±

    Taylor snorted. ¡°Yeah. Sure.¡± She patted Emma on the head. ¡°I, personally, think he needs fewer people fawning over him.¡±

    Emma kicked her feet back and forth.

    ¡°Anyway¡­ word on the grapevine is that you have¡­ plans for this party.¡±

    Emma blinked. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I heard from Nina Petrovna that there¡¯s an ¡®interesting¡¯ girl going around calling in favors to arrive¡­ fashionably late.¡±

    ¡°There¡­¡± Emma¡¯s eyes widened and she glanced at the clock. It was almost half an hour since the party had started.

    Which meant¡­

    The doorbell went off and Emma broke out into a grin. She¡¯s here.

    Emma ran to the door and opened it wide. ¡°Welcome to the party!¡±

    Amaris grinned. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind that I¡¯m late!¡±

    ¡°Oh, not at all!¡±

    ¡°And I brought some friends over!¡± Amaris gave a very exaggerated wink and walked in. Behind her trailed in a decidedly unusual number of guests. There was, of course, Jenny, who was not surprising even to most of the kids at the party, her existence was somewhat common knowledge at this point, even if her abilities weren¡¯t. Some of the kids waved at her in warm greeting and she shot them a finger guns gesture.

    Irene came in next, acting as the ¡°chaperone¡± for the whole deal even though Amaris needed no such thing, it was part of keeping appearances. Given how she was awkwardly glancing to a spot in the room where there was nothing, Orville was probably hanging out in her memory. Emma was delighted to have her suspicions confirmed when Orville appeared to her.

    ¡°Hello, little lady. Enjoying yourself?¡±

    ¡°Very much!¡± she said to the air, getting odd looks from a few people. Oh just you wait, you ain¡¯t seen nothing yet.

    Vayvaresi ran in. ¡°Greetings, Emma. I apologize ahead of time if I feel the need to bail, there are a large number of¡­ humans, here, but we need to test to see how far this goes.¡± She hopped onto Emma¡¯s shoulders. She was heavy, but Emma managed not to fall over. ¡°Enjoy another year of your life. With age comes wisdom.¡±

    ¡°With age also comes annoying complications,¡± Coleus said as she walked in.

    ¡°Perhaps you should wait to experience it yourself before casting judgment.¡±

    The sight of a kitsune and a dryad talking to each other casually about age was inherently shocking to so many that they stopped whatever they were doing. One of the adults dropped a glass on the ground, shattering it.

    ¡°What¡¯re you all gawking at!?¡± Jenny asked, putting her hands on her hips. ¡°We¡¯re just guests!¡±

    ¡°Carry on!¡± Amaris called. ¡°Don¡¯t mind us!¡±

    Emma giggled to herself. Oh, that¡¯s definitely not going to happen¡­ She glanced to her parents with a smirk.

    Her mother looked confused. Her father, meanwhile, was giving her an uncertain expression¡ªhe¡¯d probably figured out that she¡¯d planned this, but that there was nothing he could do to complain about it. Good. Maybe you can get to know these unusual people.

    ¡°By the way, got someone for you to meet, Emma,¡± Amaris said, turning Emma around. In the door there was¡­ a boy, slightly younger than her, in a green cartoon-camo outfit and a gray parrot on his shoulder. He had a warm smile and soft brown hair.

    ¡°Well¡­ hello!¡± Emma said, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Who¡¯re you?¡±

    ¡°Chert Mason,¡± he said, extending a hand and shaking hers formally, an act which confused Emma slightly. ¡°This is my bird, Bird.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Bird!¡± Bird squawked.

    ¡°Mason¡­?¡± Emma thought about this for a moment. ¡°Related to¡­ General Mason?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s my great uncle.¡±

    ¡°Uncles are great!¡± Bird squawked.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Emma said, turning to Amaris. ¡°You really pulled out all the stops!¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t get Scarlet,¡± Amaris said with a sigh. ¡°She had work to do, sadly. She did want me to give you this, though.¡± Amaris pulled out a scarlet envelope and handed it to Emma. ¡°I think it¡¯s probably a gift card or something.¡±

    Emma nodded, running to place it on the pile of presents. She noticed a few new ones had been added, presumably from Amaris¡¯ group. Two stood out¡ªa present made of black and red material that looked like it was carved from ancient runes, and another one made out of leaves in a spherical shape. The latter was obviously Coleus, but the former was only identifiable since it was labeled from: Amaris. ¡°Amaris, what did you get me¡­?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll just have to open it to find out!¡± Amaris giggled. ¡°It won¡¯t be anything you¡¯re expecting!¡±

    Emma¡¯s mom glanced at the present warily but said nothing.

    ¡°Probably won¡¯t burn the house down! ¡­Probably.¡± Amaris gave Mrs. Richardson an innocent smile.

    Mrs. Richardson knew she was being messed with and just rolled her eyes, trying to return to small talk. Except small talk now involved talking to a memory ghost. Orville was just being himself, and it was clearly confusing everyone immensely. A few of the adults had already excused themselves and started taking their kids, but most of the kids didn¡¯t have adults here with them. Not to mention that many of the adults knew it would be rude to leave before presents were opened, so they were stuck with dealing with these¡­ strange people.

    Emma noted that while her parents weren¡¯t angry¡ªjust annoyed¡ªsome of the other adults were. One man in particular was shooting Coleus a death glare. At first Emma just thought the dryad was oblivious, but then she remembered what Amaris had told her¡ªher own people on the Strider tried to do a lot more than just give her glares. People hating her and trying not to say anything about it out of politeness was probably a great improvement for her.

    Emma¡¯s grin widened. This was going to be the best party ever.

    ~~~

    Vayvaresi set her feet down in a video game controller designed for a cat. She fit, more or less. ¡°Okay, so, how do I play?¡±

    Amaris shrugged, grabbing a human controller in her hands. ¡°I actually don¡¯t know this one, uh¡­ Taylor!¡±

    Taylor struck a pose, running her fingers across her face dramatically. ¡°Ask and thou shall receive! This is a racing game! You are placed behind the wheel of a car!¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t know how to drive,¡± Vayvaresi said.

    ¡°Well the game¡¯s much simpler than a real car. You press green to go fast, red to go slow, and use either a stick or a pivot to steer. Hey, uh, we need a cat over here to demonstrate the proper way to use this controller!¡±

    While Amaris and Vayvaresi played various games with, as of yet, no sign of Vayvaresi¡¯s curse pushing through Amaris¡¯, the others were mingling in their own way.

    Coleus had taken to hanging around the snack table and was just shoveling snacks into her mouth. She was, notably, avoiding anything green and leafy, going for crackers, cakes, and, when she thought no one was looking, she downed the jerky sticks.

    ¡°You¡¯re the plant lady on the TV!¡±

    Coleus choked on the jerky stick she was eating, holding up a finger to tell the cat who had addressed her to wait.

    ¡°Dad shouts at the TV when you¡¯re on.¡±

    ¡°Not¡­ surprising¡­¡± Coleus gagged.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem evil.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I sure hope not!¡± Coleus downed a glass of punch, taking a huge breath. ¡°That¡¯s better¡­¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s he hate you then?¡±

    ¡°Probably because I¡¯m strange and unusual.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±

    Coleus took a minute to judge the age of the cat and quickly realized she didn¡¯t really have enough experience to do that well. She could tell that he was¡­ a child, perhaps too old to be called a kitten. Smaller than most of the other cats playing around, but that didn¡¯t tell her much, he could just be a small one. She had no idea how much she could try to explain.

    ¡°Well, sometimes people do things that don¡¯t make sense?¡± Coleus said with a shrug.

    ¡°Dad always said you can think your way through any problem.¡± The cat scrunched his face, seemingly getting more and more confused the longer he talked to her.

    ¡°Well, he could be wrong about that, or he could be right and we just aren¡¯t doing it right. Uh¡­¡± Coleus tapped her fingers on the table. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t know your Dad.¡±

    ¡°Oh. He¡¯s not here. He has work.¡±

    Coleus shrugged. ¡°Then I guess I can¡¯t answer your questions, I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Weird. Are you an adult?¡±

    Coleus blinked. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m old enough, but my species doesn¡¯t grow to their final stage except by choice.¡±

    ¡°Oh. You¡¯re a teenager.¡± The cat seemed disgusted at this and walked away.

    Coleus decided it was best not to try to figure out what exactly that encounter meant, if anything.

    ¡°Punch drinking contest!¡± Jenny shouted from across the room, throwing a glass down before a small group of the kids.

    ¡°Miss Zero,¡± Chert said, coughing. ¡°That hardly seems an appropriate activity¡­¡±

    ¡°Hardly appropriate!¡± Bird echoed.

    ¡°Are you implying that I¡¯m training them to become alcoholics when they grow up?¡±

    Emma gasped. ¡°Jenny! You don¡¯t say that!¡±

    ¡°Whaaaaaat?¡± Jenny held her hands to the side, grinning wryly. ¡°Afraid you¡¯ll lose?¡±

    ¡°¡­I mean I¡¯ll definitely lose but that¡¯s beside the point.¡±

    ¡°I thought you wanted a strange party.¡±

    Emma looked Jenny right in the eyes. Then she sat down and filled a cup with punch. ¡°What are the rules?¡±

    Chert sighed. ¡°Miss Richardson¡­¡±

    ¡°Wow, you really are a prim and proper guy aren¡¯t you?¡± Jenny asked. ¡°Look, I¡¯m Jenny, that¡¯s Emma. Got it? Good. Now.¡± She passed a glass of punch to Chert and Bird. Bird started drinking before the rules were explained. ¡°The rules are simple. Since drinking until we pass out won¡¯t work on me, we¡¯re simply going to see who can make it through the most glasses in two minutes.¡±

    Emma gripped the table. ¡°Right. Speed drinking. I¡­ I can do this.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what they all say¡­¡± Jenny chuckled, passing out glasses to other kids who wanted to partake. ¡°Let¡¯s get some more pitchers here¡­ yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°Once the adults notice what we¡¯re doing they are going to make us stop,¡± Chert pointed out. ¡°This is a surefire way to get a stomach ache.¡±

    Jenny shrugged. ¡°Live a little. Okay, so¡­ threetwoonego!¡±

    Two minutes later, Jenny was the victor, to the surprise of no one. The runner-up, however, was very surprising¡ªEmma, and she was only behind by a few glasses.

    ¡°Where did you learn to drink!?¡± Jenny said, baffled.

    Emma let out a huge burp. ¡°Excuse me. Uh. It¡¯s important to keep hydrated and I like water so uh¡­ I dunno, I kind of just learned how to drink it continually so it could make my entire body feel refreshed at once.¡± She beamed. ¡°I have a skill!¡±

    ¡°Very¡­ impressive¡­¡± Chert groaned, flopping onto the table and groaning. ¡°I never should have agreed to this¡­¡±

    At this point, Ralph and his posse arrived to the game. Ralph wasn¡¯t the one that spoke, though, it was one of the older girls. ¡°Ah, this looks like a good challenge! Isn¡¯t that right, Ralph?¡±

    Ralph looked at the glasses of punch in confusion.

    ¡°You can show your stuff! A¡­ drinking contest!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ guess.¡±

    Jenny grinned. ¡°The others are probably full-on drinks for now.¡±

    ¡°Full-on drinks!¡± Bird squawked.

    ¡°But I am always up and running. I can take anyone on. The rules are simple¡­¡±

    Ralph didn¡¯t do very well, much to the disappointment of his posse.

    Irene, meanwhile, was hanging around with the adults with an actual drink, a light sort of wine that Mrs. Richardson had brought out shortly after Amaris and her crew had arrived. Irene idly wondered if the timing was related.

    ¡°So¡­¡± Mrs. Richardson said. ¡°Where you from?¡±

    ¡°Down south, frontier town called Unrust,¡± Irene said. ¡°And I mean frontier of frontiers, it¡¯s not even on Yeshalo maps. Very¡­ desert.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you dress with so few layers?¡±

    Irene glanced down at her midriff-bearing outfit. ¡°I mean, this is a little light, I guess¡­ it¡¯s not standard wear for Unrust, I just inherited it from my family. Where I was originally from, clothing was a sign of status.¡±

    ¡°Oh? And what status does that outfit represent?¡±

    Irene stammered. ¡°U-uh, this isn¡¯t really important, b-but my house was one of minor nobles¡­ we have no authority here, please don¡¯t think anything of us, I just wear this because it¡¯s comfortable.¡±

    Mrs. Richardson blinked. ¡°A noble house¡­?¡±

    ¡°W-well, I left that behind. I work at a grocery store now and live on the Kelvins¡¯ couch. N-not anything worth making a fuss over!¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Mrs. Richardson placed a hand on Irene¡¯s shoulder, making her jump. ¡°You seem like you really are oblivious.¡±

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°That outfit is so revealing it makes everyone here think very particular things about you.¡±

    ¡°R-revealing? What would that e¡ª¡± Irene flashed beet red as it clicked. She dropped her drink, shattering the glass on the ground. ¡°Oh-oh no no I¡¯m so sorry I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Honey, spill!¡± Mrs. Richardson called.

    ¡°On it!¡± Mr. Richardson said, rushing to clean up the mess with a broom.

    ¡°Now, Irene, you and I are going to solve your little problem¡­¡± She grabbed Irene by the hand and pulled her deeper into the house.

    ¡°B-but I should help clean¡­¡±

    ¡°My husband¡¯s got it, you need some help. Now¡­¡± Mrs. Richardson dragged Irene all the way to the bedroom and opened up the wardrobe. ¡°What we need is something long with sleeves that goes with your current bottom¡­¡±

    ¡°Is¡­ is the hat a problem?¡±

    ¡°Oh, not at all, your hat is quite fashionable. Draws the eyes, in a good way too¡­ aha!¡± Mrs. Richardson pulled out a gray jacket with a lot of buttons on it. ¡°This looks like it¡¯ll work!¡±

    ¡°Th-thanks¡­¡± Irene put the jacket on over her, covering all her skin up to her neck. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ so sorry I didn¡¯t realize and no one told me¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised the Kelvins didn¡¯t say anything! Hmph! Letting you walk around like that¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know¡­¡± Irene pulled the jacket tight. ¡°Um¡­ how many buttons is it proper to use?¡±

    ¡°In a formal gathering all of them, but in less formal ones you can leave up to three buttons undone.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just as revealing?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Mrs. Richardson blinked. ¡°What¡¯s acceptable or not is pretty subjective¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Irene shivered. ¡°I am never going to get this¡­¡±

    ¡°Give it time, you¡¯ll figure it out.¡± Mrs. Richardson frowned. ¡°At least¡­ you have the opportunity too. From so far away, with customs so¡­ so¡­¡±

    ¡°Strange?¡±

    ¡°Strange, yes, let¡¯s go with strange.¡±

    Irene may have been a nervous wreck, but she was able to tell when someone had definitely been going to use a different word. Naturally, she didn¡¯t call Mrs. Richardson out on it.

    Mrs. Richardson kept talking as they returned to the party though. ¡°You really do need to learn a few things about how a proper Yeshalonian behaves. Dress, yes, but also behavior. You came with¡­ quite the strange group.¡±

    ¡°W-well, that was what Amaris asked for.¡±

    Mrs. Richardson sighed. ¡°That child really is cursed?¡±

    ¡°Definitely.¡± Irene adjusted her hat.

    ¡°She¡¯ll never be able to fit in society, poor thing.¡±

    ¡°I d-don¡¯t think she wants to?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll change her mind eventually¡­¡± The two of them returned to the party, and Mrs. Richardson held out her hand. ¡°Look, there¡¯s Amaris and that¡­ fox-thing with her. The other kids are avoiding her, see?¡±

    Irene nodded. ¡°That¡¯s normal.¡±

    ¡°She thinks it¡¯s normal¡­?¡±

    ¡°She said it happened even before she left, few people wanted anything to do with the ¡®math girl.¡¯ ¡°

    Mrs. Richardson shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s so sad, is what it is. She had great prospects, and could probably have become a doctor or a scientist or something. But with all this insanity around her, she won¡¯t be able to do those things.¡±

    ¡°S-she doesn¡¯t want to, anyway. Last I heard she wanted to use her curse to find the strange things, the dangerous things, and keep them from hurting people. She¡¯s actually doing pretty well.¡±

    Mrs. Richardson shook her head. ¡°That brings the undesirables of the world into the open. They should stay hidden.¡±

    Irene tapped her wrist. ¡°I d-don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible anymore, with the Strider and all¡­¡±

    Mrs. Richardson glanced to Coleus trying to subtly eat even more snacks. ¡°¡­I suppose not. Times are changing. What¡¯s proper is going to be destroyed¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°I am not looking forward to it.¡±

    ¡°Ch-change can bring about good things too.¡±

    ¡°Not this kind. This is going to break down the social barriers that keep Yeshalo together. All this chaos is going to destroy this carefully arranged order.¡± For a moment, Mrs. Richardson wrung her wrists. ¡°I hope the world¡¯s still a safe place to live when Emma has kids of her own¡­¡±

    Irene frowned. It¡¯s already not safe, it¡¯s all just hidden away. ¡°¡­I¡­ I don¡¯t know if I should tell you this, but¡­¡±

    At this point, Orville appeared in Irene¡¯s memory, munching on an ice cream cone. ¡°I would have gotten you one, Irene, but alas, I have to ask you to come to the snack table to join me, as I am but a memory.¡±

    ¡°Orville!¡± Irene stammered. ¡°You¡­ you scared me!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Mrs. Richardson said.

    ¡°Oh, hold on,¡± Orville jumped to Mrs. Richardson¡¯s memory.

    Mrs. Richardson stared at him. ¡°Cursed¡­ to be a memor¡ªmemory? What in th¡ªwhat are you¡ªI can¡¯t even¡ªstop talking pl¡ªoh how har¡ª¡±

    Orville gave up. ¡°That woman is perhaps the worst at dealing with memory discussions I¡¯ve seen¡­¡±

    Mrs. Richardson held her hand to her head. ¡°I¡­ am going to go sit down¡­¡±

    Irene put her arms behind her back and rocked onto her heels. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ interesting, that¡¯s for sure.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to get anything out of her, I wouldn¡¯t know. Anyway¡­ ice cream, you and me?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Irene said, glancing back at the other adults at the party, noting how the vast majority of them had disapproving looks on their faces about what was happening around them. She had taken these looks as success in Emma¡¯s and Amaris¡¯ mission before. Now¡­ now they unnerved her. ¡°Ice cream sounds good¡­¡±

    ~~~

    While the adults grew more and more annoyed and untrusting of Amaris and her crew, over time something began to change. Initially, many of the kids had been avoiding the strange guests, but more and more of them were attracted to the strange and unusual.

    ¡°Jenny, you¡¯re not allowed a turn on hitting the pinata,¡± Emma said, pulling Jenny back.

    ¡°But¡­ but it looks so fun!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d blow it up in one hit!¡± Emma pushed her back. ¡°Let everyone else have some fun!¡±

    ¡°I mean, the blindfold might make me miss¡­¡±

    ¡°And if you do you¡¯ll punch a hole in the wall, won¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Well. Uh. Fine¡­¡±

    Coleus was the one currently up, blindfolded and with a bat in her hands. Taylor had just finished spinning her around until she was dizzy. ¡°Now, I have to check, you dryads aren¡¯t immune to being dizzy, right?¡±

    Coleus flopped over. ¡°N-no, I am¡­ loopy right now! Let¡¯s¡­ dizzy-story that pinata!¡± There were many groans from the gathered crowd of kids, but also a few amused giggles. Coleus shakily stood up. ¡°I think¡­ the pinata¡­ is¡­ this way!¡± She stumbled forward, initially going in the right direction but very quickly veering off course. She seemed to sense that she was turning, so she stopped herself. ¡°Wait¡­ no¡­ uh¡­¡± She tilted her head. ¡°Direction¡­ direction¡­ solution!¡± She held out the bat in front of her and did a spin attack, smacking everything around her.

    She barely tapped the pinata.

    Taylor blinked. ¡°¡­I think that was a success?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Woohoo!¡± Coleus threw her hands into the air, holding the bat high. ¡°I did it!¡±

    ¡°Up next¡­¡± Taylor glanced at the kids. ¡°Amar¡ª¡±

    ¡°ME!¡±

    Everyone turned to glare at the cat that had just arrived¡­ Judit.

    Most of the kids scrambled away from Judit in fear, allowing her to come up to the pinata. ¡°See, I deserve it, since apparently my invitation got lost in the mail, I¡¯ve been robbed of so many opportunities.¡± She pointed a paw at Amaris. ¡°And this little¡­ nobody has somehow taken my place among these festivities.¡±

    Amaris blinked. ¡°I mean, if you really want to go, I¡¯m not attached to i¡ª¡±

    Jenny shoved Amaris aside. ¡°You seem to be a little delusional here, cat!¡±

    Judit looked Jenny up and down in shock. ¡°Clearly, you don¡¯t know who I a¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh shut it, I know exactly who you are. Judit. Cat. Seemingly professional bully.¡± Jenny cracked her knuckles. ¡°You don¡¯t know who I am. That makes this fun.¡± She grinned. ¡°You seem to be under the impression that your invitation was lost. It was never sent, moron.¡±

    Judit hissed and bared her claws. ¡°You¡¯ve just made a huge mistake! You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t know who you are, but I don¡¯t care. You have made yourself an enemy this d¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh good! I like a good enemy. Want to have a go now, right in front of everyone?¡± Jenny balled up her fist and gave it the slightest of magical auras. ¡°I¡¯ll go easy.¡±

    Judit¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll totally fight you. Any time, anywhere.¡±

    ¡°Jenny, please stop¡­¡± Emma said, glancing around for her parents¡ªthey unfortunately weren¡¯t in the room right now.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Jenny glanced at Emma in confusion. ¡°I thought she was causing everyone trouble?¡±

    ¡°She is!¡± one of the other cats in the group shouted. ¡°Deck her in the schnoz!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I like to hear!¡± Jenny said, giving a wink to the cat who had said that.

    Judit hissed. ¡°I simply cannot be bothered to fight you. I¡¯d ruin my precious coat!¡±

    ¡°Ooooh, someone¡¯s vain,¡± Jenny said with a laugh. ¡°But also terrified.¡±

    ¡°I am not afraid of you, pipsqueak!¡±

    Jenny blinked. ¡°A cat calling me a pipsqueak¡­ I mean¡­ not exactly new but still hilarious every time it happens.¡±

    ¡°I am not funny!¡±

    Several of the kids in the circle laughed.

    ¡°Seems like the crowd disagrees,¡± Jenny said, winking at them all. ¡°What do you all think I should do?¡±

    ¡°De-escalate the situation before someone gets hurt,¡± Amaris deadpanned.

    Jenny put her hands on her hips. ¡°Really? Amaris, come on, you know me, I¡¯m invincible.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not you I¡¯m worried about.¡±

    Something inside Judit snapped. ¡°I am not weak!¡± She charged Amaris, claws outstretched.

    Jenny pulled back a fist, grinning.

    ¡°Enough!¡± Coleus said, summoning vines from her hands and wrapping up both Jenny and Judit. ¡°This is a party, stop fighting.¡±

    ¡°You put them down!¡± One of the adults shouted.

    Coleus did as instructed immediately as the man marched over. ¡°You were going to let them fight each other, and only talk when I step in to stop them?¡±

    The man opened his mouth clearly to shout angrily, but Coleus cut him off.

    ¡°You should be ashamed of yourself, standing by and letting this happen. I did what you would not, at risk to myself for daring to touch the children in a forceful manner. You had the power to simply speak a word and break it up, and yet you watched. All of you watched.¡±

    The man looked around. With a grunt, he turned his back and walked away.

    Coleus turned to Jenny and Judit. ¡°Jenny, that was stupid.¡±

    ¡°It¡ª¡±

    ¡°Think about the societal consequences!¡± Coleus huffed. ¡°We¡¯re here to show people that we¡¯re people, not give them reasons to hate us! And you¡­¡± Coleus turned to Judit. ¡°Jenny is a magical immortal warrior who could break you in half with a snap of her fingers. You could have seen that, but your pride got in the way. You do not control this situation. Leave.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t tell me what to do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Coleus of the Strider. You¡¯ve seen me on the news. I very much can.¡±

    Judit¡¯s eyes widened as she realized Coleus was right. ¡°Wh¡ªwhat in the¡­?¡±

    ¡°Leave,¡± Coleus demanded.

    In a panic, tail standing on end, Judit scrambled out of the house as fast as her four legs could carry her.

    ¡°¡­I should have told her to ¡®leaf,¡¯ ¡° Coleus said with a shrug and an awkward smile. ¡°Ah well. Now that that¡¯s taken care o¡ª¡±

    She was shocked to suddenly have all the kids cheering for her, shouting. Some had even broken down crying happy tears.

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Coleus blinked. ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°You humiliated her,¡± Amaris said. ¡°She¡¯s been untouchable by everyone here, and no one tries to stop her. They have never seen her show weakness. And you did it without beating her up.¡± She glared at Jenny.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have broken anything!¡± Jenny protested.

    ¡°See my face? This is me doubting you.¡±

    ¡°Oh come ooooon Amaris, I can be delicate!¡±

    Amaris continued to give her the ¡®doubting¡¯ face.

    As Jenny and Amaris got further into their argument, the rest of the kids started chanting Coleus¡¯ name.

    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t really do anything!¡± Coleus said, waving her hands back and forth. ¡°I just¡­¡±

    ¡°Coleus! Coleus! Coleus!¡±

    ¡°W-well okay, uh¡­ ¡° Coleus caught sight of Emma looking at her, a big smile on her face. Emma nodded¡ªthis was exactly what they needed.

    ¡°What happened out here?¡± Mr. Richardson said as he and his wife emerged from a hallway.

    ¡°Coleus stopped a bully from fighting Jenny,¡± Irene said, taking a drink. ¡°And¡­ it¡­ was awesome. The kids love her.¡±

    ¡°¡­We didn¡¯t invite any of the bullies¡­¡±

    ¡°The¡­ cat showed up herself¡­ claimed hers must have gotten lost in the mail¡­¡± Irene glanced at her drink. ¡°This is stronger than I was expecting, oh boy¡­ I think I forgot I was supposed to drive¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Mr. Richardson looked at Coleus¡¯ celebratory position in the midst of all the kids. His frown deepened.

    ~~~

    Eventually, it was time to open presents. Emma had a small mountain of them, but most of them were tiny little trinkets. Emma didn¡¯t complain¡ªgetting a lot of presents wasn¡¯t really the point of the party in her mind, it was just a bonus. Though she was going to have to figure out how to display all these little trinkets, the cabinets in her room were getting kind of full of all the random things¡­ books were easy, they could be shelved away, and all the snacky gifts would only take up space temporarily.

    It came time to open Amaris¡¯ present.

    It was a square box, roughly the size of Emma¡¯s head. The wrapping was strangely rough in Emma¡¯s hands, and it was so black she couldn¡¯t even see a glint on it. Unusual symbols made out of red foil lined the edges of the box. It felt so¡­ ominous, as she held it.

    Emma noted that Amaris was looking at her expectantly. Oh boy¡­ she took a deep breath and slowly opened it¡ªthe wrapping didn¡¯t even have to be torn, all she had to do was undo a ribbon. Inside the box was¡­ a book. A book that was far smaller than the box itself.

    Princess Patty and the Prismatic Castle.

    Emma gasped. ¡°Amaris! You¡­ thank you!¡± She pulled the book out and held it close to her chest. ¡°I never expected you to get me a ¡®prissy princess¡¯ book!¡±

    Amaris chuckled. ¡°Hey, I knew you¡¯d like it, that¡¯s all that matters, right?¡±

    ¡°Thanks! Really, I¡­¡± She flipped through the pages just to make sure there weren¡¯t any secrets. ¡°Why the box¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s for everyone else¡¯s benefit. Surely the ¡®weird kid¡¯ is going to get you something ¡®interesting,¡¯ right? You can keep the box, by the way, Dad and I made it. Mostly Dad.¡± Amaris coughed.

    Emma pulled Amaris into a big, tight hug. Amaris didn¡¯t complain, though she did have a hard time breathing for a few seconds.

    ¡°I hope the book¡¯s good,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°Oh, even if it¡¯s not, it¡¯ll still be fun! Anyway¡­ lots of presents to get through.¡± She picked up the round leafy object from Coleus. ¡°¡­This is gonna be the weird present, huh?¡±

    ¡°Abso-lute-ely,¡± Coleus said. ¡°¡­I should carry around a lute¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you even know what a lute is?¡± Chert asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s, uh, a flute-like instrument?¡±

    ¡°NOPE!¡± Bird squawked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a stringed instrument,¡± Chert said. ¡°And one that¡¯s not exactly small.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Coleus blinked. ¡°The more you know¡­¡±

    ¡°How do I open this?¡± Emma asked, poking at the leaves.

    ¡°Just tear the leaves off. They¡¯re edible, if you like cabbage.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re edible even if you don¡¯t like cabbage,¡± Vayvaresi said.

    Emma opted to dig into the present with her teeth since apparently that was an option. It¡­ tasted like cabbage. She didn¡¯t know what she was expecting.

    Inside was a little flower in a pot. The pot was also a plant of some kind with thick, orange leaves that formed a bowl. As Emma lifted her finger to touch the flower, it moved, and the petals changed colors from blue to pink.

    ¡°Woah¡­ what kind of plant is this?¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°Engineered it myself,¡± Coleus said. ¡°It¡¯s two plants, a pot-unia and a clower. Color-flower.¡± Coleus beamed excitedly. ¡°It shifts color due to environmental stimuli and adjusts its position. Caring for it is simple, just water it once a day and leave it on a windowsill. Both the pot-unia and the clower live off the same soil.¡±

    ¡°Woah¡­¡± Emma ran her finger along the edge of the clower¡¯s petals, prompting the parts she touched to flash purple. ¡°Amazing¡­ thank you!¡±

    ¡°Told you the presents would be fine,¡± Emma caught Irene tell her parents. Emma glanced up, finding that both of her parents looked a little embarrassed. Looks like Amaris¡¯ box did its job. Maybe now they¡¯ll see how silly they¡¯ve been. ¡­One step at a time¡­

    Emma opened the presents from her parents last. Naturally, there were quite a few of them. Some dolls, tickets to the Cat-ival, a book about some boring practical topic Emma forgot about the moment she put it down, and a little toy that ate things.

    It looked like a monkey. She opened its mouth and put a coin in it, watching the coin vanish into the darkness. She shook the monkey, hearing no clanking. ¡°Huh, Amaris, want to try to figure out how this thing works later?¡±

    ¡°Maybe, though Coleus is the engineer,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°What? I¡¯m no¡­¡± The moment Emma offered the toy to Coleus she snatched it up and started examining how the hinge in its mouth worked. ¡°This proves nothing.¡±

    Emma continued opening the last few presents, the last of which was just a nice card from her parents telling her how much they loved her. She immediately set it down and went to hug them. ¡°Thanks for the party. I¡­ are you okay with it?¡±

    Her mom looked over at the various strange guests. Amaris and Jenny were having a little conversation and giggling like little kids. Coleus had put the eating toy down and had started covertly investigating Emma¡¯s other mechanical presents, especially the toy car that moved on its own. Vayvaresi had jumped onto Irene¡¯s shoulders and was looking like she was about to take a nap. Irene, meanwhile, looked like she was about to fall over from the weight but wasn¡¯t complaining.

    Mrs. Richardson put on a sad smile. ¡°You had something to do with this, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ I did ask her to go all out¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s certainly been an eye-opener,¡± Mr. Richardson said, crossing his arms. ¡°You¡¯re quite the clever little girl, you know that?¡±

    ¡°Please, Amaris is much cleverer.¡±

    ¡°But this was your idea, wasn¡¯t it?¡± He ran his hand through her hair. ¡°You¡¯re a little genius too.¡±

    ¡°Our little genius,¡± Mrs. Richardson said.

    ¡°Mom, Dad¡­¡± Emma put her hands behind her back. ¡°Stop it¡­¡± she giggled.

    The family embraced. Richard stopped playing his bass and came over as well, joining the family.

    A short distance away, Taylor smiled. ¡°Good. I think it¡¯s working.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Amaris said, looking up from her conversation with Jenny.

    Taylor gestured at the family hug. ¡°That, Amaris, is progress.¡±

    ¡°I thought they were a happy family already?¡±

    ¡°The fact that they¡¯re still like that even with all this nonsense you¡¯ve brought¡­ progress.¡±

    ¡°I thought we were trying to make them uncomfortable?¡± Jenny asked.

    ¡°We were trying to get them to see that the weird and unusual isn¡¯t bad,¡± Amaris said. ¡°I think Taylor¡¯s right, this is the first step.¡± Amaris frowned. ¡°Though if it takes this much effort just to make a tiny dent in someone who has a vested interest in liking us¡­¡±

    ¡°Any progress is still better than it was before, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± Taylor asked.

    ¡°I¡­ you know what, good point.¡± Amaris beamed. ¡°It¡¯s gone well!¡± She lifted up a glass of punch as though she were making a toast. ¡°To progress!¡±

    ¡°Amaris,¡± Orville said, suddenly appearing to her side. ¡°We¡¯ve got something unusual.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± Amaris asked, looking up at him.

    ¡°I can access the memories of that toy that eats things.¡±

    ¡°I thought you could only access the memories of people?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    Amaris¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s see if we can deal with this¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Why is that the toy you girls are the most obsessed with?¡± Emma asked, coming over to Jenny, Coleus, and Amaris looking at the monkey. ¡°It¡¯s just a fancy piggy bank.¡±

    ¡°Orville can access its memories,¡± Amaris said. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be able to do that. Also, watch.¡± She picked up a metal fork that was significantly longer than the monkey was tall and opened its mouth. She was able to drop the entire fork in. ¡°It¡¯s bigger on the inside.¡±

    Emma blinked. ¡°Huh¡­ Mom and Dad got me this, though¡­ hey! Mom!¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Mrs. Richardson asked as she passed by.

    ¡°Remember where you got this?¡±

    Mrs. Richardson tapped her chin. ¡°I believe I picked it up last week, it was one of the toys on display at the store and I thought you might like it. Interesting, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps more interesting than it should be,¡± Amaris said, demonstrating once more that she could stuff an entire fork into it and it wouldn¡¯t come out.

    Mrs. Richardson blinked. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s unusual,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Probably not dangerous, though, but It sure isn¡¯t an ordinary object.¡±

    ¡°Wh-what should we do with it?¡± Mrs. Richardson stammered.

    Amaris shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t stick your finger into its bottomless maw? Orville¡¯s currently digging around its memory, trying to find more information, but it doesn¡¯t appear to be malevolent. So far, anyway.¡±

    The conversation seemed to deeply unnerve Mrs. Richardson. ¡°I think I still have the packaging it came in¡­ give me a moment.¡±

    ¡°That might help a lot, thanks!¡±

    Emma stared at Amaris as her mother walked away. ¡°Amaris, do you know what this means?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°She trusts you to deal with the strange stuff.¡± Emma broke out into a grin. ¡°You¡¯re the most qualified person here to deal with this!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a toy with a bottomless stomach and memories,¡± Amaris said. She watched as Jenny poured an entire cup of punch down the monkey¡¯s throat. ¡°You know, Jenny, if you upset it and it tries to eat you¡­¡±

    Jenny brutally bit off a chunk of her finger and threw it into the monkey¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Jenny! Ewwww!¡± Emma squirmed.

    ¡°I have now given it a taste for human flesh, we should all be terrified,¡± Jenny deadpanned.

    ¡°You really do have no impulse control¡­¡± Amaris said with a shake of her head.

    ¡°And once again there are no consequences!¡±

    Mrs. Richardson came back with the packaging the monkey was in. It was plastic and had very few identifying marks aside from the toy¡¯s name, The Nommer. There was also a company name, Wingding Curiosities, and a website¡ªbut no address. Inside was a small booklet that was an instruction manual, but it was done like a little storybook about The Nommer¡¯s Journey that demonstrated how exactly to get the toy to eat various things. There was even a cartoonish diagram about how to cut up a mouse in order to make it small enough.

    ¡°Egh¡­¡± Amaris said. ¡°Why do they tell you exactly how to do all of this?¡±

    Coleus shrugged. ¡°Entertainment, it seems.¡± She flipped through the booklet. ¡°Since it¡¯s a story it does make it quite hard to find anything¡­ instructions? More like in-story-ons.¡±

    ¡°Maybe the story will tell us more about how it was made, or how it works¡­¡±

    ¡°So far, no.¡±

    Orville appeared, looking very haunted.

    Amaris tensed. ¡°How bad is the danger?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not danger, it¡¯s¡­¡± Orville sat down, a hand to his head. ¡°I went back in the memory, found¡­ it was too terrible, Amaris. That used to be a person. I¡­ I don¡¯t know if it was a man or a woman or human or something else, because I have to pass through this¡­ horrible memory¡­ of being chopped up into pieces and not being allowed to die¡­ being stuffed into a shell¡­¡±

    Amaris looked at the monkey with newfound horror. ¡°Is it¡­ in pain?¡±

    ¡°Now? Only emotionally, physically¡­ it can¡¯t feel anything. It can only watch.¡±

    Amaris relayed the information to everyone else and turned back to the monkey ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure if you can hear us, but we know about your problem. I¡¯m¡­ not sure what we¡¯re going to do with you, but we¡¯ll find who did this to you.¡±

    ¡°Who¡­ would turn someone into a toy?¡± Emma asked.

    ¡°Wingding Curiosities, apparently,¡± Jenny said.

    ¡°We should check out their site later¡­¡± Amaris turned to Orville. ¡°Have you found anything that can tell us about who did it?¡±

    ¡°The memory is colored by so much pain and agony it¡¯s basically impossible to make anything out. It¡­ it overloaded my senses. After that, all I see is it sitting on the shelf in that store before Emma¡¯s mother comes and picks it up.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s got to be some more information we can get¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Judit had lost.

    She could not accept this.

    She needed to get back at them. Who cared if one of them was Coleus, the dryad of the Strider? She could do it. Yes¡­ all she had to do was wait to find a moment of vulnerability, capitalize on it, and then walk away because she was ¡°just a kid¡± and nobody would really punish her. Except maybe that Jenny girl¡­ but she would be restrained.

    I¡¯ll teach them to make fools out of me¡­

    Judit snuck around the outside of Emma¡¯s house and carefully put her head to one of the windows. It was open a crack, allowing her to take in not only the sights but also the smells and the sounds of the party within. She watched Coleus very closely.

    Watched as Emma handed her the monkey.

    Maybe that¡­

    But while Coleus played with it for a while, she quickly put it down and went to look at other things. Judit hissed inwardly¡ªthat would have been such a perfect target! Destroy something she liked. But no, it was not to be¡­

    ¡­or so she thought. But it was not much longer until Coleus, Amaris, and Jenny were all around the monkey, playing with it. Making it eat silverware. Taking notes¡­

    It¡¯s some kind of magic, Judit realized. That must be amazingly precious to freaks like them. She grinned. Oh, how easy this is going to be. Judit knew how to be stealthy when she wanted to be, she just so rarely did. Today, however, was the time to get close without anyone noticing. She kept her head down, navigating mostly by her ears and her nose. She jumped through the window, landing behind a pile of opened boxes. Then she carefully slinked around the room, slowly, carefully¡ªlooking like just another one of the cats at the party. With her face down, nobody would think to look at her twice, for she was a very normal cat in appearance.

    Amaris, Jenny, Coleus, and now Emma were so heavily invested in the monkey they had basically no chance of noticing her coming. Amaris was even talking to the air! How ridiculous, they were clearly all mentally deranged.

    Good. Such people were much easier to hurt. They¡¯d probably become unreasonably attached to this monkey.

    She jumped up on the table, revealing herself. Everyone looked at her in confusion.

    She bapped the monkey off the table. ¡°Oops.¡±

    It hit the ground, shattering.

    ¡°JUDIT!¡± Amaris shouted. ¡°Y¡ª¡±

    As Judit was reveling in the rage coming from Amaris¡ªand secretly hoping Coleus would break down in tears or something¡ªa black sphere erupted from the remains of the monkey. The orb shot into the air and created a massive gust of wind all around it. Judit had no way to resist as she was pulled right into the darkness. She didn¡¯t even have time to register what was happening until her body was already being stretched out like a noodle without breaking anything¡­

    ¡­she landed awkwardly in a puddle of punch, but on her feet. She was quickly knocked off her feet by the addition of Amaris, Coleus, Jenny, and Emma right on top of her, followed quickly by several other kids, including Chert and Ralph, among others. Not a single adult came through.

    ¡°Get off me!¡± Judit shouted.

    ¡°I oughta keep you pinned for eternity!¡± Jenny shouted. ¡°You might have just doomed us all, idiot!¡±

    ¡°I am not an idiot!¡±

    ¡°You just destroyed a magical artifact and sent us¡­¡± Jenny looked around. ¡°Where the heck is this¡­?¡±

    Everyone slowly stood up to find themselves standing on top of a giant pile of junk. Everything that they had fed the monkey was here¡ªforks, spoons, a coin, Jenny¡¯s finger, the punch¡­ but that was far from the only thing here. There were bones of every shape and size, rusting car parts, huge metallic spikes, couches in various states of disrepair, unidentifiable green slime, and even a few refrigerators, all in states of disrepair.

    There was no sky. Instead, above them, they could see in the distance even more junk, somehow arranged as a cavern all around them. Impossibly, they could see it all, despite there being no visible light source anywhere; and yet the sight was only barely, for everything was dark and muted in color, like a night lit only by a crescent moon.

    The smell was of rusted metal and bone mixed with sugary sweets and snacks that had been taken through by the party.

    ¡°Okay everyone!¡± Amaris shouted, standing to her full height. ¡°Listen to me, we¡¯ve got a situation here, and we need to be careful! Ralph, Chert, Jenny, you¡¯re our muscle, take up positions around the edge of the group, watch for anything that might be a threat. Everyone else, try to save as much food as you can, we have no idea how long we¡¯re going to be down here. Colues, I think I know the answer to this question, but I¡¯m going to ask anyway¡ªcan you grow anything here?¡±

    Coleus shook her head. ¡°I¡­ have no connection to the Lost Glen, and I have no seeds on me. Unless you can get me a living plant¡­ and even then there probably wouldn¡¯t be enough nutrients.¡±

    ¡°Right, if anyone finds any seeds or plants, bring them to Coleus, she can do things with them. And¡­¡±

    ¡°Who made you in charge!?¡± Judit shouted. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re a nobody! You¡ª¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t waste resources dealing with you right now. Jenny, sleep her.¡±

    ¡°With pleasure!¡± Jenny said, pulling back her fist and surrounding it in a periwinkle energy. ¡°Sleepy fist time!¡±

    Judit¡¯s eyes widened as she realized she was about to get punched. ¡°My parents wi¡ª¡±

    She was out like a light.

    ~~~

    Irene saw the entire thing play out. She watched as the void sphere appeared and started sucking everything in. The wind was only strong very close to the sphere, but it still sucked in a dozen or so kids and an entire table of snacks.

    ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Irene managed not to drop the glass she was holding¡ªit wasn¡¯t alcoholic, it was just strawberry soda. She was still slightly buzzed though and was currently cursing herself inwardly for this since now was definitely not the time to be that way.

    While she was doing this, Vayvaresi was waking up and the rest of the partygoers were staring in shock at the black orb sitting in the middle of the house, sucking in loose papers and dust even now.

    ¡°Emma!¡± Mrs. Richardson shouted, making a break for the vacuum sphere.

    ¡°No!¡± Irene grabbed Mrs. Richardson by the collar and pulled her back. ¡°Do you want to get sucked in too!?¡±

    Irene was not strong enough to keep Mrs. Richardson back, but her husband lent his hand to the efforts as well and the two of them managed to pin the sputtering woman to the wall.

    ¡°Emma¡­ Emma¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s¡­ going on?¡± Vayvaresi asked¡ªbarely holding onto Irene¡¯s shoulders from the whole ordeal.

    ¡°Judit destroyed the monkey that eats things, summoned a void sphere, sucked in Amaris and the others,¡± Irene said.

    ¡°Monkey that eats things¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m afraid I wasn¡¯t paying enough attention to that one¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡­ we got her that present¡­¡± Mrs. Richardson burst into tears and went limp.

    Her husband and Irene released her.

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Irene said. ¡°We need t¡ª¡°

    Suddenly, a man¡¯s hands were around her neck. ¡°You did this!¡±

    Irene gagged.

    ¡°Give me back my kids!¡±

    Irene held out a hand, but Vayvaresi acted before she unleashed her ability, jumping off of Irene and slamming her paws into the man¡¯s face. He was so shocked by the kitsune that he released Irene.

    ¡°Back off,¡± Vayvaresi said, letting out a growl and glowing slightly.¡±

    ¡°I knew they were no good!¡± a woman shouted.

    ¡°Look what this magic has done to our kids!¡±

    ¡°You should pay!¡±

    ¡°And it appears as though my curse is back in full swing,¡± Vayvaresi said, glancing back up at Irene. ¡°Do you feel an uncontrollable urge to throttle me?¡±

    Irene paused. ¡°I d-don¡¯t think so?¡±

    ¡°Ah, but you are scared of me.¡±

    I¡¯m always scared of everything always. ¡°I-I d-don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    ¡°Everybody shut up!¡± Taylor shouted. ¡°We need to figure out how to get them back, not how t¡ª¡±

    ¡°Your own brother is in there!¡± a woman shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t you care about him!?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one not seeing the threat right in front of you!¡±

    ¡°I need to leave,¡± Vayvaresi muttered. ¡°I¡¯m making this all go south¡­¡± She tried to jump to the front door¡ªbut found that the human children were blocking her way.

    ¡°You took our friends away!¡±

    ¡°You monster!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t get to run away!¡±

    ¡°Kids! What are you doing!?¡± an adult cat shouted. ¡°She¡­¡±

    ¡°And now you¡¯re defending her!?¡± a man yelled, getting in front of the cat and crossing his arms.

    ¡°What¡¯s come over you¡­? You¡¯re not¡­ like this!¡±

    Orville appeared in Irene¡¯s perceptions while all the shouting was going on. ¡°Irene, Amaris and the others are fine. They¡¯re looking for a way out as we speak.¡±

    ¡°G-g-good¡­¡±

    ¡°Irene?¡± Orville waved a hand in front of her eyes. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you tell that to everyone?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ y-y-y-yes I¡­¡± Irene couldn¡¯t stop staring at Vayvaresi. Was she¡­ always that large? Always so¡­ ominously glowing? Those tails looked so aggressive, and¡­

    ¡°Irene!¡± Orville removed Vayvaresi from the memory. ¡°You need to tell everyone!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s¡­ that curse is insidious¡­¡± Irene took in a sharp breath. ¡°EVERYONE! Emma and all the kids are fine!¡±

    Mrs. Richardson looked up. ¡°H-how can you¡­?¡±

    There was no kitsune to fear. ¡°Orville can still go to their m-memories! H-he can talk to them.¡±

    ¡°Orville!¡± Mrs. Richardson stood up. ¡°How is Emma doing? How¡­¡±

    Orville left Irene¡¯s memory and she could see Vayvaresi again, and the paralyzing fear returned. ¡°V-v-vay¡­¡±

    ¡°You are forgiven, do not try to push past it now,¡± Varvaresi snarled, drool dripping onto the ground and letting off steam. ¡°I will not rush through those kids; hopefully, this news can keep everyone distracted long enough¡­¡± Irene could see what would happen if Vayvaresi went through those kids and tore them limb from limb, devouring them.

    Mrs. Richardson let out a loud sigh of relief. ¡°I am so¡ªthankful¡ªwhat in¡ªoh yes¡­¡±

    Orville was back with Irene and Vayvaresi was gone. ¡°This is quite a pickle, I can only alter memories of one person at a time, and I think the murderous intent toward Vayvaresi grows with time¡­¡±

    ¡°Her curse¡­ r-rarely kills her,¡± Irene said. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ p-probably fine¡­ s-so¡­ Orville, what do we do?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, unless you know how to mess with a vacuum sphere?¡±

    ~~~

    At this point, most of the kids were crying, and the younger ones were calling for their parents. Some of these could still be useful in the survival effort¡ªsuch as Emma, who despite her tears was still organizing all the food that had come through with them¡ªbut there were still a ton of kids who were nothing more than potential targets for whatever lurked in the piles of junk.

    Amaris¡¯ primary goal was to keep them safe. She was already feeling the pressure of having let some of them get injured¡ªa few had fallen on sharp objects when landing the first time, but she couldn¡¯t use any magical healing and was having to live with whatever materials were lying around.

    Amaris¡¯ actual crew was scrounging for such materials. Chert, Ralph, and Jenny were all handling the situation rather well¡ªRalph looked somewhat relieved, even, as the rest of his posse could actually be convinced to not follow him around everywhere. There were a few other volunteers to be ¡°defenders¡± but these had quickly become ¡°searchers,¡± scouring the junk for anything they could find.

    Amaris didn¡¯t want to call it yet, but there didn¡¯t appear to be any monsters in here. In fact, all the reports she got indicated that there was nothing living here at all. Evidence of living things, such as bones, sure, but nothing growing, not even mold.

    Amaris realized that this probably meant that all the bones were from creatures who had fallen in here and starved to death. However, there still could have been robots around, murderous robots, so she wasn¡¯t convinced it was safe yet.

    Besides giving out orders and making sure everyone was at least marginally okay, Amaris was reading the Nommer¡¯s instruction manual, hoping for any hint as to what to do here. The problem was it was so long and convoluted that how much of it was story and how much of it was actual features was a big mystery. She¡¯d just have to read the entire thing all the way through, and a quick skim hadn¡¯t helped her any.

    So much of this is obsessed with how to properly prepare things for eating¡­ Amaris thought.

    ¡°Amaris, back from the loop!¡± Jenny said, dropping a literal treasure chest filled with bronze coins in front of her. ¡°I found something sweet!¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t make much use of treasure with nobody to buy anything from,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°But if we get out of here¡­¡± Jenny started stuffing coins into her pockets.

    ¡°Careful, that they aren¡¯t cursed or something.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll just make it more fun.¡±

    Amaris sighed but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Any sign of anything edible?¡±

    Jenny shook her head. ¡°I found some gauze to help Coleus patch up wounds, but no food aside from some salt. And we can¡¯t live off salt.¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± Amaris glanced back at the table of food. ¡°That¡¯ll last us¡­ I don¡¯t know, a day or two at maximum rationing, and the food in my backpack can maybe go another day. This is a very generous estimate. After that¡­ a bunch of scared, starving kids¡­¡± She shivered.

    ¡°I¡­ have thought of a solution to that.¡±

    ¡°You have?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m an infinite supply of meat, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    Amaris felt like she wanted to puke but she held it down. ¡°Jenny¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m unwilling to chop off my own leg a hundred times.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ consider that as a last resort.¡±

    ¡°Will do.¡± Jenny headed off to give Coleus what she needed.

    Amaris continued to flip through the booklet. It described the Nommer trying to devour itself but being unable to do so. Amaris frowned¡ªthe parts of the monkey toy had been found, they were sitting on the table next to Emma. So the toy could eat its parts¡­ but this likely referred to the vacuum itself, which was still presumably in Emma¡¯s house.

    Amaris got an idea. Next time Orville showed up, she could ask him to ask the others to throw them food through the opening. That would be much more preferable than living off of Jenny.

    ¡°Hey Amaris,¡± Ralph said, dropping a metal briefcase in front of her. ¡°Found something useful.¡± He popped it open. Inside were two guns, though there was room for four. The guns were extremely shiny and glowed a bluish-green on top. ¡°Watch.¡± He picked one up and shot it at a nearby metal chair, vaporizing it instantly. ¡°We can defend ourselves with this.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Amaris said. ¡°You take one, give the other to Chert. Jenny doesn¡¯t need one.¡±

    ¡°What about you? You can have mine.¡±

    Amaris shook her head, pulling out her crossbow¡ªwhich Pitch was currently slithering around. ¡°I have my weapon.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±

    ¡°Be careful with that gun, Ralph!¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± He stumbled a bit as he made his way to Chert.

    Amaris continued to read, finding a section on how the Nommer was a great way to hide evidence of¡­ drugs? Wasn¡¯t this supposed to be a kid¡¯s toy? She was also pretty sure that encouraging people to break the law in this manner was against the law¡­ but she didn¡¯t know the exact regulations for manuals. Maybe that¡¯s why this was a story rather than a proper manual, to get around some legal loophole¡­

    ¡°A-a-amaris?¡± a very young cat asked, walking up to her.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°C-c-can I have some c-c-crackers?¡±

    ¡°Not right now, we have to ration our food.¡±

    ¡°B-b-but I¡¯m hungry¡­¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Amaris said. ¡°But we don¡¯t have a lot of food, w¡ª¡±

    The kitten burst into tears.

    Amaris sputtered. ¡°Look, crying isn¡¯t going to fix anything, and, uh¡­¡± You can¡¯t let him have it, this is a survival situation, live with the tears. You also aren¡¯t good at dealing with this¡­ ¡°Emma!¡±

    Emma, sniffing, came over. She didn¡¯t even have to ask what she needed to do¡ªshe picked up the kitten in her arms and started petting him. ¡°There there¡­ it¡¯ll be okay, Amaris will get us out of this¡­¡±

    The kitten nuzzled Emma¡¯s chest. His crying became less intense, but it did not go away.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Amaris mouthed to Emma. Emma, face wet, red, and ugly, nonetheless shot her friend a sad smile and nodded in acknowledgment. She took a few steps away, giving her full attention to the kitten. The food was mostly done being sorted, so this was no problem for her.

    What was a problem was that she wasn¡¯t looking where she was stepping. Her shoe landed on a chair that was very precariously balanced. It shifted. With a scream, Emma fell. Amaris, for all her reflexes, was not fast enough to catch her and the kitten.

    Chert, however, was right there and caught her in his arms. Emma stared up at him in wonder.

    ¡°You alright?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes¡­¡±

    Amaris let out a sigh. ¡°Oh brother¡­¡± Admittedly, she had kind of been hoping Emma would forge a connection to Chert, that was one of the reasons she¡¯d brought him over despite not knowing him really at all. But if this dumb, clich¨¦, stupid moment¡­

    Amaris stopped herself, she really shouldn¡¯t be concerned with that at all, it was frivolous.

    ¡°Maybe now she¡¯ll stop trying to follow me around so much.¡±

    Amaris jumped. She hadn¡¯t noticed that Ralph had returned. ¡°Uh¡­ maybe?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nice. You don¡¯t treat me like everyone else.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I don¡¯t get¡­ sports.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ shouldn¡¯t you go back on patrol, looking for things?¡±

    ¡°Right away, Amaris.¡± With a salute, he scrambled off.

    Weird guy¡­ still don¡¯t see what Emma sees in him.

    Amaris returned to her reading. All thoughts of the interactions of the last few minutes left her mind as she saw the Nommer in the story regurgitate an object it had eaten earlier. How did it do that? Amaris flipped back and found out that the Nommer had made¡­ a hand gesture. One that was not described, but it was illustrated, but the illustration gave no indication whatsoever that it was a hand gesture for regurgitating an item.

    But that gesture had simply regurgitated the first item it had eaten.

    Amaris looked around at the seemingly endless pile of junk.

    Did all of this count as stuff that had been eaten? If so, this was going to be¡­ a problem. Where would they put it all?

    Amaris made sure to flip through the rest of the book, looking for any other hand gestures. There were none, there was however a vague warning at the end about if the toy was ever broken, you better run.

    Oh, gee, how helpful.

    Amaris was starting to form a plan in her head. She closed the instruction manual and went to the table, not to examine the food, but the broken pieces of the toy. One of those pieces was a little reddish-brown jar that had been inside, presumably holding the vacuum somehow before it had been busted open.

    ¡°Coleus, do you have any idea what this is made out of?¡±

    Coleus examined it. ¡°Not at all.¡±

    ¡°We need to figure it out. If we¡¯re going to get out of here¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°I should call the police,¡± Mrs. Richardson said.

    ¡°Do you really think that¡¯ll do anything?¡± Taylor asked.

    ¡°Well, we haven¡¯t heard anything and I have to do something! I can at least call it on the rabid beast that is in my house!¡±

    Irene pressed her hands together, trying to ignore the sound of bones cracking in kitsune teeth her imagination was playing over and over again. ¡°V-vayvaresi is c-cursed, w-w-we don¡¯t want t-t-t¡­¡±

    ¡°You want to! I can see it in your eyes!¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, b-b-but c-cur¡­¡± Irene¡¯s will was not sufficient to keep talking in defiance of the horror being driven into her spirit by Vayvaresi¡¯s presence. She started to tremble. She placed a hand on a wall and¡­ wait, could she use the ability on herself? Could she¡­ force herself to be happy and not absolutely terrified? She¡­

    The horrified thought of her turning herself into a mindless happy zombie who would never want to undo the effect for any reason overrode her desire to not be afraid of Vayvaresi anymore.

    If it came to it, though, she could do it to everyone else¡­ except¡­ that would let Vayveresi get away and she couldn¡¯t have that but no she wanted Vayvaresi to get away and¡­

    ¡°My goodness all you humans really are going insane at her presence,¡± one of the adult cats said, taking up a position next to Vayvaresi. ¡°It is a curse that is doing this to all of you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust curses,¡± another cat said.

    ¡°And you think this poor¡­ kitsune likes this curse? No! No, she doesn¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a curse like that that got our kids taken away!¡± another cat blurted. ¡°Amaris has one too! She should never have come here!¡±

    ¡°You shut up!¡± Taylor cried. ¡°She¡¯s a good girl and better than you lot by a large margin! She uses her curse to find dangers and help people!¡±

    ¡°She took our kittens away!¡±

    ¡°Amaris didn¡¯t bring that present, did she!?¡±

    ¡°She should know better¡ª¡±

    ¡°Than to what, be around people and make interesting things happen to them? She should live as a hermit for the rest of time?¡±

    ¡°We lock away people who are a danger to us for a reason!¡±

    ¡°This toy already existed! If it didn¡¯t come here it would have gone somewhere else!¡±

    ¡°But would it have ever been broken!?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Taylor paused. ¡°¡­You want to lock a child away for being a potential danger when she has made it her life¡¯s mission to find these dangers and put a stop to them?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I just want my kids back!¡± the cat wailed, covering his face with his paws.

    ¡°Have faith,¡± Vayvaresi said. ¡°Amaris is resourceful, and we have Orville to assist us. We know they are all fine. Do not despair.¡±

    The cat seemed to really hear what Vayvaresi had to say. The humans, meanwhile¡­

    ¡°Brainwasher!¡±

    ¡°Monster!¡±

    ¡°Cretin!¡±

    A man came out of the kitchen with a butcher knife. ¡°I¡¯m putting a stop to this!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± the cats said, taking up a defensive position around Vayvaresi.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t!¡± Vayvaresi told the cats. ¡°I can handle myself, but the curse, it¡¯ll hurt you!¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t just let him attack you!¡±

    Vayvaresi let out a sigh. ¡°No¡­ you truly cannot, for you are cursed as well¡­ there will be those called to my aid, only to be slaughtered¡­¡±

    ¡°Get away from the fox!¡± the man shouted, brandishing the knife.

    Have to stop him, Irene thought. Have to help him.

    Taylor looked like she was having a similar internal struggle. Most of the other adults were looking rather nervous.

    However¡­ the human kids suddenly became quite angry. With an angry snarl, they rushed the cats around Vayvaresi, biting and clawing. The cats could not bring themselves to fight against children, so the bites and scrapes went unanswered. Nonetheless, the cats surrounded Vayvaresi like a wall, even as their own ears were torn off and the blood began to flow¡­

    ¡°Irene!¡± Orville said, removing Vayvaresi from her memory. ¡°Stop this!¡±

    ¡°How!?¡± Irene could only watch in horror as the blood continued to run. ¡°I can¡¯t even¡­¡±

    ¡°Make them all happy and tell them we have a plan to get everyone back, that should shock them out of it!¡±

    ¡°r-r-right!¡± Irene held out both of her hands. ¡°Th-th-that¡¯s enough!¡± Everyone gained smiles immediately, but the children were still fighting and biting, though now they were giggling in the midst of it. The cats, no longer able to feel negative emotion, actually started retaliating.

    ¡°W-w-we have a way to get them back!¡±

    ¡°Louder, Irene! Scream it!¡±

    Me? Scream!?

    ¡°IRENE!¡±

    ¡°EVERYONE WE CAN GET THEM BACK, JUST STOP!¡± Irene blurted at the top of her lungs with a pitch so high that one of the nearby wine glasses shattered. Multiple people put their hands to their ears out of reflex¡ªafflicted with happiness though they were, the body did still respond to pain.

    This was enough to get everyone to stop.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good,¡± Mrs. Richardson said calmly. ¡°At least¡­ I think so¡­? I would have really liked it before, but I¡¯m not worried.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m making all of you happy to avoid a bloodbath,¡± Irene said. ¡°When I release you later you¡¯ll probably want to murder me for b-b-brainwashing you.¡±

    ¡°Vayvaresi just said something,¡± Orville said. ¡° She said ¡®I doubt that. They were already being brainwashed by my curse, in a sense.¡¯ I¡¯m not playing the memory for you for obvious reasons.¡±

    ¡°Awkward¡­ thanks, Vayvaresi, I ¡­ think?¡± Irene shook her head. ¡°Anyway, uh, Orville, what¡¯s the plan?¡±

    ¡°We know the hand gesture to make to get them out of the vacuum. However, it will eject things in the order they were placed in, so we need to find a way to move the vacuum so we won¡¯t destroy the house when we do it.¡±

    Irene relayed this to everyone. ¡°How do we move it?¡±

    ¡°I memory hop around until we find out what this material is.¡± He generated a memory of a red jar. ¡°Which means I need to memory hunt until I figure out what this jar is made of.¡±

    ¡°We need to figure out what a strange material is!¡± Irene called out. ¡°Is anyone here good at identifying things?¡±

    A cat raised a paw. ¡°I¡¯m a geologist!¡±

    Orville left Irene¡¯s memory and she could see Vayvaresi again. The fear began to rise again.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Vayvaresi said. Irene thought she could hear blood dripping from her teeth despite there being none at all. ¡°I will be waiting near Amaris¡¯ house.¡± Now, nobody stopped her from leaving.

    Irene let out a sigh of relief. ¡°O-okay, so, uh, anyone have any idea where we could get a wide open space to do this?¡±

    ¡°The junkyard?¡± Richard suggested.

    ¡°¡­Okay yeah that probably was obvious¡­¡±

    ¡°I figured out what it is!¡± the cat said, beaming. ¡°It¡¯s clay mixed with cat blood!¡±

    ¡°¡­Why on earth would you know that?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°A friend of mine is an archeologist and one of the peoples that came before Yeshalo liked making pottery out of that, as cats were their slaves and¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, that makes sense. Wait.¡± Irene paused. ¡°If the ancients did this¡­ can we just¡­ take one of these jars from a museum?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely! I can call up my friend if you want!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do that. I¡¯m going to unhappify you, though, just so you don¡¯t sound weird to him.¡± She raised her hand and removed the effect.

    The cat¡¯s tail suddenly stood on end. ¡°You¡­ witch!¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, witch, please just call your friend.¡±

    The cat blinked, looking into space for a while. ¡°He is never going to believe this¡­¡±

    Irene pointed at the vacuum sphere sitting in the middle of the living room.

    ¡°Right, fine, we have enough proof¡­ sure¡­¡±

    ~~~

    One hour.

    That was how long it took to procure the jar. This particular one was shaped like a cat skull and had relief carvings of dozens of cats suffering in gory, brutal ways.

    So long as the jar was larger than the vacuum, it was completely unable to devour it for some reason. So when the vacuum was placed within it could be carried around, simple as that. All they had to do was drive it to the junkyard. This was not a long drive, but it was the majority of the waiting time, the museum had been much closer than the junkyard, which was a few kilometers out of Nuk.

    Irene had opted to unhappyify everyone before they started driving.  Vayvaresi had been right¡ªthe majority of them were thankful that she had done what she¡¯d done, and those that weren¡¯t were pacified by the promise of getting everyone back very shortly.

    And so¡­ among a flat plane filled with seemingly endless quantities of trash, they were ready to try it.

    Irene set the jar down on the ground. ¡°¡­We need to open it.¡±

    Taylor picked up a long metal rod from the piles of trash. It had a noxious, rotting apple on the end of it that she had to flick away. With the stick, she tipped the jar over, releasing the vacuum. It flew out and sucked in a few pieces of trash, but not any of the people watching.

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Irene said, holding out her hands. ¡°Here it goes¡­¡± She folded her fingers into a wave and stuck her thumbs out in different directions. ¡°Release!¡±

    Apparently, the first thing the vacuum had eaten was an entire car. It popped out of the vacuum and dropped to the ground. With a thud. Irene maintained the hand gesture, and the next thing to come out was a toilet brush, followed by three unidentifiable metal squares. With each release, the vacuum moved slightly, making it so it would never suck back in something it had just ejected.

    ¡°It¡¯s working!¡± Irene called. ¡°We just have to keep it up for¡­ who knows, but we¡¯re doing it!¡±

    ¡°But that entire realm is made out of junk¡­¡± Mrs. Richardson said. ¡°How long will it take?¡±

    ¡°Amaris had an idea about that¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Everyone inside the realm of junk had loaded themselves into a large, extremely old bus.

    The plan was simple. The bus would be ejected long before they would, naturally, but it would drag them along if they held onto it. It was a large bus, so they had plenty of room, but it was still quite annoying to have all the kids crying in tight quarters and everyone extremely worried.

    They had also spent the last hour reinforcing the bus. All the windows had metal plates affixed to them, The door was sealed shut, and they had made extra sure the bus was on stable ground. Since there was nothing but junk, though, that ground could be removed at any moment, so Amaris really hoped that the reinforcements were enough to keep the bus from being crushed.

    She had specifically told Orville not to let the parents worry about this, they would have to deal with the ground vanishing beneath them no matter what, unless they could figure out where the actual oldest object in the entire realm was, and that wasn¡¯t happening. Hopefully, this bus was early.

    ¡°They¡¯ve started,¡± Orville said. ¡°Who knows how long it¡¯ll take to get to this bus, though?¡±

    ¡°Enough,¡± Amaris said from her position in the driver¡¯s seat. She gripped the steering wheel despite it being completely pointless to do so. A car beneath the bus vanished, prompting the bus to slide into the hole and all the kids to scream. ¡°All we can do is hold out, now¡­¡±

    The bus shifted again, prompting more screams.

    ¡°We¡¯re all gonna die!¡±

    That wouldn¡¯t be very interesting, Amaris thought, but she wisely kept it to herself.

    Emma was sitting right behind Amaris, her knees pulled close to her chest. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯ve got this, Amaris.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s out of my hands now,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°W-well, uh¡­¡± Emma let out a cry as the bus shifted again. ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°I think we¡¯re making it out, though,¡± Amaris said. ¡°The plan¡¯s solid and it¡¯s already underway, we just have to sit put and wai¡ª¡±

    Something large must have been removed because the bus not only shifted, but it fell a short distance and tilted onto its side. The plating they had installed kept anything from piercing the bus¡¯ interior, but kids still fell on top of each other and started screaming.

    ¡°Everyone remain calm¡­¡± Coleus tried. ¡°Let me see if there are any injuries¡­¡±

    Very few people remained calm, but there was also very little they could do even if they weren¡¯t. They had sealed this bust as best as they could, those doors weren¡¯t going to open without Jenny using one of her punches. She wasn¡¯t panicking, she just looked annoyed as a bunch of human children and kittens scrambled all over her in panic. ¡°Yes, run over my face again, it¡¯ll totally help the situation.¡±

    Amaris was now sideways, but still holding firmly onto the steering wheel. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure why she was, but it did keep her somewhat occupied, gripping it tightly. She wasn¡¯t¡­ very afraid, she was more worried about something happening to the rest of the kids than to her, and even that wasn¡¯t very intense fear. It just felt¡­ natural to hold the wheel as tightly as she possibly could.

    There was a tremendously loud thud that shook the entire ground and sent everyone in the bus into silence.

    ¡°What was¡­?¡± Emma asked.

    ¡°Something fell from above,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Something big.¡±

    ¡°¡­Could something like that crush us?¡±

    ¡°I think the bus is partially buried enough to keep the worst of that at bay, but with all the shifting that¡¯s going on¡­¡±

    There was a loud clank from somewhere far above them, followed by a bunch of smaller clanks that kept cascading into each other, making more and more and more¡­

    ¡°Everyone get down and brace yourselves!¡± Amaris called.

    ¡°Get down where!?¡± a cat asked.

    ¡°Press yourself as flat as you can!¡± Amaris called, doing just that¡ªletting go of the steering wheel in the process.

    There was no more time for any discussion. The objects from above reached them. Small objects, at first, clattered against the top of the bus like rain, but then larger things slammed into the bus and the surrounding junk at high velocity. Dents began to appear in the bus wall. Glass shattered, but the reinforcements they had put in place kept the shards from going everywhere. Right above Amaris, something slammed into the bus that left a face-shaped dent in it.

    Is there something alive down here after all?

    That face-shaped dent was quickly replaced by an even larger dent from something round.

    Probably not anymore¡­

    Something finally punctured the bus¡¯ exterior: a long metal rod that jutted right through what was currently the ceiling and stopped inches from Chert¡¯s face.

    ¡°Wow!¡± Bird squawked. ¡°Wow!¡±

    ¡°You can say that again¡­¡± Chert muttered under his breath.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    The rain of junk from above did not stop after this, but dents stopped appearing in the bus walls. Amaris quickly realized why this was¡ªthe junk that had fallen was now forming a protective layer on top of them. They were buried, further junk would not be able to harm them.

    Amaris let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Okay, we should be good now.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re buried alive!¡± a boy shouted, pointing a finger at Amaris. ¡°You buried us alive!¡±

    ¡°The adults will get us ou¡ª¡±

    ¡°This is all your fault!¡±

    Amaris twitched. Not technically incorrect but definitely not seeing the full picture. ¡°And we¡¯re still going to get home.¡±

    ¡°This is stupid! You¡¯re stupid!¡±

    Amaris pressed her hands together. ¡°And we are now underground in a sealed bus, there¡¯s nothing to do about it now.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you!¡± Bawling, he charged her. Very awkward to do in a sideways bus filled with too many kids, but he didn¡¯t care about ease at the moment.

    Ralph held out a hand and stopped the boy in his tracks. ¡°You don¡¯t want to do that.¡±

    ¡°R-ralph?¡±

    ¡°Amaris here is saving our lives. Don¡¯t touch her.¡±

    ¡°Why¡­ why do you care?¡±

    Ralph narrowed his eyes and simply stared at the boy, saying nothing. The boy melted and crawled back to the others, pulling himself into a ball and letting his tears fall out.

    Amaris nodded to Ralph. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°People have a tendency to listen to me. For some reason.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the sports star,¡± Emma said. ¡°People love you for it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not really¡­ worth much.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding? You¡¯re strong, capable, and¡­¡± Emma stopped herself. ¡°It¡¯s not what you want, is it?¡±

    Ralph shrugged.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Amaris asked.

    Ralph turned to Amaris and simply shrugged again.

    ¡°Ralph, what are you doing?¡± one of the girls from his posse shouted. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be downpl¡ª¡±

    ¡°Would you shut up for once in your life?¡± Ralph spat without even turning his head.

    The girl was brought immediately to tears. ¡°Oh no, Ralph, what have I done?¡±

    ¡°Talked too much.¡±

    The girl clapped her hands over her mouth, forcibly keeping herself from letting any words out. She ran back to the other kids usually in Ralph¡¯s posse¡ªbut they all immediately turned their backs on her.

    Amaris glared at Ralph. ¡°Are those the rules you set up for your friends? Ostracize them for making you upset?¡±

    ¡°Amaris!¡± Emma gasped.

    Ralph shook his head. ¡°They do that themselves. I rarely tell them to do¡­ anything.¡±

    Amaris¡¯ gaze softened. ¡°Ralph¡­ you don¡¯t¡­ have to be there, you know?¡±

    Ralph shrugged noncommittally.

    ¡°For a sports star you sure lack a backbone,¡± Jenny said.

    ¡°How dare!¡± one of the other members of the posse said. ¡°Ralph faces down danger w¡ª¡±

    Jenny lit her fist on blue fire, shutting the kid right up.

    Ralph shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re probably right.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m always ri¡ª¡±

    At this point, everything went white.

    ~~~

    The vacuum ejected a bus covered with metal plating and with a metal spike rammed through its side. It fell a short distance, landing on top of all the other junk. However, as it was much larger than the last few things that had been brought out, it slid down the hill with a scraping, grinding sound that made all the cats watching fold back their ears.

    Irene stopped making the hand gesture. ¡°That¡¯s it!¡±

    ¡°Emma!¡± Mr. Richardson shouted, running toward the bus before it had even stopped moving, the rest of his family close behind. Long before they arrived, though, the bus stopped¡ªand Jenny punched the door hard enough to send it flying and careening into a junked car.

    One by one, the kids began to emerge from the bus. Some of them were bandaged, but those that were took their bandages off as they left, revealing whatever wounds they¡¯d had were healed now that Coleus was in a place where she could do some actual healing.

    Emma emerged and jumped right into the hands of her father. ¡°Dad!¡±

    ¡°Oh Emma, I was so worried¡­¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t need to be,¡± Emma said through her tears. ¡°Amaris had everything under control¡­¡±

    The reunions were many, joyous, and tear-filled. There were, however, a lot of kids whose parents hadn¡¯t been at the party, so they just awkwardly congregated in a group to the side. They would have been able to walk back home from Emma¡¯s house, but not all the way from the junkyard.

    ¡°Looks like you handled yourself well!¡± Taylor said as her brother came out.

    ¡°I guess,¡± Ralph said.

    ¡°Is that a gun?¡±

    ¡°Oh. Yes. I was made one of the defenders.¡±

    Taylor put a hand on her brother¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ralph, that¡¯s great.¡±

    ¡°Just me being the strong kid again.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to take that, by the way,¡± Amaris said, swiping the gun from him. ¡°Gotta lock away all the weird stuff. Hey, Jenny!¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Jenny said.

    ¡°Mind going through all this junk looking for anomalous things? I think a being with a face slammed into us while we were falling.¡±

    ¡°Caaaaaan do!¡±

    ¡°Coleus, can you grow a box?¡±

    Coleus nodded, creating a box out of leaves about the size of her head. ¡°This work?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Amaris put the two guns, the broken pieces of the monkey toy, and the ¡°instruction manual¡± inside. ¡°Okay, so¡­ now let¡¯s recapture that vacuum.¡± Amaris rolled up her sleeves, upsetting Pitch¡¯s coiled position around her arm as she set to work.

    ¡°Amaris, before you go¡­ work,¡± Mr. Richardson called.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Thank you for¡­ protecting all of them.¡±

    Amaris beamed. ¡°It¡¯s what I do, Mr. Richardson. Thank you for¡­ not blaming me.¡±

    ¡°Your parents should be proud of you.¡±

    ¡°They are. They¡¯re also supremely worried at all times, but they are.¡± Amaris winked at him. ¡°And¡­ I know you two got Emma that toy. Don¡¯t blame yourselves. The darkness in the world likes to hide, and it¡¯s everywhere. If it wasn¡¯t you it would have been someone else.¡±

    Mr. and Mrs. Richardson looked at her in shock, but nodded in understanding.

    ¡°And Emma? Happy birthday!¡± Amaris struck an exaggerated pose with her hands spread out.

    Emma giggled, pulling Amaris into a hug. ¡°It was the worst birthday ever.¡±

    ¡°Obviously,¡± Amaris chuckled. ¡°Now, all of you need to get rest, those of us who are used to this will take care of the aftermath. ¡­Someone needs to get all these kids home¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, wait,¡± Irene said, holding up a hand. ¡°Are we missing someone?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Judit.¡±

    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s still unconscious. Probably in the bus. Didn¡¯t want to deal with her.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Irene blinked. ¡°All right then, I guess?¡±

    ¡°Now, where¡¯s that blood jar¡­?¡±

    ~~~

    The kids were eventually brought home on a school bus. The searching of the junk pile didn¡¯t turn up many anomalous things, just a few crystals and a set of pool balls missing the 7-ball that continually tried to play themselves without any input from any person. It was very awkward to get all those balls, especially when they tried to launch themselves into random skulls. But they were captured, and everything was taken to the school basement; including the jar that held the vacuum.

    That was largely Jenny¡¯s responsibility, though. Amaris went home and found Vayvaresi hiding in a tree. There was a small gash across her face.

    ¡°So, you really do need to hang around me,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°It seems that way.¡±

    ¡°How interesting.¡±

    Vayvaresi rolled her eyes. ¡°The vague application of your curse is far preferable to mine, I have to say. Mine is almost exclusively negative, even when I was the sort to take revenge, the pleasure achieved in the moment was always far lesser than the suffering endured.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I should strap you to me or something so this doesn¡¯t happen again.¡±

    Vayvaresi jumped on top of Amaris¡¯ backpack and curled up on top of it. ¡°Or I could just stay here.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t always have my backpack on.¡±

    ¡°It is rarely far from you.¡±

    ¡°True¡­ anyway, come on, there¡¯s something I need to do.¡± Amaris walked inside and entered her dad¡¯s study, where there was a computer. She cracked her knuckles and logged in, pulling up the site for Wingding Curiosities. They were clearly a toy company that specialized in the strange and unusual, specifically toys that did unique things. Amaris could not find ¡°the Nommer¡± but she could find a ¡°hyperrealistic brain plush for thinking the bad thoughts away¡± and ¡°tower of infinite cards¡± and ¡°the eye that can¡¯t see anything.¡± Curiously, though, there was no way to order any of the items, they all just said find us at a toy store near you!

    There was also no physical address for the company. No information about any employees. Just a list of toys with vague pictures and vague descriptions that were, supposedly, available for people if they went and looked. There wasn¡¯t even a list of stores they stocked!

    However, one thing Amaris could find out was the age of the site. It wasn¡¯t new at all, in fact the domain name went back almost to the founding of the Internet in Yeshalo.

    Amaris absent-mindedly stroked Vayvaresi¡¯s tail as she investigated this. ¡°How can all of this be so out in the open, and yet people ignore it? It¡¯s just¡­ everyone believed magic wasn¡¯t real, but it¡¯s not that hard to find it. Yet, I was looking before I was cursed, and I couldn¡¯t find anything until Freddloi came along.¡±

    ¡°Someone who found the toy would assume it had some kind of clever trick when it ate things, not that it was magic.¡± Vayvaresi twitched her nose. ¡°Even you probably would have thought it was just an odd toy.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ like to think I¡¯m smarter than that¡­¡±

    ¡°People have confirmation bias. They want to believe what they already believe. Even though you believed the incredible could happen, did you believe it could happen in Yeshalo?¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    ¡°Your curse simply forces you into situations where it¡¯s impossible to ignore the brute facts of reality.¡±

    ¡°The darkness is everywhere,¡± Amaris said, frowning. ¡°What kind of world do we live in that my curse never runs out of messed up, horrific things to show me?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the answer to that question. Maybe you can find it, one day. It would no doubt be interesting to uncover the secrets of reality.¡±

    Amaris chuckled. ¡°Yeah, it would.¡±

 XIX - The Perfect Victim

    EPISODE XIX

    The Perfect Victim

    The monstrosity could not be comprehended by mortal eyes. It twisted in dimensions beyond even that which mathematicians dreamed of, pieces existing in planes of concept and adjectival existence. Color could not be assigned to it, for what part of it existed that could be seen did not match the color of any other object in existence, an entirely new concept that should not have been seen. It did not matter what species or whether it was a person or animal who looked upon the monstrosity, it was beyond their perception. Cameras exploded trying to explain what was seen. All who beheld it felt as though a spike had pierced their brain, and the pain lingered long after visual contact was broken¡ªbut the monstrosity was also hypnotic, and it took quite a powerful will to look away before the sight itself made one¡¯s head explode in a shower of that same impossible color.

    None of this mattered at all to Jenny.

    ¡°Trying to blow up my head? Pfft, amateur.¡± Jenny thought for a bit and snapped her fingers, lighting her fist on a fire the same impossible color as the monstrosity. She punched it.

    There was a sound like glass breaking inside of a cat¡¯s stomach while it was in the middle of a euphoric dinner. The monstrosity had never so much as felt anything from the material plane before, didn¡¯t even know it existed, but now it had been violently attacked. For a being so spread out and complicated in how it was weaved, such a blunt force easily shattered it into hundreds of thousands of pieces.

    Only three of those pieces dropped in the material plane, though, three triangles of the impossible color. Jenny laughed. ¡°Wimp! Huuuuuge wimp!¡± She picked up the three triangles¡ªdespite falling under gravity they were somehow lighter than air¡ªand put them in an empty pizza box.

    She then left the pizzeria¡¯s kitchen. ¡°There you go, all clear!¡±

    The owner of the pizzeria didn¡¯t look up from the body of his dead dog. Headless. ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    Jenny hissed under her breath. ¡°Yeah, um¡­ sorry about your¡­ dog.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s all right.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my pizza now¡­¡± Jenny picked up the pizza box that contained her order and set it on top of the one that contained the impossible shards. She left a large wad of cash on the counter, far more than was needed for the pizza. Strictly speaking, I should be asking him to pay me, but¡­ nah. She gave the owner a sad smile and walked out of the pizzeria.

    It did not take long for her mood to improve. With two pizza boxes in one hand and a slice in the other, she skipped down the sidewalk all the way to the school. She had a music player in her pocket and earbuds in her ears, and the jazzy nonsense going on just filled her with life. She strolled into the front door of the school and got a few looks. At this point, people were used to her barging in with strange bags and boxes, though since she had been part of Emma¡¯s party a lot more people recognized her for who she actually was.

    ¡°Hey Jenny!¡± some of them called, waving happily at her. She smirked at them and winked as she passed. Those brave enough to approach, she would give a high-five, though given the pizza slice in her hand this was sometimes a little messy, but usually the receiving party found this amusing. Most kids, though, gave her a wide berth, not wanting to deal with whatever crazy thing she had in her pizza boxes. She made her way deeper into the school until she arrived at their special basement, which at this point actually had a sign on it. Oddity Storage. The sign was a tapestry with weird mathematical patterns made by Amaris¡¯ mom.

    Jenny danced down the stairs, twirling around until she arrived at the bottom. There was more furniture down here now, including a few bookshelves lined with notes. A large map of the basement occupied a central table, with indications of what was held and where.  Jenny consulted the diagram.

    ¡°What did you bring this time?¡± Amaris asked¡ªshe was currently sketching one of the guns they had found in the land of junk, both of which were on the table in front of her.

    Jenny slid up to Amaris. ¡°Weird dimensional thing that makes your head explode if you look at it too long¡­ in the best box money can buy!¡± Jenny slid the box with the shards to Amaris.

    Amaris very quickly took out a large black marker and wrote ¡°DO NOT OPEN, HEAD WILL EXPLODE¡± on it. Then she grabbed some cord and tied the box up in several different ways.

    ¡°Also, have a slice,¡± Jenny gave Amaris a slice of pizza and then proceeded to dance out of the school, grooving the entire way. She no longer really had a goal of where to go so she let herself drift, dancing and jumping the day away. She just felt good.

    She eventually ended up in one of Nuk¡¯s public parks. She wasn¡¯t paying attention when she entered so she didn¡¯t know the name, but it was the one with a lot of really dense trees to give the impression of being in a forest¡ªdespite the fact that just outside Nuk there was actual forest, but that likely had wild animals and other nasty things in it, given the pattern.

    Jenny continued to enjoy her funky walk. She was completely aware of the fact that the sun was starting to set and the park was becoming dark, and she had enough experience to expect something to go wrong at this point. But she kind of wanted it too, another monster to punch in the face, or something¡­ some Dweller of the Park, that would be great.

    Her pizza had gotten cold a while ago, but she was still eating it¡ªshe picked up the last slice. She didn¡¯t see a trash can anywhere so she vaporized the box with a punch. She continued her snack and dance, essentially begging something interesting to come at her.

    Instead, a small car drove by. It was one of the tiny ones run by park services. The headlights made it hard to see the driver. Jenny had a brief thought of excitement¡ªmaybe there was no driver! But, alas, her dream was not to be, for there was a driver. Human, probably, but it was hard to tell since the figure was in a full winter coat and bundled up, despite it being late summer. A little odd, but it did get cold at night sometimes, maybe a storm was expected?

    The car stopped right next to Jenny.

    ¡°A kid like you shouldn¡¯t be out this late!¡± a voice called from inside the car¡ªit was a woman.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m fine!¡± Jenny called back, giving her a thumbs up.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not worried.¡± The woman pulled out a tranquilizer gun and fired it multiple times. Four darts hit Jenny in the neck and chest.

    Jenny lazily looked down at the darts sticking out of her. ¡°Oh. Well, shoot, you got me and woooah those are some pretty colors¡­¡± Jenny took a few shaky steps over and then flopped onto her back, hands spread wide and staring up at the sky. ¡°Wheee¡­¡±

    The woman said something, but Jenny¡¯s awareness was no longer sufficient to make it out.

    Wonder what I¡¯m going to wake up to¡­

    ~~~

    Jenny woke up with her arms and legs chained to a wall. Her head was throbbing but all that meant for her was that she thought a little slower than usual. The first thing she noticed was how red everything was. Even before her vision came into focus, the redness of the walls and floor were unmistakable. Everything else took a bit longer to come into focus, and while it did, she noticed that the chains keeping her to the wall were actually nicely padded around her wrists and ankles, so as to not cause undue suffering. It was far from comfortable but it wasn¡¯t actively painful or anything.

    With her sight rapidly restoring, she determined that she was in some kind of basement, as the only exit she could see was a stairwell. There were various pieces of furniture littered around, including a bed, a couch, a table, and two chairs. There was also a really big TV on the wall that was currently off, and a bunch of lights in the ceiling that weren¡¯t on at the moment but were tinted to suggest they were colored. A tall lamp in the corner was the only light source in the room, filling it with just too little light to be comfortable.

    Jenny realized she was not alone in the room. A short distance away, sitting in one of the chairs, was a woman with brilliant red hair and sharp features who wore a pink polka-dotted tie. She was currently looking right at Jenny with a warm smile.

    Jenny recognized her. ¡°Scarlet¡­?¡±

    ¡°Ah, good! You recognize me.¡± Scarlet stood up, her calm smile not vanishing for a minute. ¡°A lot of you don¡¯t really know who I am, and that does take some of the fun out of this.¡±

    Jenny raised an eyebrow. ¡°Fun?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why you¡¯re here! See, you and I are going to play some fun games!¡±

    ¡°Games that involve me being strapped to the wall?¡±

    ¡°Not all of them, but that is where we start, at least.¡± Scarlet leaned in closer, examining Jenny all over. She ran a finger down her neck. ¡°Has anyone ever told you that you have immaculate skin?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, actually, believe it or not.¡±

    ¡°A deserved compliment, to be sure,¡± Scarlet said. ¡°Almost like it¡¯s never been touched by a blade¡­¡±

    Jenny snorted. ¡°You are going to be so upset¡­¡±

    ¡°And you show absolutely no fear, despite clearly having realized what is going on here¡­¡± Scarlet¡¯s simple smile broke out into a very clearly psychotic grin. ¡°I do so love the strange ones.¡±

    ¡°I predict you won¡¯t in about¡­ oh however long it takes you to finally stab me or whatever. C¡¯mon, hurry up the torture train.¡±

    ¡°Not even a moment of hesitation¡­ very well.¡± Scarlet chuckled, pulling an ordinary chef¡¯s knife out. She ran her finger over the blade. ¡°Usually, I start the game slowly. Take a little bit here, a little bit¡­ there.¡± With lightning quick reflexes, Scarlet threw the knife and perfectly grazed Jenny¡¯s cheek.

    Had she been normal, blood would have been drawn. Jenny¡¯s skin, however, regenerated immediately.

    Jenny grinned. ¡°Problem¡­?¡±

    Scarlet stared right at Jenny for a few seconds. ¡°Oh. You¡¯re Jenny, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Guilty as charged! And now you¡¯re in for a world of hurt¡­¡± Jenny lit her fists on fire and tried to punch. She realized with no small amount of chagrin that her current situation prevented her from swinging her fists at all, and without that she was a small, frail individual who had no hope of breaking out of industrial strength chains. ¡°¡­Dagnabbit.¡±

    Scarlet found this amusing enough to chuckle.

    ¡°Ah yes, laugh at the chained up girl, why don¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s less at you and more at how curious fate can be. Had I imprisoned you in a way where you could swing your fists, this would have ended very badly for me.¡± She used a finger to lift up Jenny¡¯s chin. ¡°For all my careful planning, it all came down to luck right there.¡±

    ¡°Luck?¡± Jenny laughed. ¡°Listen, psycho-lady, I¡¯m entirely immortal, you can¡¯t do jack diddly squat to harm me. I don¡¯t cry out in pain, I don¡¯t scream, and eventually Amaris is going to notice I¡¯m gone and you¡¯re going to be found out!¡±

    ¡°All of those things are true,¡± Scarlet said, her smile not wavering. ¡°But I think you¡¯ve misjudged me. You think I¡¯m going to be upset that you can regenerate all wounds, are fearless, and don¡¯t respond to pain? Dear, dear Jenny¡­¡± She put her mouth to Jenny¡¯s ears. ¡°That makes you the best victim I¡¯ve ever had. I can do whatever I want with you, and you¡¯ll still be here. I don¡¯t have to worry about physical limitations!¡±

    ¡°Good gravy, you¡¯re insane!¡±

    ¡°By most people¡¯s metrics, absolutely, but I think as you get to know me you¡¯ll find that I¡¯m remarkably consistent. Now.¡± Scarlet rammed her knife into Jenny¡¯s heart. ¡°How does that feel?¡±

    Jenny gagged. ¡°Makes¡­ breathing¡­ awkward¡­¡±

    ¡°Fascinating¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, so I¡¯m a lab experiment now?¡±

    ¡°Have to start somewhere!¡± Scarlet said, jumping back with glee. ¡°Oh, I can go right to the intense stuff I usually save for the obnoxious victims, this is great! How about¡­ oooh! What happens when I cut off your head?¡±

    ¡°It grows b¡ª¡±

    Scarlet produced a meat cleaver and chopped right at Jenny¡¯s neck. She lost all awareness, but since it wasn¡¯t a blunt force trauma, when her head regenerated, she was fully conscious. ¡°As I was saying, i¡ª¡±

    Scarlet chopped her head off again. The next time Jenny was aware she saw that there were several copies of her head on the ground, many of which had been cut off in states of partial regeneration.

    ¡°This is amazing!¡± Scarlet said, picking up one of the heads and looking at it. Since it was not part of Jenny anymore, blood was oozing from the neck. ¡°Oh, I really do wish I could keep these skulls, make something out of them, but that¡¯s just asking for trouble¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, gotta keep yourself secret, do you?¡± Jenny asked.

    ¡°Well¡­ recent investigations of mine suggest maybe not, but I¡¯m not going to stop being careful off a hunch.¡± Scarlet pulled out two knives. ¡°Now, you barely even flinch when your head¡¯s cut off, I¡¯m curious if you can flinch at any pain at all¡­?¡±

    ¡°Not as far as I¡¯m aware of,¡± Jenny said as Scarlet surgically put both of the knives into her arm, trying to peel the flesh apart to get to the bone. Her regeneration was too fast for this to be very effective, she maybe got to bone for a split second before the muscle formed around the two knives trying to get to the bottom of it. ¡°Hah! You¡¯re not going to get that from me.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ getting to the organs might be a fun procedure¡­¡±

    ¡°I mean you could just chop me in half and take the other half.¡±

    ¡°But that would be admitting defeat!¡± Scarlet grinned and adjusted her tie. ¡°I¡¯m going to show you the color of your own liver.¡±

    Jenny tilted her head. ¡°You know, I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve never actually seen my liver before¡­¡±

    ¡°Then this will be a learning experience for both of us!¡± Scarlet rubbed her hands together. ¡°I think I¡¯ll need some supplies to really get to you, though¡­ the normal knives just won¡¯t ¡®cut¡¯ it, if you¡¯ll pardon the pun.¡±

    ¡°I hang around with Coleus, that wasn¡¯t even that bad.¡±

    ¡°Ah, such a nice girl in a hard place, that one.¡±

    Jenny glared at her. ¡°I bet she¡¯s on your list for stabbing, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Oh no, not at all, I only do this to absolute strangers I have no connection to¡ªthat¡¯s the attempt, anyway.¡± Scarlet waved a dismissive hand. ¡°I happen to like people, and if I had my fun with those people they wouldn¡¯t be around anymore. You don¡¯t need to worry your pretty little head about Coleus, Amaris, or any of the others. Had I known who you were, I wouldn¡¯t have taken you, but here we are so we might as well make the most of it.¡±

    ¡°You are messed up.¡±

    ¡°By your metric, absolutely, but I¡¯m just trying to maximize my enjoyment in life.¡± Scarlet started absent-mindedly running the knife up and down Jenny¡¯s arm, as though the action of slicing through flesh calmed her down. ¡°I, like all people, get joy out of watching others suffer. There¡¯s a particular thrill out of causing it myself, being the one in control, to do what society shuns, and to slowly tear the hope and humanity from a person.¡±

    ¡°And she reveals how evil she is!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe evil exists,¡± Scarlet said, twisting the knife in Jenny¡¯s arm before ramming it between her bones and coming out the other side¡ªbloodless, of course, the regeneration was that strong.

    ¡°Oh, so everything you do is just fine then, is that how you sleep at night?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe in good, either,¡± Scarlet continued. ¡°There¡¯s not really a point to existence, Jenny, surely you can see that in the long life you¡¯ve lived.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s stupid. You¡¯re stupid.¡±

    ¡°Really? Then tell me, why do you believe there is good?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Jenny paused. ¡°Well¡­¡±

    ¡°Most people I ask the question will say it¡¯s because of Dia¡­ but I have a sense you don¡¯t really pay her much mind.¡±

    Jenny furrowed her brow. ¡°I just¡­ defending my friends is right.¡±

    ¡°Because it feels right, yes?¡± Scarlet said. ¡°I¡¯d defend my friends as well, but it¡¯s not because I think it¡¯s ¡®good¡¯ or ¡®evil,¡¯ it¡¯s just because I want to. I enjoy friends and family, so I forge relationships and protect them. I enjoy driving knives into people in increasingly creative ways, so I do.¡± Scarlet shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re betraying your friends by being this way!¡±

    ¡°Am I? They have no idea, and I do my absolute best to not harm anyone close to anyone I actually know. Technically speaking that¡¯s still true, I¡¯m not exactly harming you, am I?¡±

    ¡°Well, no, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Though I suppose there is mental harm¡­ but at this point what else am I going to do with you?¡± Scarlet sighed and sat down in a chair. ¡°You are the perfect victim, but there are going to be unpleasant consequences because of this. That curse of Amaris¡¯¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s going to stop you, you know.¡±

    ¡°Possibly,¡± Scarlet admitted. ¡°I can¡¯t predict what the curse will find ¡®interesting,¡¯ but I¡¯m at least going to try for a workaround. Until then¡­¡± She cut through Jenny¡¯s shirt, somewhat surprised to find her undergarment regenerating. ¡°Clothes too?¡±

    ¡°Just the gloves and the¡­ well it¡¯s not exactly underwear but it¡¯s always on under my other stuff, so¡­¡± Jenny tilted her head to the side. ¡°The really annoying part is that I get the gloves back, but no shoes.¡±

    ¡°Interesting.¡± Scarlet took a moment to, rather than drive knives into Jenny everywhere, examine her body all over like some kind of medical professional. ¡°Do you know there¡¯s a mark on the back of your neck?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do, it¡¯s¡­¡± Jenny frowned. ¡°It¡­ it¡¯s my name, I think? Jenny Zero?¡±

    ¡°Never seen this language before, and that¡¯s saying something.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long, long time since I thought about it¡­¡±

    Scarlet surgically removed the skin from the back of Jenny¡¯s neck and brought it so she could look at it. ¡°You sure? There¡¯s not a lot of letters here.¡±

    The language was alien, there was no way Scarlet could read it. But Jenny recognized it immediately.

    GEN 0

    ¡°Ooooh, that¡¯s just where my name comes from, ah¡­¡± Jenny chuckled awkwardly. ¡°It reads ¡®gen zero.¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°Indicating you might be some kind of designed prototype¡­ after all, this mark regenerates with you. It¡¯s an identifier of some kind.¡±

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m a bit of a mystery, but I always have been, and I¡¯ve lived long enough that I¡¯ve forgotten what answers there were, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, but I can try to help you figure out what you are, just like I help Amaris with all the weirdness going on.¡± Scarlet grinned. ¡°I really do enjoy that as well. By the way, what¡¯s your favorite food?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Jenny thought for a moment. ¡°You know what, shrimp pizza, if it can be done correctly.¡±

    ¡°Tall order, I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±

    ¡°Oh, trying to treat me like royalty to earn my trust?¡±

    ¡°Of course not, I¡¯m your tormentor and a serial killer, you can¡¯t trust me. You¡¯re just a guest of honor and I want to show you some appreciation!¡± She patted Jenny on the head. ¡°Might as well make your stay here more pleasant. Speaking of, I think I¡¯ll move you to the bed, but I can¡¯t let you move your hands because of that magic of yours so¡­¡± she pulled out a syringe. ¡°I¡¯m gonna have to knock you out for a bit, kay?¡±

    ¡°Not okay, but what am I going to do to stop you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my girl!¡± Scarlet injected Jenny in the arm. ¡°Nighty night!¡±

    ¡°Screw¡­ you¡­¡± Jenny made a rude gesture as she lost consciousness.

    ~~~

    Jenny awoke in the bed. Her hands were chained to it with cuffs that were rather soft, but also definitely not moving even an inch, there would be no punching. That said, the bed was quite comfortable and of the highest quality, and it even smelled nice, vaguely of flowers. Jenny also smelled shrimp pizza nearby, and that made her stomach growl.

    That said, she stubbornly refused to open her eyes. She did not want to be here, she did not want to go through whatever bad excuse for a horror show Scarlet had for her, she just didn¡¯t want to interact. She was just going to sit here, silent and unresponsive, refuse to give her any¡ª

    ¡°I can tell you¡¯re faking it.¡±

    Jenny sighed, opening her eyes. ¡°How did y¡ªAGGH!¡± The scream was short, but it was a rare moment of true fear for Jenny. Dangling right in front of her face was a complete copy of her, naked and covered in bloody stitches. The mouth and eyes were sealed shut with some kind of pink glittery cord, and the limbs were bent at painful angles that nonetheless kept all the bones in one piece.

    ¡°Ah, it is possible to disturb you!¡± Scarlet said, grinning.

    ¡°Geez, lady!¡± Jenny said, slowly bringing her breathing and heart rate back to a manageable level. ¡°You have no chill do you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I could, but I wanted to see how hard the egg was to crack. You didn¡¯t crack, by the way, you were just started and disturbed, the fact that you¡¯re actually talking instead of screaming, shuddering, or crying kind of proves that.¡± Scarlet stood up and rolled the Jenny-corpse away¡ªit was evidently mounted on an office chair.

    ¡°Still messed up.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, I was trying to be.¡± Scarlett took a pizza box off the end table and opened it up, letting the smell of cheese, shrimp¡ªproper shrimp¡ªand sauce fill Jenny¡¯s nostrils. ¡°I found the best of the best.¡±

    ¡°How am I going to eat it?¡± Jenny asked, glaring at her.

    ¡°Well we have two options, I can sit you up and you can use your feet, or I can just feed you. I don¡¯t mind doing the latter but something tells me you want to try the feet first.¡±

    ¡°My feet are probably very di¡ª¡±

    ¡°I cleaned them, you¡¯re good.¡±

    Jenny paused for a moment. With her legs, she kicked off the blankets and revealed that she was very clean, sparkling even, her toenails even looked manicured. She was wearing some kind of fancy designer jeans and a shirt that belonged at a fancy dinner.

    ¡°I got the impression you weren¡¯t one for dresses, so I got you something else. I have a lot of things in your size, actually, I never threw away any of the clothes I kept for my niece back when she was your size.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ weird.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re an honored guest! Or, well, prisoner, but you¡¯re still honored.¡± Scarlet carefully adjusted the cuffs holding Jenny¡¯s hands to the bed, adjusting them so Jenny was in an upright position. She set a tablecloth over the sheets and set a slice of pizza on the plate. ¡°Just let me know if you want any help,¡± Scarlet said as she took a slice of pizza herself.

    Jenny was not coordinated with her feet in the slightest, but she could manage to get the slice to her face, and at which point she found she was very coordinated with her mouth. ¡°¡­Lay me down on my stomach, I¡¯ll eat that way.¡±

    ¡°...I think we can do that.¡±

    A few minutes of rearranging later, Jenny¡¯s hands were tied to the edges of the bed, but she was on her stomach and could use her head and mouth to move things around, including gnawing on pizza.

    ¡°You really are remarkable, you know that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Jenny! Immortal legend!¡±

    ¡°I bet! I wonder what sorts of adventures you¡¯ve gotten up to.¡±

    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s been a lot, so many I can¡¯t even remember.¡± She paused. ¡°But right now I need to go to the bathroom.¡±

    ¡°I have a bedpan for that.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°What, you think I¡¯m going to let you go into the bathroom? Even with me watching you¡¯ll have a lot more freedom of movement with those hands of yours. You¡¯re not leaving this basement, I¡¯ll handle any disgusting things for you. You should be honored, a lot of people have to pay good money for this sort of treatment!¡±

    ¡°Yes, old people whose bodies don¡¯t work anymore,¡± Jenny grumbled. ¡°And let me guess, you¡¯re probably going to be creepy about it?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see, I do think you¡¯ll be immune to being disturbed by your own excrement seeing as, well, you¡¯re now entirely used to the corpse of you hanging over there and are having no trouble eating.¡±

    ¡°Oh joy, I get to replace that with, I don¡¯t know, getting dunked into a vat of my own blood? Ever think of that one?¡±

    ¡°Mmm, not yet, but I have now. Anyway¡­¡± She pulled the bedpan out from under the bed. ¡°You want to get this over with or wait until you can get a lot out at once?¡±

    Jenny let out a loud, exasperated groan.

    ¡°You really are my most fascinating victim, such unusual responses¡­¡±

    ¡°Go jump off a cliff.¡±

    Amaris, surely you¡¯ve noticed I¡¯m missing at this point¡­

    ~~~

    Amaris laid down a card. ¡°Straight.¡±

    Vayvaresi tipped over the card holder she was using to hold her hand. ¡°Three of a kind.¡±

    ¡°Victory!¡± Amaris declared, throwing her fists into the air.

    ¡°I still want to know why we¡¯re playing a gambling game without gambling,¡± Rin said as she started to deal out the next hand.

    Amaris shrugged. ¡°Because it¡¯s just a fun game?¡±

    ¡°And gambling would just make it stressful,¡± Emma said. ¡°I think it¡¯s better this way!¡±

    ¡°You would,¡± Rin commented, finishing dealing and looking at her hand. She frowned. ¡°Fold.¡±

    ¡°I do believe this game would be more fun with more players,¡± Vayvaresi said, throwing some potato chips they were using as currency into the center of the pot.

    ¡°Oooh, Jenny!¡± Emma ran to the window. ¡°Jenny, do you wanna play cards!?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t seen Jenny for a few days,¡± Amaris said, taking a sip of cherry juice while she made her bid.

    ¡°Really?¡± Emma blinked. ¡°Isn¡¯t she supposed to be protecting you?¡± She returned to the game, making a bid. Vayvaresi folded.

    ¡°Yes, but she vanishes regularly to go do her own thing or gets caught up in little adventures. I¡¯m not worried, she¡¯s completely invincible, and it¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything going on here right now that she has to deal with.¡± Amaris shrugged, making another bid. ¡°She¡¯s a free bird. I might have a talk with her about how to actually be a bodyguard, but truth is I have Vayvaresi now, and I wouldn¡¯t want to demand Jenny always be on call anyway.¡±

    ¡°Not like she really was to begin with,¡± Rin said.

    ¡°Yep.¡± Amaris laid down her hand. ¡°Two pair.¡±

    ¡°Full house,¡± Emma grinned, taking all the chips for herself.

    ~~~

    ¡°What is your earliest memory?¡± Scarlet asked as she worked¡ªwhich, at the moment, involved having stabbed Jenny with four separate metal plates in the lower abdomen, pushing her flesh away into four ¡°walls¡± and preventing it from regenerating. The problem was, the bottom of the pit she was working on still generated as a skin-like wall and was making it difficult to actually pull anything out. The regeneration seemed very concerned with keeping all the blood inside Jenny.

    ¡°My first memory¡­¡± Jenny thought about this, frowning. ¡°I remember holding a baby.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Scarlet tried to lift one of the metal plates but the flesh just came back. This was clearly annoying her.

    ¡°No idea who the baby is. She had pale hair, red eyes.¡±

    ¡°Like yours?¡± Scarlet did some precision hacking and slashing, finding no freedom. ¡°Egh¡­¡±

    ¡°A little,¡± Jenny admitted.

    ¡°Possibly¡­?¡±

    ¡°You have a dirty mind, you know that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re actually twelve.¡±

    ¡°Hey! I can pass as fourteen!¡±

    Scarlet stopped her work to look right at Jenny and raise an incredulous eyebrow.

    ¡°¡­At least it works when I tell people that¡­¡± Jenny grumbled. ¡°¡­But she couldn¡¯t have been mine.¡±

    ¡°You could have adopted her.¡±

    ¡°Then you think I would remember more than just holding her, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Scarlet pressed two plates into Jenny¡¯s stomach and pushed them apart, once again getting nowhere. ¡°If this is the first memory you have, it could simply be the most precious one from hundreds of thousands of years ago, that moment which defined you more than anything else, so you kept it despite no longer knowing why.¡± Scarlet paused. ¡°This isn¡¯t working.¡±

    ¡°Give up yet?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not giving up until my kitchen timer goes off! I ha¡ª¡±

    The kitchen timer went off. Scarlet groaned and pulled all the metal plates out of Jenny¡¯s abdomen, tossing them on a nearby table. ¡°Guess we¡¯re having dinner instead¡­ looks like I won¡¯t be showing you the color of your liver.¡±

    ¡°You could just cut off my torso and take it out of that.¡±

    ¡°That ruins the entire challenge¡­¡± Scarlet shrugged in resignation. ¡°Your ability is just too strong. If a doctor ever needed to operate on you, it would be impossible.¡±

    ¡°Since when would a doctor ever need to operate on me?¡±

    ¡°Good point. Anyway¡­ better get the stew off the heat before it burns.¡± Scarlet went up the stairs, leaving Jenny alone, chained to the bed as usual. Jenny clicked her tongue and struggled against the chains for a few seconds before giving up.

    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    It had been a few days at this point¡ªScarlet didn¡¯t hide information from her like that. Amaris apparently either hadn¡¯t noticed anything or just wasn¡¯t worried. Which, to be fair, Jenny wasn¡¯t exactly in any danger, but this was a decidedly uncomfortable and annoying situation to be in at the very least. It was also mostly just boring, she sat here chained to the best most of the day waiting for Scarlet to come home. Even though Scarlet did leave her books to read, she had to read them with her feet, and that was just¡­ annoying.

    Everything about this was annoying.

    Imagine if you weren¡¯t Jenny, this would be a nightmare as she peeled off your skin and removed parts of you bit by bit until you were dead¡­ Jenny shivered. At least as long as I¡¯m here I¡¯m keeping her occupied¡­

    Scarlet came down the stairs with two piping hot bowls of stew. She had a special warmer placed around the bowl so Jenny could do her usual thing and try to eat with her face. Usually a messy endeavor, but it worked well enough.

    Scarlet waited for her soup to cool off. Jenny, meanwhile, didn¡¯t care in the slightest that her tongue was being burned and just went to town on the soup, burning her face in the process, but that was even less relevant as that didn¡¯t temporarily ruin her sense of taste.

    The stew itself was composed of the usual ingredients, potatoes, carrots, peas, broth, and some kind of meat. Jenny thought it was beef at first, but as she chewed she realized that it was a very unusual texture¡­

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m eating myself, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Have you tried it before?¡± Scarlet asked as she took a spoonful of her own soup.

    ¡°I think so?¡± Jenny said. ¡°I think I was just curious one day.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t taste any different than anyone else, for the record. Normal human taste.¡±

    Jenny let out a sigh. ¡°Did not need to know that¡­¡±

    ¡°And yet your reaction to all of this, instead of deep-seated horror and screams and tears is just¡­ exasperation.¡± Scarlet closed her eyes and lifted her head to the ceiling. ¡°Jenny, you go so far above and beyond anyone else I have ever taken. You can take¡­ seemingly everything, and I¡¯m finding that I enjoy simply trying to crack you. Failure is an interesting feeling! I may not be able to succeed at all!¡±

    ¡°Whoop de do.¡± Jenny decided to keep eating the stew.

    This prompted Scarlet to outright laugh. ¡°Jenny! Why¡­ one would think you had a taste for human flesh!¡±

    ¡°Actually tastes pretty good, I have to admit, I should grill my own arm more often.¡±

    ¡°We could invent an entire series of Jenny dishes¡­¡±

    Jenny chuckled. ¡°Great idea! Jenny cake, Jenny hamburgers¡­ I could be a food tycoon! Ethically sourced human meat! Trademark. Copyright. Whatever actually goes here I don¡¯t understand law.¡±

    ¡°I believe trademark would be the correct one.¡± Scarlet said, running her hand through Jenny¡¯s hair. ¡°You truly are the best victim I¡¯ve ever had. I feel like we¡¯re forging a real connection here.¡±

    ¡°So do I, I¡¯m not a fan of it, can I punch you in the face yet?¡±

    ¡°Maybe one day,¡± Scarlet said. ¡°But not today, today¡­ what other kinds of dishes made of yourself would you like? Shall I try a pizza?¡±

    Jenny blinked. ¡°¡­Frick, now I¡¯m curious.¡±

    ¡°I thought so! Let¡¯s just¡­¡± Scarlet pulled down Jenny¡¯s pants and sliced off a large chunk of thigh. Making sure to do it slowly enough that the regeneration would keep any blood from getting the sheets messy again once the chunk was separated from Jenny. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll cook this up later.¡±

    ¡°Can we also have shrimp pizza again?¡±

    ¡°Of course. In fact¡­ I can get that for breakfast tomorrow! How¡¯s that sound?¡±

    ¡°¡­Better than usual, which isn¡¯t saying much.¡±

    Scarlet winked at her. ¡°I know you liiiiike it.¡±

    ¡°Imagine me punching you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I am.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you secretly a Masochist too?¡±

    ¡°No, actually, but the emotions that would run through you in such a moment do get me quite excited.¡±

    ~~~

    Jenny woke up. The TV was on, and Scarlet was sitting at a nearby table, cutting something with her knives. She was wearing a blue and yellow zig-zag tie today. With a sigh, Jenny let out a yawn and stretched out her arms.

    Wait a second.

    She realized that she wasn¡¯t chained down at all and had full motion of her arms. She grinned, lifting her fist into the air¡­

    ¡­except she didn¡¯t have a fist. She had a stump with a metal plate at the end of it affixed to her arm with numerous spikes and locks.

    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Scarlet asked, looking up from her ¡®work.¡¯

    Jenny examined her stumpy hands. ¡°¡­Well, it¡¯s better, but¡­ I still can¡¯t punch you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the idea, and what a good one it is! Now you can actually do things like move around, and¡ªI think this will be your favorite¡ªyou won¡¯t have to use the bedpan anymore!¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank goodness, that was the worst part,¡± Jenny said with a sigh of relief.

    ¡°I agree.¡± Scarlett shook her head. ¡°I have grown attached to you, humiliating you doesn¡¯t really do it for me anymore.¡±

    ¡°And yet you still keep me trapped.¡±

    ¡°This opportunity isn¡¯t going to come by again, now is it?¡± Scarlet asked. ¡°Gotta make the most of it while it lasts. Speaking of, take a look at this.¡± She gestured at the bloody chunks on the table in front of her. ¡°This was your hand.¡±

    ¡°Shocking.¡±

    ¡°But what¡¯s inside it is the most interesting¡­¡± She pulled an onyx-black circle out of the pile, holding it up on the tip of a knife. ¡°Each of your fingers had one of these on the end. I think it¡¯s what makes your punches magic.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s also some of those at the base of my neck,¡± Jenny said. ¡°You¡¯re right, that¡¯s exactly what they do. Can¡¯t tell you how though.¡±

    ¡°The material they¡¯re made out of is fascinating, though.¡± Scarlet said. ¡°When I break them they reform even though they¡¯re not attached to you, and they¡¯re quite hard to break.¡±

    Jenny shrugged. ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to figure it out. ¡­As far as I know, anyway, you¡¯d think that¡¯d be something I¡¯d remember.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it just wasn¡¯t very interesting.¡±

    At this point, the TV¡¯s program switched to the news. Scarlet herself was on the screen, giving an overview of the ¡®mysterious junk pile¡¯ that had appeared in the Junkyard.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t let you mention Amaris?¡±

    ¡°I thought it was best if I didn¡¯t,¡± Scarlet said. ¡°That girl doesn¡¯t need to be hounded by reporters, she¡¯s already got enough ¡®interesting¡¯ to deal with. She works best subtly.¡± Scarlet sat back, thinking for a moment. ¡°She¡¯s headed for greatness, that one. Greater than me, probably greater than you.¡±

    Jenny snorted. ¡°As if. I¡¯m the best thing since sliced bread!¡±

    ¡°You do make great slices!¡±

    Jenny put her hand-stump to the bridge of her nose and sighed, glancing back at the news. ¡°¡­You cover your own murders, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, regularly, it¡¯s part of the network I have set up to make sure I¡¯m never caught. I am the reporter on murder cases, and I¡¯m able to draw attention to differences in the way murders occurred. I do my best to never let a body be found in the same condition, the same place, or even the same kind of person, leading to the illusion that my killings are not one person, but a lot of different ones. It is quite thrilling to find increasingly creative ways to leave bodies around, often getting called in to offer my expertise to the police on them.¡± She giggled. ¡°It¡¯s quite a fun game, and one that increases the thrill while also making me far less likely to be caught!¡±

    ¡°Really? Sounds like the murder-specializing reporter would be a prime suspect.¡±

    ¡°Not if each murder seems to have its own special calling card that is unrelated to the others. I also make sure to imitate other styles of murderers every now and then, just to be extra confusing, and I cause a few mimics myself! Those are always fun, when I didn¡¯t do one of them and, welp, the body¡¯s in the exact same condition I left one last Tuesday. Quite exciting. I also make sure to leave no traces, to be in enough layers of clothing to be unidentifiable when I¡¯m out, always take people from different locations, and, of course, dispose of all evidence. I have gotten really fast at cleaning this basement to a perfect sheen, repainting everything, and making it ready for a guest room. My niece used to stay down here regularly and she never suspected a thing.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re proud of this. Monster.¡±

    Scarlet winked. ¡°Guilty as charged!¡± After this, however, her smile slowly vanished. ¡°However¡­ my investigations for Amaris have suggested that maybe I¡¯m more proud than I should be.¡±

    ¡°Afraid of her finding you out?¡±

    ¡°Not at all, it¡¯s what she¡¯s revealed about this world we live in.¡± Scarlet folded her hands. ¡°It¡¯s become clear to me that this country is set up to allow the monsters you keep finding to perpetuate. To allow people to do horrific things. I¡¯m fairly sure the mysterious ¡®higher ups¡¯ know exactly what I do at this point, and that I am permitted to do so. The country is set up to allow people like me to ¡®flourish,¡¯ as it were.¡±

    ¡°¡­Why?¡± Jenny asked, tilting her head. ¡°Why would anyone want this?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± Scarlet said. ¡°I certainly don¡¯t want a dozen horrific creatures of dark magic living in my neighborhood, just like I don¡¯t want there to be serial killers.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ you are¡­¡±

    ¡°My best life is where I¡¯m the only serial killer in existence,¡± Scarlet said, smirking. ¡°Able to do whatever I want, and no one I care about will ever be threatened by everything else. It¡¯s why I help Amaris, I would rather Yeshalo be safer than it is.¡±

    Jenny stared at her blankly.

    ¡°My philosophy is entirely self-consistent, I assure you. I want what I want. I want to capture random people and torment them in my basement, but I also want to be the only one able to do that, because the more people like me there are the more likely I am to be captured and tormented, or my mother, or my niece, or my friends. And I really don¡¯t want that.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ think about what other people want!¡±

    ¡°Why should I care about what the random person on the street wants?¡±

    ¡°Basic human decency?¡±

    Scarlet chuckled. ¡°Since when do humans have basic decency?¡±

    ¡°Like¡­ normally!?¡±

    ¡°The average human in this city hates nekos so much that they will purposefully leave a dying one on the side of the road. This is a well-known fact that has been studied in scientific journals on psychology.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just¡­¡±

    ¡°The way Yeshalo is set up? Perhaps. But I do wonder, sometimes, if this extends beyond just Yeshalo. Amaris always encountered the ¡®monstrous¡¯ out there. She never created it, it was always there. Perhaps it is not only whatever secret people actually call the shots in Yeshalo that permit this, but rather the very world itself that seeks to torment its inhabitants.¡±

    Jenny stared blankly at her. Then she punched her in the face with her metal plated stump, knocking her out of the chair.

    Scarlet stood up, rubbing the bruise that was quickly forming on her face. ¡°Do you feel better?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Jenny shouted. ¡°You¡¯re a freaking monster! How can¡­ how can you see the evil in the world, want to stop it, and then think it¡¯s perfectly fine to go about doing it yourself!?¡±

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t think it¡¯s evil, I just don¡¯t like it when I¡¯m not doing it.¡± Scarlet gave Jenny a sad smile and ran her hands through her hair. ¡°I want what I want, Jenny. It¡¯s very simple.¡±

    ¡°Your ¡®friends¡¯ and family would be horrified by what you are.¡±

    ¡°I know. They don¡¯t have to know. Most of them won¡¯t believe you if you told them¡­¡± Scarlet sighed. ¡°I do wish it could be different. That I could be open with someone¡­ I think that¡¯s why I feel so connected to you. I can just¡­ speak my mind, and get an honest, measured response in return, not just screaming agony.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m screaming at you right now!¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re in your right mind. It¡¯s different. I¡­ really do appreciate it, thank you.¡±

    Jenny¡¯s stomach did a flip-flop. ¡°You¡­ I¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­ will have to let you go, eventually,¡± Scarlet said, turning to look at a wall blankly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I want to keep you here forever. But I¡­ also want you to go out and see more, again.¡± She started nervously fiddling with her tie. ¡°You won¡¯t be here forever, Jenny. As much fun as you are¡­ I do want you to live your life.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you are so messed up I can¡¯t even¡­¡±

    ¡°I believe you can.¡± Scarlet gave Jenny a smile. ¡°You already understand me more than you want to admit.¡±

    Jenny looked at the ground, ashamed.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be like that¡­¡± Scarlet put her hand around Jenny¡¯s chin and gently caressed it. ¡°By the metrics of most people, you are a hero. You do great things. Just because you¡¯re human doesn¡¯t mean you aren¡¯t still amazing.¡±

    ¡°Your approval¡­¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t fill you with disgust anymore, does it? For you know I¡¯m not saying you¡¯re like me. I cannot appreciate a person like me. I can appreciate a person like you.¡±

    Jenny looked at the ground, saying nothing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to your thoughts for a while, seems like you need it. There¡¯s pizza over there.¡± Scarlet gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and went up the stairs, locking the door to the basement.

    Jenny looked at the stumps on her hands. She was alone, she could try to get them off¡­

    ¡­that probably wasn¡¯t going to work, though. She¡¯d have to gnaw through her arm and it would regenerate faster than she could do that¡­

    She went to one of the chairs, sat down, and just stared off into space for a few hours.

    ~~~

    ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Scarlet said, showing off a red dress she had just put on.

    ¡°I think it makes you look like you¡¯re desperate for some guy to notice you,¡± Jeh said.

    ¡°Ah, no, that definitely won¡¯t do!¡± Scarlet took the dress off and began the long and somewhat tedious process of putting on a red suit. ¡°For obvious reasons I¡¯m not really the sort to be compatible with anyone.¡±

    ¡°Anyone who would be cool with your murder sprees would be someone you couldn¡¯t stand.¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Scarlet said, trying to get the suit on comfortably, which wasn¡¯t exactly easy but she wore them often enough that she was able to do it. She spent a significant amount of time adjusting the cufflinks, of all things. ¡°It is somewhat annoying, mom really wants some grandkids, and it¡¯s not like she has any other kids.¡± Scarlet paused. ¡°I suppose I could adopt, but that would make doing this really hard to do.¡±

    ¡°Maybe take care of the kid and not go on murder sprees?¡±

    ¡°You really underestimate how much joy I derive from this.¡±

    Jenny sighed. ¡°No, not really, it¡¯s just wishful thinking at this point. ¡®Maybe Scarlet can be given an alternative hobby than randomly murdering people!¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t give this up unless I was forced to somehow,¡± Scarlet said. ¡°And even then I¡¯d look for every opportunity to do otherwise.¡± She buttoned up the last button. ¡°There, does this look better?¡±

    ¡°You look like a cardinal.¡±

    ¡°So perfect?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. Those stuffy bigwigs at the fancy dinner won¡¯t be able to object to your style but they will find the color jarring.¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡± She put on a pair of red gloves. ¡°And this part of the ensemble is inspired by you, of course. I would be tempted to wear yours but your hands are just so small!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it¡­¡±

    ¡°Just like you¡¯re so small and adorable!¡±

    ¡°You wanna get punched again?¡±

    ¡°It would be worth the price of admission,¡± Scarlet giggled. ¡°Also, as you¡¯ve pointed out yourself, is it really a punch if you don¡¯t have a fist?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s find out!¡± Jenny grinned and rushed Scarlet. Scarlet ducked to the left and placed a table between herself and Jenny. Jenny attempted to vault over it but Scarlet kicked the table up into Jenny¡¯s face, throwing back.

    ¡°Okay, you win this round,¡± Jenny said, shaking her head.

    ¡°The score is three to two, my lead.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s my lead!¡±

    ¡°I disagree,¡± Scarlet said with a chuckle. ¡°Anyway, since I¡¯m going out for a while¡­ gotta chain you to the wall.¡±

    Jenny grumbled.

    ¡°There¡¯s enough length on the chain for you to get anywhere in the basement, don¡¯t grumble, at least I¡¯m not tying you to the bed.¡±

    ¡°Can you bring some more books down? I¡¯m running out of interesting ones.¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course, anything in particular you¡¯d like?¡±

    ¡°Got anything about escape artists?¡±

    Scarlet chuckled. ¡°Yes, actually, but that¡¯s for my eyes only.¡±

    Jenny shrugged as Scarlet clipped a ring around her waist and neck that connected to a chain affixed to the wall. ¡°Worth a shot.¡±

    ¡°You do keep coming up with new ones. It is quite a good joke.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you assume they¡¯re jokes? That¡¯s your first mistake.¡±

    ¡°Please, Jenny, you haven¡¯t tried to earnestly escape for three days, I can tell. You¡¯re just waiting at this point.¡± She patted Jenny on the head. ¡°Which is fine, it¡¯s probably not going to be much longer.¡±

    ¡°How much longer?¡±

    ¡°That depends on my mood and if Amaris and the others figure things out.¡±

    ¡°Amaris, you¡¯re supposed to be smart¡­¡± Jenny grumbled.

    ¡°I think her curse is in play, she¡¯s had nothing interesting at all happen as far as she¡¯s aware. What¡¯s happening to you right now will no doubt retroactively become the interesting things.¡±

    Jenny put her stumps on her hips. ¡°You¡¯re too clever for your own good.¡±

    ¡°Thanks! I know!¡± With a laugh, Scarlet left. A few minutes later she brought back a stack of books, waved to Jenny, and went to go attend that ¡®stupid froofy dinner party¡¯ she¡¯d been invited to.

    Jenny sat down on a chair and used her stumps to flip open a book on a nearby table. It was about space. Space was cool, Jenny supposed.

    ~~~

    ¡°¡­And I¡¯ve found further evidence of a conspiracy,¡± Scarlet told Amaris as she drove her home. ¡°Something in the nation wants there to be these monstrous evil things.¡±

    Amaris scratched Pitch under his head as she listened to all this. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not just the way the world is? Absolutely?¡±

    ¡°At this point, yes,¡± Scarlet said. ¡°I have been told to not report on certain details that would expose everything. I get the impression that the only reason we¡¯re allowed to know what we do is the Strider has made it impossible to keep a lid on everything any longer.¡±

    ¡°So that ¡®angel¡¯ thing¡­ was probably sent by the government.¡± Amaris frowned. ¡°But that ¡®angel¡¯ destroyed the dark monster¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe Yeshalo knows that that particular type of monster is a tremendous threat?¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Amaris tapped her fingers together. ¡°Do we have any idea who is in on the conspiracy?¡±

    ¡°None at all, I am not kept informed of who the ¡®higher ups¡¯ are, and my manager isn¡¯t likely to tell me if I asked. So we¡¯re going to have to rely on your curse finding things to expose this.¡±

    Amaris sighed. ¡°Yes, it really looks that way¡­ this is really annoying, we¡¯re supposed to be able to trust the system, to call the police when something needs to be dealt with, to listen to authorities because they know better. But if they¡¯re specifically trying to engineer our suffering¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think most people are,¡± Scarlet said. ¡°I think most people are just terrible people, and that a few are pulling the strings to make things this way. I still have no clue as to motive, though. Even simple sadism doesn¡¯t really explain it, allowing such evil to perpetuate is a danger to everyone, including puppetmasters, and anyone small enough to pull this level of conspiracy off would be able to see that.¡±

    ¡°They clearly have access to magic, maybe they think they¡¯re above us?¡±

    ¡°But they¡¯re letting the magic be used for monstrosities, not just regular people being terrible to each other. It also makes the nation less efficient, so it can¡¯t be for power¡­¡± Scarlet shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know Amaris, there¡¯s some pieces to the puzzle we are missing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll show up eventually. I¡¯m not sure we¡¯ll like it when we find it out.¡± Amaris held her head up high. ¡°But we¡¯ll face it, right Scarlet?¡±

    ¡°You can count on me, Amaris!¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Amaris got out of the car and went into her house. Irene was cooking.

    ¡°Hey, Irene?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Irene said as she added some seasoning to a frying pan.

    ¡°Next time you see Orville, tell him to track down Jenny, she¡¯s been missing for well over a week at this point. I¡¯m starting to wonder if she got warped somewhere.¡±

    ¡°Will do,¡± Irene said. ¡°Orville¡¯s trying to find memory ties to Wingding Curiosities, though, he might be a while.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no rush.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°S-s-stop it!¡± Jenny laughed.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s ticklish!¡± Scarlet giggled, using one of her hands to tickle Jenny all over while the other wielded a knife, running it up and down, tearing her clothes that didn¡¯t regenerate to shreds.

    ¡°Y-y-you¡¯re ruining the nice shirt!¡±

    ¡°Psh, this was a throwaway shirt. Now stay down, enjoy your weakness!¡±

    Jenny couldn¡¯t stop laughing as Scarlet tickled her all over. The tickling was far worse, in Jenny¡¯s mind, than the stabbing. And yet¡­ she wasn¡¯t complaining, wasn¡¯t trying to fight back all that seriously, and was actually having a little fun.

    Scarlet stabbed Jenny in the eye and plucked it out. ¡°Oops, there goes another one.¡±

    The eye quickly reformed but Jenny closed her eyelid anyway. ¡°Yarr, I¡¯m a pirate! And pirates¡­ are also great ticklers!¡± She twisted her body around and put her feet on Scarlet, going right for the armpits. ¡°You aren¡¯t immune to your own medicine!¡±

    Scarlet fell back, laughing as well. ¡°J-jenny! That¡¯s not f-fair!¡± She twisted around and picked Jenny up by the shoulders, holding her in the air.

    ¡°How is it not fair? I don¡¯t have hands; I have to use my feet!¡±

    ¡°I have shoes on, no toes for me.¡±

    ¡°You have the knife.¡±

    ¡°You can regenerate.¡±

    The two of them stared awkwardly at each other, Jenny suspended in Scarlet¡¯s arms. Then they both burst out into laughter.

    ¡°It really is better when the game is two-sided,¡± Scarlet said. ¡°I wish I could regenerate like you, then I could give you the knife.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that would let me get out a lot of frustration,¡± Jenny agreed.

    ¡°It would. Sadly, life is not always what we want.¡± Scarlet sighed, sitting down. Her expression became sad. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ I think it¡¯s time, Jenny.¡±

    Jenny paused. ¡°Time for what?¡±

    ¡°For you to go.¡±

    ¡°O¡­oh.¡± Jenny paused. ¡°¡­About time.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t really mean that, and you know it.¡±

    Jenny wrung her hands together. ¡°Look, you¡¯re a monster, and I¡¯m going to do everything I can to bring you down.¡±

    ¡°As you should.¡±

    ¡°This was fun, though.¡±

    At this point, Orville showed up in Jenny¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Oh, now you decide to check in!¡± Jenny shouted, pointing at Orville with her stump. ¡°Do you have any idea how long I¡¯ve been down here!?¡±

    Orville blinked at the scene in front of him. ¡°S-Scarlet?¡±

    ¡°Orville¡¯s here?¡± Scarlet asked. ¡°Well, what impeccable timing! I was just about to let her go!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been locked up in the basement of a serial murderer for¡­ weeks!¡±

    ¡°Sixteen days,¡± Scarlet offered.

    ¡°And she decided to let me go and then you show up?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m betting it¡¯s Amaris¡¯ curse.¡±

    ¡°Agh!¡±

    Orville glanced to Scarlet. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ Scarlet? Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s a serial murderer, check her memories if you want, but I bet you¡¯ll get overloaded,¡± Jenny waved her hand.

    ¡°Before you do that, I do have something to say to you, Orville,¡± Scarlet said. ¡°There is nothing you can do to touch me. I¡¯ll be disposing of all the materials and will have this place cleaned to a sparkled sheen in¡­ oh, fifteen minutes. The cops won¡¯t respond to a call to investigate me, General Mason trusts me, and the system itself is designed for people like me to perpetuate. I have lots of forged counter-evidence for alibis, and¡­ well, I suppose you could rely on your magic tricks to outright kill me, but the law would punish you for that. I am quite the prominent figure, you understand.¡± She paused. ¡°He is still here, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Jenny said. ¡°Look, Orville, she¡¯s right about everything she said but if you¡¯ve got an idea on how to deal with her, please do, and don¡¯t tell her what it is.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ am¡­ really unsure what I¡¯m supposed to think here, is this an elaborate prank? You don¡¯t seem¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Jenny, I don¡¯t respond normally to torture.¡±

    Orville stared at her. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ see what I can do.¡± And then he vanished.

    ¡°He gone?¡± Scarlet asked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so¡­ as much as I would like a long goodbye where we talk a lot, he¡¯s definitely going to try something and I need to move fast. So¡­¡± She kissed Jenny on the head and tousled her hair. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to pretend absolutely like I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about if you ever mention any of this to me, simply to keep up appearances. Can¡¯t be having risks, you understand. Oh, I wish this didn¡¯t have to be cut short, but it does.¡± She pulled out the tranquilizer gun. ¡°Goodbye, Jenny.¡±

    ¡°Good riddance, Scarlet.¡± Jenny gave her one last rude gesture.

    Scarlet gave it back to her in return with a big smile. Then she shot her in the neck, and Jenny quickly lost consciousness.

    ~~~

    Jenny woke up in a hotel bed. A very nice hotel bed. King-sized and extremely soft, it felt like it shaped around her body.

    She had hands again. Sitting up, she lifted a hand into the air and held her red glove up against the window, allowing the sunbeams to pass through her fingers. She curled her fingers into a fist and it started glowing slightly.

    Everything was normal.

    She got out of bed, noting that she was wearing¡­ a dress, one she¡¯d never seen before. Examining the neck line it still had a tag in it, apparently freshly bought. It fit her perfectly and was a brilliant scarlet color and had folds in it that gave her legs full range of motion.

    On the table next to her was her music player she¡¯d forgotten entirely about. There was also a pizza box. From the smell, Jenny knew it was shrimp, and that it was relatively fresh. On top of the box was a note; typed up, but in a font that looked fancy.

    Thank you, I had a great time. ;)

    Jenny pushed the note to the side and opened up the pizza box, taking a moment to breathe in the delicious aroma. She started munching on the food while moving over to the hotel phone, dialing in a number.

    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Kelvin? This is Jenny, I need a lift¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°¡­and then I woke up in the hotel room with the note and the pizza,¡± Jenny finished, folding her hands together. She was sitting in one of the chairs of Amaris¡¯ living room.

    Amaris mother had her hands over her mouth, eyes wide open in shock. Her husband was leaning against a wall, looking like he was about to hyperventilate. Irene sat on a nearby couch, her legs pulled to her chest, teeth clattering from her immense shivers. Orville simply had his hat in front of his chest, his eyes closed in a solemn expression. Coleus didn¡¯t look shocked, just sad. Vayvaresi was sitting on top of a nearby bookshelf, deep in contemplation, ears drooped. Emma had tears running down her face, while Rin looked ready to stab something with the knife she was playing with in her fingers.

    Amaris¡¯s expression was blank. She was staring right at Jenny, absent-mindedly petting Pitch.

    Jenny rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Look, it¡¯s definitely horrific, but I¡¯m Jenny, I¡¯m f¡ª¡±

    Amaris ran over to Jenny and pulled her into a very, very tight hug. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Jenny was stunned into silence. She clenched her jaw, trying to hold it together, trying to just have the hug, trying to just accept what was happening and be as strong as she thought she was. But her hands began to tremble and her face felt all tingly. She frantically clawed at Amaris¡¯ back, let out a short wail, and then went limp as she bawled on Amaris¡¯ shoulder.

    ¡°You¡¯re not actually invincible, Jenny,¡± Amaris said. ¡°And that¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°What am I supposed to do!?¡± Jenny shouted. ¡°I¡­ I¡ªno, this is stupid, I¡­¡± She suddenly gripped Amaris tightly. ¡°I¡¯ve been tortured before, it wasn¡¯t a problem! I¡¯ve been ground up! I¡¯ve¡ªI¡¯ve been eaten, skewered, slapped with poisonous fishes, stretched out like a noodle¡­ I¡¯ve¡­ I¡¯ve felt it all, it¡¯s nothing! Nothing! Why¡­ why is this any different!?¡± Jenny whimpered. ¡°Why¡­ why did she have to¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Amaris said, tears in her own eyes. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t understand how she could¡­ be this way. I just know¡­ that you aren¡¯t okay.¡±

    ¡°I should be fine!¡± Jenny cried out. ¡°I¡¯m Jenny! I¡¯m Jenny¡­ I¡¯m Jenny¡­¡± She stopped speaking and just started letting out haggard, shaky breaths through her sobs.

    ¡°Yes¡­ you¡¯re Jenny.¡± Amaris swallowed hard. ¡°And Jenny¡¯s still human.¡±

    Jenny mumbled something incoherent, continuing to grip Amaris.

    She wouldn¡¯t be in a state to actually talk again for about an hour. She didn¡¯t let Amaris go the entire time.

    ~~~

    ¡°¡­What are we going to do?¡± Amaris¡¯ mom asked. They were all still in the living room. Jenny¡¯s face was beet red and she looked terrible, but she was no longer actively sobbing. She just looked utterly exhausted.

    ¡°She¡¯s planned everything out too well,¡± Amaris said, pressing her hands together. ¡°She¡¯s right, the police will ignore any claims made against her, we¡¯ve seen that first hand in our other adventures. And she was one of our main allies that could be used to circumvent that. ¡­I don¡¯t think General Mason would believe us.¡±

    ¡°Surely there¡¯s something we could do¡­¡± Coleus said. ¡°I could¡­¡±

    ¡°Trap her in vines?¡± Amaris folded her arms. ¡°Tell me how that wouldn¡¯t be an act of war.¡±

    Coleus stared at the ground. ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m just so shocked¡­¡± Emma said. ¡°How can¡­ someone so nice be¡­ be¡­¡±

    ¡°A serial killer?¡± Rin finished.

    Emma shuddered at the words. ¡°Rin¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that hard, just be smart, figure out you need a public image, pretend to be nice¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not doing that,¡± Jenny muttered.

    Rin glanced at her. ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­ she is setting up an image, but she¡¯s¡­ largely being herself. She really is someone who goes out of her way to do nice things for people. She just¡­ also likes tormenting people.¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡± Rin looked down at the knife in her hand, a clearly uncomfortable realization dawning on her. ¡°Okay, I can get that¡­¡±

    ¡°Perhaps we can use my abilities to collect information on her?¡± Orville suggested, Amaris relaying his words to everyone. ¡°Surely I can watch her and catch her in the act.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s worth a shot,¡± Amaris said. ¡°But she knows about you, she¡¯s going to be careful. And I¡¯m not sure the police will even take our evidence. She¡¯s¡­ a prominent figure.¡±

    ¡°And she¡¯s set herself up with a lot of excuses and alibis¡­¡± Amaris¡¯ dad said. ¡°And everyone who knows her just inherently trusts her.¡±

    Irene shivered. ¡°C-can we really not do anything? Sh-she just gets to¡­ to go free?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll be limited, if Orville shadowed her forever she likely couldn¡¯t do anything¡­¡± Amaris frowned. ¡°But Orville can¡¯t shadow her forever, and we do need him to investigate other things. As terrible as Scarlet is, she¡¯s just¡­ one person, and an ordinary human at that. The monsters we¡¯re trying to face take a lot more people and can do far worse than physically and mentally torture people.¡± Amaris shook her head. ¡°I¡­ hate to say it, but it might not be worth it trying to contain her by constant surveillance.¡±

    ¡°So we just¡­ let her kill more people!?¡± Emma wailed.

    ¡°I would love to stop her, but do you have any suggestions?¡±

    ¡°Give her a taste of her own medicine,¡± Rin said, twirling the knife In her hand.

    Jenny tensed.

    ¡°Stoop to her level?¡± Amaris said with a glare.

    ¡°When there¡¯s no other option, take out the threat by force.¡±

    ¡°She would be protected by the police, we really don¡¯t want even a suspected murder charge on us right now.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t have to be us doing it. My family has¡­ money. And connections.¡±

    ¡°We are not hiring an assassin, Rin! That would just be enabling someone like Scarlet!¡±

    Rin was suddenly gripping the handle hard enough that her knuckles whitened. ¡°I¡¯m sure we could create a proper conspiracy with Orville. Hire the assassin through memory, leave no traces back to us, and then set up a situation where the assassin gets caught and imprisoned¡­¡±

    Everyone was looking at Rin in horror.

    ¡°You wanted a solution. I have one.¡±

    ¡°N-no¡­¡± Emma said. ¡°As¡­ as terrible as she is, we d-don¡¯t do that¡­¡±

    Rin pointed the knife at Jenny. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Jenny paused, wringing her wrists. ¡°I think Emma¡¯s right, we don¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°Then every life she takes is now on our shoulders.¡± Rin crossed her arms and put her knife away. ¡°Just want to make sure everyone¡¯s ready to live with that.¡±

    Amaris¡¯ dad nodded. ¡°I¡­ I am, actually, we are not murderers, and our society has rules. ¡­In theory.¡±

    ¡°I do think Scarlet is right about one thing,¡± Amaris said. ¡°This nation is designed to allow things like this to happen and for there to be nothing we can do about it without engaging in¡­ the nightmare.¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°But my curse gives us the chance that, maybe, we can do something about it the other way.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ have some power,¡± Amaris¡¯ dad said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can take her down, but I can raise suspicion about her.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s the only reporter that actually interviews me without some kind of bias¡­¡± Coleus said, shivering. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to let her keep talking to me, or else public image of the Strider is going to get even worse than it is¡­¡±

    There was silence as everyone else in the room realized that they, too, would have to live with this woman being involved.

    ¡°¡­I am impressed by you all,¡± Vayvaresi said, speaking at last. ¡°You aren¡¯t going for the path of direct revenge.¡± She jumped down from the bookshelf and landed in the middle of everyone. ¡°You should all take some solace in the fact that you are at least making the attempt not to perpetuate the eternal cycle of violence. Not many people can even be said to have properly tried.¡±

    Amaris gave Vayvaresi a sad smile. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°And, if I may speak as an outside perspective, Scarlet is only different from the beasts you could only run away from in the fact that she is a person. There are many entities and monsters you encounter that you can merely survive, not stop, not imprison, nor deal with. It is no shame to admit such. Recognize, all of you, that she is just another piece of darkness in this world, and you do not have the power or the means to stop all of them.¡±

    ¡°Yet,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°True. If your trajectory continues, your resources will expand, and your connections furthered. Perhaps one day you will be able to stop Scarlet. But that day is not today.¡±

    Amaris nodded in determination. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±

    Irene shivered. ¡°We still have to live near her¡­¡±

    ¡°She won¡¯t harm us,¡± Jenny said. ¡°She likes us.¡±

    ¡°Th-that kind of makes it worse?¡±

    At this point, there was a ring at the doorbell.

    There was no doubt in anyone¡¯s mind who it was.

    ¡°Everyone, stay here,¡± Amaris¡¯ dad said. He went to the front door and opened it a crack.

    ¡°Hello!¡± Scarlet said, beaming. ¡°My mom just left me some of her famous pies, and I thought, who better to share it with than the Kelvins? I¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m only going to say this once,¡± Amris¡¯ dad said. ¡°You are no longer welcome in this house.¡±

    Scarlet stopped. ¡°Wh-what? Why?¡±

    ¡°You know why, but I also know you¡¯re going to play dumb. So I¡¯ll spell it out for you. Jenny returned to us and has told us quite the story about how you kidnapped her and tortured her in every way imaginable, and how she is not the only one you¡¯ve done this too. You are a serial killer. We want nothing to do with you. Do not so much as speak to us.¡±

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re just going to believe the¡­ story of some kid I¡¯ve never met?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Orville corroborates the story.¡±

    ¡°This¡­ Dmitri, this is some kind of magic conspiracy, Amaris¡¯ curse!¡± Everyone could hear Scarlet¡¯s voice crack, clearly on the verge of tears. ¡°Please, don¡¯t do this to me.¡±

    ¡°Never come here again.¡± Amaris¡¯ dad slammed the door in her face.

    ¡°Dmitri! Anastasia! Amaris!¡± Scarlet called from the other side of the door. Then, after a few seconds of silence, in a quieter voice. ¡°¡­Jenny?¡±

    Jenny involuntarily shivered.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll just leave the pies here. Then I¡­¡± there was silence. ¡°Then I¡¯ll¡­ never show up again. Goodbye. I¡­ I¡¯ll still try to help if¡­ I can, and you¡¯ll¡­ let me.¡±

    Everyone sat in complete silence for about a minute. Eventually, Amaris¡¯ dad opened the door, and the pies were there, on the porch step.

    Amaris¡¯ mom picked up the pies and quickly threw them in the dumpster.

    ¡°She sounded so¡­ so sad¡­¡± Emma said. ¡°She¡¯s really good at¡­¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t an act,¡± Jenny said. ¡°Her cluelessness was. Those tears weren¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Rin said. ¡°At least she¡¯s suffering a little from this.¡±

    ~~~

    Some days later, Jenny was walking down the street, music blaring through her earbuds. She was dancing down the sidewalk without a care in the world; for a time, all her problems and concerns were just gone.

    She kicked and danced, the folds of her red dress accenting her motions quite elegantly.

    She passed by a pizza place. That smells good. She looked up through the window, pondering getting an order.

    Sitting right there in front of her was Scarlet. With a big, friendly smile on her face, she waved at Jenny, and then gestured at the empty seat next to her invitingly.

    Jenny stared at her for a few seconds. Wordlessly, she turned and walked away.

    She made it about five steps before stopping. Her hands started trembling. She quickly clenched them into fists, steadying them, and turned around.

    She entered the pizza place and sat down across from Scarlet.

    ¡°Glad you could join me,¡± Scarlet said with a warm smile. As if on cue, two personal pizzas arrived. The one placed in front of Jenny was, of course, shrimp. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, I went ahead and ordered for you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ mind at all¡­¡± Jenny said.

    ¡°You look troubled.¡±

    ¡°I am troubled. Because of you.¡±

    Scarlet shrugged. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what prompted you to say all those things about me, but I¡¯ve decided I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re acting strangely toward a girl you¡¯ve never met.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Well, in that case, I¡¯m Scarlet. You are?¡±

    ¡°Jenny.¡±

    ¡°What a nice, elegant name, quite unfitting for you, but in a paradoxical, poetic way.¡±

    ¡°Yours fits you perfectly.¡±

    Scarlet twirled her red hair in her fingers. ¡°My parents weren¡¯t very creative.¡±

    ¡°My name comes from some letters printed on the back of my neck, at least you got an actual name.¡±

    ¡°It is something I should be thankful for, I suppose. I take too much for granted.¡± Scarlet sighed, crossing her arms and leaning forward. ¡°Amaris won¡¯t so much as talk to me anymore.¡±

    ¡°For obvious reasons.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I suppose, but she¡¯s throwing away a valuable resource. I still can and want to help, this world¡­ should not be the way it is.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite something, coming from you.¡±

    ¡°I can see I¡¯m going to have to live with the insinuation that I¡¯m some kind of monster¡­ very well, I shall roll with it, at least you¡¯re willing to talk to me.¡± Scarlet smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good. I was a little worried there.¡±

    Jenny looked down. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°You came in here by choice. It¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of, don¡¯t look like that. If you must, think of it as continuing a beneficial relationship; you can learn things from me, and then you can take those things to Amaris. You don¡¯t even have to let her know where you learned the information.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah, that¡¯s good¡­¡± Jenny looked up. ¡°We¡¯ll eventually stop you, you know.¡±

    ¡°If I truly was what you think I am, I naturally should be stopped. No complaints here.¡±

    Jenny nodded to herself slowly. ¡°All¡­ alright. What do you know?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re going to love this one. See, one of the mysteriously appearing doors vanished later¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Two weeks later Scarlet reported on a strange murder where an old man¡¯s skull had been stapled to a clock tower. ¡°These strange, unique murders keep showing up a lot, don¡¯t they?¡±

 XX - Falling From the Tree

    EPISODE XX

    Falling From the Tree

    Coleus stood in front of a truly massive skyscraper. It was largely made of a cyan-blue metal with truly tremendous windows. The structure went so high that Coleus couldn¡¯t count the number of floors, though she knew there were hundreds.

    And she needed to go to one of the floors near the top.

    She took in a deep breath and let it out. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just the government¡¯s headquarters for all of Yeshalo, and you were invited. Don¡¯t. Worry. It¡¯ll be like climbing a tree!

    She clutched the strap of the large handbag she currently wore¡ªshe¡¯d made it herself, out of leaves, naturally¡ªand entered the building. It was¡­ extremely boring inside. The tiles were white and polished to a sheen, the walls were gray and bare, and the only ¡°decorations¡± were government emblems or signs with instructions on where to go. There was no receptionist, but there was a security camera.

    Coleus walked up to one of the signs and followed the somewhat convoluted set of instructions to find out what she needed to do. Which was simple: ride the elevator to the floor. The elevator was actually easy to find, though the doors weren¡¯t visible from the entryway.

    Coleus stepped inside and pressed the button for her floor. She noticed that there was elevator music playing. It was¡­ surprisingly catchy and full of upbeat tones</a>. As the elevator went up one floor at a time, she was surprised to find that her foot was tapping in time with a bob of her head. Slowly, but surely, she started to slowly shake her hips side to side, her smile widening. The beat was slow, but smooth, and it felt like a river to her.

    Oh, why not. She threw all caution to the wind and put her whole body into it. She slowly twirled around, one hand above her head and the other near her waist, and when the song changed slightly, she entered a series of motions where she shifted her hips and hands to opposite sides, making waving motions with her hands. It was just so smooth.

    She threw out one hand, she threw out the other, she slowly twirled around on one foot, and even hopped along the railings of the elevator before entering the first spinning motion again.

    The elevator stopped. It wasn¡¯t her floor. She kept dancing, even as a businessman in a black and very boring suit came in. He gave her a long, concerned look. She looked him right in the eyes and said nothing, her smile unfaltering.

    His eyes didn¡¯t leave hers as he pressed the button for his floor. Coleus performed a smooth shimmying motion along the opposite wall, kicking up one of her feet and grabbing it with her hand, holding the pose and slowly wiggling her body like water.

    The man couldn¡¯t stop staring, entranced. But his floor arrived, and he quickly left.

    Hope that brightened his day, poor guy looked so bored. She continued her dance, this time leaning back on the elevator supports with her shoulders and slowly shifting her legs back and forth in front of each other, moving back into a spin.

    The next person to come onto the elevator was a cat. He was a white cat with a golden tie on his neck. He took one look at Coleus and smiled. He pressed the button for his floor¡ªthere was a lower series of buttons for cats to press. As soon as the elevator started moving, he started tapping his paws. Soon, the two of them were dancing in unison on opposite sides of the elevator. Their body types were entirely different so they were doing completely different dances, but it was to the same, endless song. Coleus didn¡¯t even care it had repeated three times at this point, it was still just what she needed right then.

    The cat¡¯s motions were a little faster, most likely due to his lighter frame, but they were also more coordinated. Coleus was a pretty good dancer, but she was almost entirely self-taught, this cat clearly had some training of some sort given how deliberate and careful his actions were.

    The elevator doors opened. The cat quickly stopped dancing and coughed awkwardly as a human woman walked into the elevator. Coleus, naturally, did not stop dancing. She didn¡¯t hold it against the cat¡ªhe probably had appearances to maintain, she did not.

    The woman looked at her oddly, but she was only on the ride for a few floors. She got off, moving rather quickly¡ªobviously stressed. Coleus hoped the weird dancing plant girl had brightened her day.

    Now, though, Coleus gave the cat a playful expression. He nodded and almost immediately was dancing again, this time bouncing around her, never touching her, but jumping and bobbing between her legs and arms in perfect timing. He was really good.

    However, it all had to come to an end. The elevator finally stopped at Coleus¡¯ floor.

    ¡°This is my stop,¡± Coleus said, slowly easing out of her dance and moving toward the door. ¡°It was great dancing with you, hope you have a greet day, full of greetings like this one!¡±

    ¡°Your attitude is most refreshing, Miss Coleus,¡± he said. ¡°I look forward to meeting you again. Oh, my apologies, greeting you again; very few here play the pun-tastic game, I¡¯m a-furred.¡±

    Coleus put her hands to her cheeks, her eyes lighting up as she let out a little squeal. ¡°Ohtank you! You¡¯ve just made my day!¡±

    ¡°And you mine!¡± he said with a wink as the elevator doors closed.

    Only then did Coleus recognize him.

    That was President Antonio Castillero.

    She stared at the elevator door for a moment and then proceeded to laugh. Giggling to herself, she made her way to the meeting room she had an appointment in. Inside was a human woman with a floppy hat. She was surrounded by stacks of paper taller than her desk and looked more than a little frazzled.

    ¡°Hello!¡± Coleus said. ¡°I¡¯m Coleus, but you probably already knew that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a little early!¡± the woman said. ¡°Come, sit down.¡±

    Coleus sat down and opened up her handbag. ¡°Looks like you have your work cut out for you¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, this is a slow day, the papers usually fill the room,¡± the woman chuckled. ¡°So, you have the¡­ documents?¡±

    Coleus nodded, pulling out a full ream of paper and laying it down. ¡°Finally got all the forms filled out and everything. Wasn¡¯t easy, let me tell you.¡±

    ¡°I imagine not, the Strider was clearly not designed for examinations¡­ Yeshalo thanks you for doing your due diligence and taking care of everything!¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t have done it without my friends. And a lot of help from your people, too.¡± Coleus let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Things have been rough, but at least we could get all the legal nonsense sorted out.¡±

    ¡°This will be in processing a while, let me warn you,¡± the woman said. ¡°Registrations of this magnitude are going to clog the system.¡±

    ¡°I still have the provisional agreements in effect, it¡¯ll be fine,¡± Coleus said. ¡°I also have¡­ the designs you requested.¡± She pulled out another stack of paper, this one filled with images of the plant-based technology she had been making. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much it¡¯ll be of help to you without a dryad working things, but I have no secrets.¡±

    ¡°This is great! Thank you for being so thorough and expedient.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been months, it didn¡¯t feel expedient.¡±

    ¡°You, clearly, have not worked at the speed of government before.¡± The woman chuckled. ¡°Anyway, this will all get properly filed away. I trust you have copies for your records?¡±

    Coleus nodded. ¡°Yep!¡±

    ¡°In that case, just one more thing. Since you¡¯re so rarely here¡ªthis is your first visit at all if I understand properly¡ªis there anything we can do for you?¡±

    ¡°Actually, do you know how I could quickly procure an official armored vehicle?¡± Coleus said. ¡°Some friends of mine are starting a local business, and they need to transport some ¡®magic¡¯ things.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    Coleus pulled out a single sheet of paper. ¡°All the descriptions are right here, but it¡¯s kind of important that this be done faster than everything else. There are dangerous things prowling around, and, well¡­ they kind of want to do something about it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± the woman picked up the piece of paper. ¡°You know, you¡¯ve done so much and worked so tirelessly for us, I think I can pass this on up and get it accepted easily. It¡¯s a tad unusual, but it¡¯s not a huge favor. Expect a call from me telling you about the result at the end of the day.¡±

    ¡°Great! Thanks!¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°¡­Can I take off the blindfold yet?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°Nope,¡± her Dad said.

    ¡°You are never going to guess,¡± her Mom added, chuckling to herself.

    ¡°Let me see¡­ it¡¯s not hot enough to be going to a water park¡­ the Cat-ival is right out¡­¡± Amaris felt Pitch slither up her head, shifting her blindfold. ¡°Hey! No, Pitch, I want to be blind right now!¡±

    Pitch gave a hiss of indeterminate meaning.

    ¡°Anyway, at the risk of sounding clich¨¦¡­. Are we almost there?¡±

    ¡°Actually, yes!¡± her Dad said.

    ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s in the city then! Hmm¡­ what could be in the city¡­ going to Auntie Nin¡¯sa or Grandpa¡¯s wouldn¡¯t require a blindfold¡­ and¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re here!¡±

    Amaris felt the car quickly stop, lurching her forward. She gently moved her hand to the side, checking that Vayvaresi was there¡ªfinding her soft tail. The kitsune¡¯s tail twitched slightly, and there was a soft yawn, but otherwise no response. Deciding to let her sleep, Amaris unbuckled and opened the door¡ªall while still blindfolded, finding that it didn¡¯t make it much more difficult to get around. In the car. Once she was out she just stood there awkwardly.

    There was silence.

    ¡°¡­Amaris?¡± her Dad asked.

    ¡°Shush, Dmitri! I wanted to see how long she would just stand there!¡± her Mom huffed.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°So I can take off my blindfold?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°Absolutely!¡±

    Amaris did so. They were standing in front of a run-down lot that nonetheless had a rather large building in it. The building clearly had not seen use in a long time, but it was sturdy, and was made largely of stone rather than the usual wood. As a consequence of both this and its lack of ornamentation, it looked somewhat authoritarian, but definitely secure.

    Parked in front of it was an armored truck, with Jenny sitting on top of it, talking to Irene and Coleus.

    Amaris took a bit to process all this.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    Her Dad grinned. ¡°I totally did.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way! This¡­ this is such a huge lot!¡± Amaris said, shaking her arms. ¡°How¡¯d you get this? Didn¡¯t it cost a lot?¡±

    ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t spend a dime!¡± her Dad said with a big grin. ¡°All I had to do was call in some favors, turns out one of my old graduate students had inherited some land she didn¡¯t have time to deal with due to her job, and this was one of the many properties on the list. Just had to ask. She was a little confused about why I¡¯d want something like it, but when I explained what it was for, she just gave it to me. I really was expecting to pay!¡±

    ¡°Well, we will, for renovations,¡± Amaris¡¯ Mom added.

    ¡°Ah, but that won¡¯t be a big problem anymore! ¡­Though yes it will require some funds.¡±

    Amaris looked at the lot and grinned. ¡°So. It has a basement.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°No secret mysterious doors that aren¡¯t on the floor plan?¡±

    ¡°None at all.¡±

    Amaris blinked, processing. Then she threw herself around her parents, hugging them. ¡°This is the best present ever!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the little girl with dreams,¡± her Mom said, running her hands through her daughter¡¯s hair. ¡°We often feel like we can¡¯t do much to help you, you know. That this weird world of yours is beyond us. But we can give you this. A place to do your work.¡±

    ¡°And you even got an armored truck to transport all the dangerous things! Like¡­ how!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m actually not sure,¡± her Mom said. ¡°That¡¯s Coleus¡¯ doing.¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°Thank you both so much! I just¡­ mmm, I¡¯m already thinking of all the plans, all the stuff we could do¡­ turn it into a proper actual legitimate business. Something something¡­ Weird Happenings Incorporated or something.¡± She beamed. ¡°You know, sometimes this curse really doesn¡¯t seem so much like a curse.¡±

    ¡°Until the next monster attack,¡± her Mom said.

    ¡°Yes, until the next monster attack.¡±

    The three of them finally left the car and came to Coleus, Irene, and Jenny.

    ¡°Welcome to the future site of all the weird things in Yeshalo!¡± Jenny declared, jumping off the armored truck. ¡°Including Irene!¡±

    Irene turned to Coleus. ¡°Should I be insulted?¡±

    Coleus shrugged. ¡°Pro-bubble-y.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Irene put her hands on her hips and put on a clearly fake offended expression. ¡°Watch yourself Jenny or I¡¯ll lock you in here with everything else.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, Irene¡¯s gonna trap me.¡± Jenny rolled her eyes. ¡°How scary.¡±

    ¡°So, I know we talked about this before, but¡­¡± Amaris coughed. ¡°You all decided to surprise me with this so I don¡¯t know what the actual plan is. Obviously, store all the weird things we find here rather than the school, touch this place up, make things secure, and I guess transport things in an armored truck? That solves the biggest issue.¡±

    Coleus nodded. ¡°Yes. In order to secure this truck I did have to state what the purpose was with the government¡ªturns out I¡¯m actually good at paperwork, probably because I can speak to the trees in the paper.¡±

    ¡°You can?¡±

    ¡°¡­No. I¡¯m joking. Paper is dead.¡±

    ¡°Just checking.¡±

    Coleus chuckled. ¡°I am an enigma wrapped in a-nom-ally.¡± She took a fruit out and bit into it. ¡°Nom.¡± She looked at Amaris expectantly.

    ¡°¡­I get it,¡± Amaris deadpanned.

    ¡°Mission ¡®expand humor¡¯ has resulted in failure,¡± Coleus said with a shrug. ¡°Anyway, ahem, the purpose I stated is to ostensibly open an official business that manages the weird and unusual. People could pay us to deal with things.¡±

    ¡°And it would maybe give people someone to go to¡­¡± Amaris said, tapping her chin. ¡°But I¡¯m just a kid, people won¡¯t trust me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s where I come in!¡± Irene said. ¡°No longer am I the nervous wreck who works at the supermarket, I¡¯m the nervous wreck who takes requests and watches the monsters! I¡¯ll be moving in here. And. Sleeping on top of all the monsters¡­¡± Irene took a deep breath. ¡°No pressure¡­¡±

    Orville appeared. ¡°I will assist with watching the place.¡±

    ¡°Guards, faces, employees¡­¡± Amaris stroked her chin. ¡°Clearly some details need to be ironed out, but I¡¯m impressed! You guys probably shouldn¡¯t have done this without consulting me, though.¡±

    ¡°It was originally your idea,¡± her Mom said. ¡°We just thought it would be good fun!¡±

    ¡°And it was!¡± Jenny said. ¡°Look at you, being all unsuspecting and shocked! Hah, it¡¯s great!¡±

    Amaris chuckled. ¡°Oh, all right, yeah, it is, and I bet my curse couldn¡¯t have let it be done normally anyway. This way I guess the weirdness is the surprise rather than ¡®hey there¡¯s a shadowy monstrosity living in the basement.¡¯ ¡° Amaris paused. ¡°We have checked, right?¡±

    ¡°Orville and I have been all over the joint,¡± Jenny said, smirking.

    Coleus clearly had an idea for a pun, opened her mouth, and then quickly shut it, blushing slightly¡ªthough dryad faces became more blue than red when this happened.

    ¡°Can it hold everything we currently have?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°Ab-soul-lutely!¡± Coleus answered. ¡°The building before us comes pre-in-souled with a basement filled with locks, bars, and anything else you might need!¡±

    ¡°¡­Why does it have all that?¡±

    ¡°It was a frontier town prison,¡± Amaris¡¯ Dad explained. ¡°It was abandoned when Nuk got large enough to incorporate the town.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I sure hope it isn¡¯t haunted.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen anything,¡± Jenny said.

    ¡°And I scoped everything I could, I¡¯ve seen nothing unusual recently,¡± Orville said.

    ¡°Recently?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°Some of the inmates this place used to have were clearly insane. One guy thought he was a duck.¡±

    ¡°A¡­ duck. Sure.¡±

    ¡°Is Orville being a¡­ quack right now?¡± Coleus asked, prompting a few groans. ¡°Oh, by the way, we can¡¯t keep the armored truck.  Once the other paperwork goes through the Retrograde will be allowed on Yeshalo roads, license plate and all.¡±

    ¡°That. Is going to be such a cool company vehicle,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°¡­They won¡¯t give me a driver¡¯s license,¡± Jenny grumbled. ¡°They need ¡®proof¡¯ of my age, or something.¡±

    ¡°I have one!¡± Coleus said.

    ¡°Yes, ha ha, brag why don¡¯t you.¡±

    ¡°I do like bagging.¡±

    Amaris rolled her eyes. ¡°Anyway, we should probably check inside¡­¡±

    The group of six moved to the main doors, which were glass but on thick, metal frames. Amaris¡¯ Dad took out a key and opened the door, revealing the interior.

    An interior full of dust with a ceiling that was missing tiles in a few places. Random pieces of paper and junk were strewn across the ground and Amaris could hear mice scurrying around. At least there was a reception desk. She could imagine this place eventually becoming a business.

    Eventually.

    ¡°We have our work cut out for us,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°At least it can hold the weird stuff now,¡± Coleus said. ¡°Which is good, we don¡¯t have this armored truck for fore four forever.¡±

    ¡°....Coleus I don¡¯t think that pun works.¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­ yeah¡­¡± Coleus sagged¡­ but quickly brightened up. ¡°But at least you get what I bean!¡±

    ¡°Someone needs to stop you,¡± Jenny said. ¡°Someone really needs to stop you.¡±

    ¡°Nothing can stop the plant girl!¡± She rubbed her hands together. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m going to leafen things up around here!¡± She held out a hand, prompting the dry grass outside to burst up in verdant health and sprout a few flowers. ¡°I¡¯ve learned a lot from cleaning up the Strider, I think I can a-leaf-iate your renovation bug-dget.¡±

    Orville must have made a comment because Coleus suddenly glared at a random spot in space. ¡°I know using the same puns over and over again isn¡¯t the grape-est, but I like it. ¡­Okay, yes, if I could do a series of thematically related ones that would be nice but¡­ actually¡­ hmm, perhaps I could take notes¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Orville, did you just doom us?¡± Jenny asked. ¡°¡­Are we about to find out if one of my many punches can actually touch you? We might be, depending on how this goes.¡±

    Amaris chuckled. Oh, how she loved moments like this. This was not at all what she thought she would enjoy most about an ¡®interesting¡¯ life back when she asked for it, back then she wanted adventures and bizarre things. Now, the best part was her extremely weird friends.

    ~~~

    ¡°Okay, so, everything¡¯s actually going swell,¡± Coleus said, making a hand motion trying to imitate a swelling process. She was sitting on a rock next to the center of the Strider¡¯s Glen, the pure waters sparkling just behind her as she addressed the other dryads. ¡°The paperwork is going through and virtually without a hitch, the Strider¡¯s getting fully adapted into Yeshalo, and all the engigreening is automating most of the things now.¡± Coleus folded her arms. ¡°Told you I could do it. You all said it couldn¡¯t be done, but now look at it! Leafy conveyor belts, purged evil, and infrastructure all tied to this Glen! I¡¯ve gotten us e-seed-blished, tied deep to the land, protected, and stable.¡±

    The dryad closest to her actually bothered to respond back. ¡°You have done all those things, certainly.¡±

    Coleus glared at the bark-covered face. ¡°I¡¯m sensing a ¡®but¡¯ worthy of the word association.¡±

    ¡°You have attached yourself far too closely to the ways of the outside world at the worst possible time for yourself. You have been of the age to put down roots for weeks. Soon, you will not be able to.¡±

    Coleus¡¯s throat suddenly felt really tight. ¡°I¡­ I still have time¡­¡±

    ¡°Even by the standards of the outside mortals you hold so dear, you do not. We have been exceedingly patient with you, far beyond what would normally have been allotted, due to your actions to return this Glen to the network. However¡ª¡± Coleus was easily aware that the dryad was specifically avoiding using the word ¡°but¡± there. ¡°¡ªyou are reaching the end of your self-imposed obligations, and the Glen¡¯s patience is running thin. It is time for you to return and join.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I know,¡± Coleus said, looking down at her hands. ¡°I just¡­ I don¡¯t know, okay? I¡­ want to live out as long as I can.¡±

    ¡°This is why young dryads are kept near the Glens. The world is a pervasive toxin, Coleus.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not bad!¡±

    ¡°If you do not put down roots your lifespan will be reduced to one, maybe two centuries. How is that different from a disease?¡±

    Coleus looked to the ground.

    ¡°You are seriously considering it. Throwing away the eternal life of the Glen for a handful of years, a blink of an eye.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I am, but¡­ that would be kind of silly, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Coleus shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not like I stop being me when I put down roots, I just get¡­ slower, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­I wish I had seen someone else go through this already, I¡­¡± Coleus sighed. ¡°The others out here still need me, I¡­ I can¡¯t put down roots yet¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­Then it is clear you do not yet understand the gravity of the situation, and need a wake-up call.¡±

    Coleus blinked. ¡°What?¡±

    Suddenly, she was pushed out of the Glen by an invisible force, tossed to the tunnel that led up to the rest of the Strider. ¡°Ow¡­¡±

    The voice of the dryad came from inside the glen. ¡°You are not permitted to return or access the power of the Glen until you are willing to put down your roots. We do this for your own good, you are in danger of throwing your life away. We hope you can understand that.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I had hoped you¡¯d understand me!¡± Coleus shouted back. ¡°But I¡­ I guess knot!¡± She grew a vine out of the ground and tied it into a knot in some vague gesture of defiance.

    It was a lot harder to grow the plant than it usually was.

    She only had her internal power. Not the Glen¡¯s. Despite being the one who had saved it, she was now severed.

    Tears in her eyes, she ran out into the Strider proper.

    ¡°You know how much time you have left!¡± a voice called out. ¡°It is not long! Do not throw your life away!¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°So¡­¡± Jenny said, standing in the mysterious school basement with a clipboard in her gloved hands. ¡°We¡¯ve already moved the reality shards¡­ the englassed skeleton¡­ a flying eyeball corpse¡­ those colored crystals¡­ the ray guns¡­ the records¡­ uh¡­ well the check here says we got the memory orb.¡± She looked up from her clipboard. ¡°Should I trust that?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Orville said, looking a little exasperated.

    ¡°Then I will!¡± Jenny put the clipboard away. ¡°All that¡¯s left to grab is the actual dangerous stuff.¡±

    ¡°Those reality shards aren¡¯t dangerous?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°Oh, well, they are if you look at them but if we just leave them in a box nothing happens. All this to say¡­ it¡¯s time to open the door.¡±

    Irene shivered, glancing at the door. ¡°Isn¡¯t that where the impossibly rolling rock monster is?¡±

    ¡°Yep! It¡¯s very quiet. But we know it¡¯s in there, whenever I check on it, it gets real violent. Apparently doesn¡¯t need to eat to survive, unlike our friend the crocogator.¡±

    ¡°That poor reptile¡­¡± Irene said.

    ¡°It was a brutal monster. Though, yeah, I probably should have thought about it starving to death¡­ anyway!¡± She coughed. ¡°I am going to duel a rock monster in closed quarters. Goal: imprison. Likely result: I accidentally kill it. But we¡¯re gonna try!¡±

    Irene glanced at the large metal crate on wheels they were planning to stuff the monster into. It had come with the armored truck and was for transporting both valuable and dangerous cargo from the truck to whatever its destination was. They had already carried all the inert or mostly-inert stuff, so this would be the first test to see if it would hold from something trying to break out.

    ¡°I hope the government hasn¡¯t cheaped out on this box¡­¡± Irene said.

    ¡°It is designed to keep things out,¡± Orville said.

    ¡°Yes, but¡­ in?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re about to find out.¡±

    Irene wheeled the cart and popped the front open toward the door the monster hid behind. ¡°R-ready.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t sound ready,¡± Jenny said.

    ¡°J-j-just do your thing, I¡¯ll close the door.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡± Jenny coughed. Then she unlocked the door and threw it open. ¡°Hey! Bozo with the impossible face, yeah, I¡¯m talking to you!¡±

    The orange eyes of the creature appeared to hover in midair, quickly swiveling to stare right at Jenny.

    Jenny held her arms out wide. ¡°Come and get me!¡±

    The spherical stone portion of the monster appeared, revealing its impossibly deep mouth with all those lines upon lines of teeth. It charged right at her.

    ¡°That¡¯s it¡­ good boy¡­¡± Jenny tried to jump away at the last second.

    Tried.

    She failed. The beast¡¯s teeth caught her boot and dragged her with it, crashing into the armored box at high speed.

    Irene slammed the door shut without thinking. Less than a second later she let out a scream. ¡°Jenny!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Jenny called from inside the box amidst the sound of bones being ground up and flesh being torn. ¡°Just a little¡ª¡± her words were cut off for a moment as a sound not unlike that of a cracking walnut rang from inside the box. ¡°¡ªannoyed! Just load the crate and drive, we¡¯ll deal wi¡ªTHAT TICKLES¡ªthis at the new place!¡±

    ¡°You sure!?¡±

    ¡°Positive! Box¡¯s holding, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Irene examined the box. Despite the activity going on in it, the armored metal had only slightly deformed, and only in one place¡ªthe back where the monster had hit it after the charge. The only other visible change was that since the monster was so heavy and jostling around in its futile attempts to eat Jenny the box was sliding left to right. All Irene had to do to stop this was grab the handles. It was surprisingly easy, though still annoying, like pushing a shopping cart full of jugs of water.

    Now she just had to get it up the stairs.

    Previously they had just pulled the box up one stair at a time, but that had been with both Jenny and Irene and the load had never been as heavy as this.

    ¡°I d-don¡¯t think I have the strength to get it up the stairs!¡± Irene called.

    Jenny made no response.

    ¡°Jenny?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything?¡±

    ¡°Well I didn¡¯t have ears a second a¡ª¡± There was another crunch.

    Irene sighed. She was going to have to figure something out here¡­

    ¡­a few minutes later she had a heavy duty rope tied to the box that led all the way up the stairs. She had hoped to find some kind of motor or something in the nearby lab supplies, but nothing was strong enough for her purposes. What she had found was a ratchet. It would only turn one way, so if she could get the box up one stair, it wouldn¡¯t fall down to the previous one. It would be slow work, but it would work, right?

    Then she realized as she daintily pulled just one set of wheels on top of the next stair with considerable struggle that the motion of the monster inside would roll it off before she could get to the ratchet to turn it.

    Irene banged her head into a wall. How was she going to deal with this?

    ¡°Need a hand?¡±

    Irene looked up to see Nina Petronova standing a few stairs above her. ¡°Nina?¡±

    ¡°You look like you need a hand.¡±

    ¡°How did you¡­?¡±

    ¡°A ghost told me,¡± she said with a wink.

    ¡°A g-gh¡ªoh wait you mean Orville.¡±

    ¡°Guilty as charged,¡± Orville said, tipping a hat.

    ¡°Are we not even on the truck yet?¡± Jenny called from within the box. ¡°Look, I could do this all day, but it is bo¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sure you¡¯re not busy?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°Me? Busy?¡± Nina snorted. ¡°Is that why the others aren¡¯t here?¡±

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s at work or school or¡­ I actually don¡¯t know where Coleus is but she¡¯s usually doing important things¡­¡± A loud growl came from within the box, making Irene jump. ¡°It can growl!? I¡­ I didn¡¯t know it could¡­¡±

    ¡°I think it doesn¡¯t like me!¡± Jenny said with a laugh that was cut brutally short.

    Nina chuckled. ¡°Ah, this is entirely insane and I never in a million years thought I would be doing something like this. So. Ahem. You go manage that bizarre haphazard ratchet setup you have up there, I will push this thing up one stair at a time.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ sure?¡±

    Nina flexed an arm. ¡°These are gaming muscles, Irene!¡±

    Irene gave Nina a blank stare.

    Nina deflated. ¡°Look, you can see the muscles, I work out, I know how to lift things that are really heavy, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    The process was slow and clunky, but with two people working it was possible to slowly drag the heavy box up one stair at a time and keep it from falling back down. They, eventually, got it to the ground floor. Over the course of around half an hour. Despite being in a part of the school that was rarely traversed, a small crowd of mostly kids had started to develop, just to stare at the strange rope device and then wonder at the sounds of tearing flesh and bone happening from inside the box.

    Irene rubbed her arm nervously. ¡°They¡¯re staring, Nina¡­¡±

    Nina pushed the box up the last stair, rolling it into the hall. ¡°Who cares, they¡¯re just kids.¡±

    ¡°Just kids?¡± what was clearly an adult cat said, jumping over and flicking his tail to the left. ¡°You are causing quite a commotion here with this¡­ thing of yours. I¡¯ve never seen the two of you around. What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°We have authorization!¡± Irene stammered, pulling out the important papers that came with the armored truck. ¡°See? Authorization!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ wh¡­¡±

    ¡°if you have questions you can talk to C-c-coleus!¡± Irene stammered.

    ¡°Coleus?! The witch of the strider!?¡±

    ¡°H-hey, that¡¯s rude, she¡¯s not a witch¡­¡±

    The cat heard the sound of Jenny being torn in half again from inside the box. His indignation and annoyance turned rather quickly to fear and terror. Opting not to continue the conversation any further he simply bolted away.

    ¡°What¡¯s his deal?¡± One of the kids asked.

    ¡°Adult brain,¡± Nina said. ¡°Horrible travesty, has no cure.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think too hard about it.¡±

    The kids followed them as they rolled the crate all the way to the armored truck and loaded it. They stared as Irene got into the driver¡¯s seat and drove off.

    They could still hear the muffled sounds of carnage in the box behind them.

    ¡°¡­This is a very weird day,¡± Nina said.

    ¡°This is my life.¡± Irene said, voice somewhat hollow.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem well suited to it, I have to say.¡±

    ¡°N-not really¡­¡± Irene chuckled nervously. ¡°But this is the price we pay for hanging around Amaris¡­ I don¡¯t intend to stop doing th-that.¡±

    ¡°Good woman,¡± Nina said, putting her hands behind her head. ¡°I hope you get used to it.¡±

    ¡°Oh I-I¡¯m already u-used to it, the f-fear doesn¡¯t go away though. I am driving a massive armored vehicle through traffic while a monster dismembers an immortal child in the back and if I make a mistake that monster could get out and do real damage with the same exact sounds and hahaHA.¡± Irene gripped the wheel tighter. ¡°Just finish the drive, Irene, you can do this.¡±

    It turned out, she could. The drive was uneventful. They made it to the ex-prison and unloaded the box with ease.

    The ¡°Headquarters,¡± as they¡¯d started calling it, no longer looked run-down, though it looked more like a garden at this point. The walls were reinforced with vines and trees grown into bizarre shapes. The floors inside were made of some kind of self-sustaining self-healing moss that was simply pleasant to walk on. There were lots of decorative flowers and the like all over, and the places where the lights had been broken were replaced with dangling glowing fruit. If it wasn¡¯t for the clearly artificial walls and ceiling that poked through in places and the sharp right angles, one might have been convinced this was a natural place.

    Nina whistled as they rolled the box through. ¡°That Coleus really knows her stuff.¡±

    ¡°And none of this is even her plant machines, you should see those in the Strider,¡± Irene said. ¡°It¡¯s like¡­ a green factory.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make it a trip. Think Amaris can make the checkpoint go faster?¡±

    ¡°She does know General Mason, but it¡¯d probably take a while to get approved¡­¡±

    It was much easier to get the box down to Headquarters¡¯ basement, as going down stairs was a simple matter. They wheeled it toward one of the larger cells with reinforced bars. All the other cells were empty¡ªthe rest of the items they¡¯d moved had just been placed in locked boxes.

    ¡°Okay, this is going to be tricky¡­¡± Nina said, frowning. ¡°Gotta get the monster in there and lock the cell¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, w-we already planned this,¡± Irene said, opening the cell and positioning the end of the box that opened into it. ¡°We just¡­¡± she unlatched the box. The rock creature rolled out into the cell, absolutely covered in blood, chunks of meat, and bone shards. It seemed rather confused by its new surroundings at first, and this was more than enough time for Irene to pull the box back and slam the cell shut.

    The monster figured out where it was and it turned around, ramming into the bars. They didn¡¯t budge. It couldn¡¯t get enough of a running start to have much momentum. It was stuck.

    Jenny, meanwhile, reformed from a piece of her spine in the corner of the cell, wearing only her default outfit. ¡°About time!¡±

    ¡°How are we going to get you out of there?¡± Irene asked as the monster ran over Jenny, flattening her against the ground.

    Jenny grinned. ¡°Watch.¡± She managed to maneuver herself toward the bars of the cell. The rock creature rammed into her, pressing her through the bars with a disgusting squelch. She reformed on the other side amidst a pile of parts of her that had been severed. ¡°Tah-dah!¡±

    Nina puked.

    ¡°Oh, right, that was probably really disgusting and disturbing.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± Irene said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll clean it up, you two can go¡­ try to forget the horrors you¡¯ve just seen!¡± Jenny gave them a thumbs up. ¡°Thanks, Nina!¡±

    ¡°D-don¡¯t mention it¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°So, apparently they managed to move everything without a hitch,¡± Amaris said as she climbed up the stairs to her room with Vayvaresi on her shoulder.

    ¡°Do you believe them?¡±

    ¡°I believe them that everything¡¯s moved. I don¡¯t believe it happened without a hitch.¡± Amaris chuckled. ¡°Also they could have forgotten the memory orb thing.¡±

    ¡°No matter how many times you assure me that I¡¯ve seen it, I still feel greatly unnerved.¡±

    ¡°You and me both¡­¡±

    Amaris pushed the door to her room open¡­ to find Coleus sitting on her bed, bawling her eyes out.

    ¡°¡­I shall leave you two alone,¡± Vayvaresi said, hopping down and heading for the ground floor.

    Amaris slowly entered her room, closing the door behind her. She sat down on the bed next to Coleus, trying to figure out what to do. She didn¡¯t know why Coleus was crying, but she had a few guesses, none of which seemed to be all that helpful at the moment. Clearly Coleus was here because she wanted to find Amaris, but to what end? She was so deep in her tears she hadn¡¯t even seen Amaris come in¡­

    In the end, Amaris awkwardly put a hand on Coleus¡¯ shoulder.

    Before she could do anything, Amaris was pulled into a hug with enough force to make it hard to breathe.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose this!¡± Coleus all but screamed. ¡°I¡­ I won¡¯t be able to hug people, Amaris. I¡¯ll be a tree. A still, motionless, uncaring, stupid, barking tree.¡± Coleus stopped gripping so tightly and just flopped over Amaris, continuing her bawl on her shoulder.

    A million different thoughts ran through Amaris¡¯ head, none of them helping her with how to deal with the situation. She wanted to help Coleus, wanted to offer some reassurance, but just didn¡¯t know how. From watching others the response appeared to be ¡°there there, it¡¯ll be fine¡± but Amaris had no guarantees that it would be fine. She would not give false hope if she could help it.

    But she didn¡¯t reject Coleus. She held her. It was all she knew to do for sure.

    Eventually, Coleus cried herself out. There was a point where the bawling and the haggard heaves just left a person exhausted. Dryads never cried so much their eyes dried up, but the energy was still sapped from them. Coleus flopped backward onto the bed. ¡°¡­Amaris¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m old enough to put down roots.¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve been holding off because you have so much work to do.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lie.¡± Coleus said, dully. ¡°I had work to do, yes, but I was lying to myself. I¡¯ve put it off because of you. Jenny. Irene. Once I put down roots¡­ I¡¯ll be stuck. I¡¯ll stay there. I won¡¯t be able to¡­ do things, anymore.¡± She slowly sat up and pulled her legs to her chest. ¡°No more hugs¡­ no more dances¡­¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°I¡­ have always thought the way your people grew up was¡­ restricting. But we don¡¯t really have a choice.¡±

    ¡°I do, though.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°I could become a free leaf. Sever myself from the Glen. Lose my connection.¡± She stared down at her hands. ¡°Cut my lifespan dramatically.¡±

    Amaris stared at her. ¡°What¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s considered heretical,¡± Coleus said, twiddling with her thumbs. ¡°Incorrect. That free leaves are failures of dryads. That the Glens failed to raise them, that the world corrupted them.¡± She idly examined the back of her hand. ¡°So much of our culture is set up to prevent dryads from ¡®throwing their lives away.¡¯ I think I¡¯m beginning to see how. Only one dryad child is raised at a time, the Glens are intended to be entirely secluded from society¡­ they hated your connection to me because they literally saw you as a threat to my life. They have hated every moment in the Strider not just because they can¡¯t hide¡­ but because, to them, a dryad life is about to be lost.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m just stammering, I don¡¯t even¡­¡±

    ¡°How long do you have to make this decision?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°Not much longer. A few weeks at most,¡± Coleus said. ¡°I¡¯ve been cut off from the Glen by the others in order to make sure I understand the urgency. I feel so¡­ empty, right now.¡±

    Pitch slithered over to Coleus face and started licking the tears.

    Coleus chuckled softly. ¡°Good snake¡­ you¡¯re a good snake.¡± She scratched him under his jaw. ¡°¡­Amaris, I don¡¯t know what to do. I don¡¯t want to lose you¡­ but the dryads are right, it¡¯d be like throwing my life away. I could live and do so much as a full dryad, with that much time, but¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t even supposed to think of this as a choice, I was raised to think I would put down roots and that was just the way things were. And now I¡¯m considering throwing it all away because¡­ I don¡¯t want to lose you.¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°Would you really lose us, though?¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­?¡± Coleus said.

    ¡°I mean, you¡¯ll stay in the Strider, you¡¯ll still be there. You might be¡­ different, but you¡¯ll still be the manager, right? You¡­ might lose things like hugs and the like, but I can say I¡¯ll still come around. Every day I can if I have to, no matter how much the other dryads might complain.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯ll think slower and¡­¡± Coleus paused. ¡°And that doesn¡¯t matter to you, does it?¡±

    ¡°Nope!¡± Amaris beamed. ¡°You might change but you¡¯re still Coleus. You should be able to stick with your friends and your family. And¡­¡± She put a hand on Coleus¡¯ shoulder. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to be the reason you tore yourself from your family. As annoying as they are, they are your Glen. They really have only wanted the best for you all this time.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I know.¡± Coleus took in a deep breath. ¡°I can¡­ have both. I¡­ okay.¡± She stood up. ¡°¡­I have to go talk to them.¡±

    ¡°So soon?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a ton of time, Amaris! And it might take a while to work out how this is going to go with them, and then making sure I tell everyone I know about what¡¯s going to happen my goodness I only have a few weeks why couldn¡¯t I have realized this sooner.¡± Coleus paused. ¡°This is going to be hec-tick!¡±

    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s the pun, I was getting worried,¡± Amaris said.

    Coleus suddenly shot to her feet. ¡°You better beet-leive it! I¡¯m going to do both! Put down roots and stay connected to the outside world! I¡¯m going to show them that it¡¯s possible, that we don¡¯t have to live like we have been! The Strider¡¯s Glen is an opportunity!¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you should wait until you¡¯re not so¡­ tear-covered? And think about exactly what you¡¯re gonna say a bit more?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, um¡­ yeah that¡¯s probably a good idea.¡±

    ¡°¡­I can help you figure out what to say.¡±

    Coleus pulled Amaris into a much more cheerful hug than the last one. ¡°Oh, Amaris, you¡¯re the best! Just¡­ oh wow I¡¯m so tired right now¡­¡± She released Amaris from the hug and flopped back down onto the bed. ¡°I am¡­ so used to just drawing on the Glen¡¯s energy¡­ oh my¡­¡±

    Amaris huffed. ¡°Did they really have to cut you off like that?¡±

    ¡°Well, that was the only reason I¡¯m here, and that ended up well, so¡­ they are quite old and wise, they might know quite a bit more than us about how these things go.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I somehow doubt this was part of their plan.¡±

    Coleus shrugged. ¡°Can I just¡­ sleep here?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the middle of the day, I¡¯m not using the bed.¡±

    ¡°O¡­ kay¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°So, technically, you own the business,¡± Amaris told Irene as they worked on tidying up the exterior of ¡°Headquarters.¡±

    ¡°E-excuse me?¡± Irene stammered.

    ¡°The entire thing¡¯s being taken out in your name,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°B-but I¡¯m not in charge!¡±

    ¡°Well you¡¯re the only adult who¡¯s a full time employee. And you get to live here. So.¡± Amaris shrugged, picking up a crumpled up piece of paper and tossing it to Vayvaresi, who bapped it with her tail into the dumpster. ¡°It just makes the paperwork easier.¡±

    ¡°I own a business for dealing with the strange and unusual¡­¡± Irene shook her head. ¡°Where has my life gone?¡±

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the one who chooses to hang around me.¡±

    ¡°See, I know I¡¯m asking for this, but the exact things that happen are still surprising.¡±

    They saw Coleus round the corner, tending to the plants that had been used to reinforce the exterior wall. It was obvious that the ease with which she could generate the walls of plants was entirely gone, but she was still able to shape the plants that existed, prune them, and grow new plants. It just took more time and was more heavily reliant on what was already there. However, she was humming a song to herself, a smile on her face. It wasn¡¯t as big of a smile as usual, but it was a hopeful one.

    They¡¯d already decided that she would go back to her family tomorrow and talk to them, agreeing to put down roots, but making sure to work through their issues first. The plan was simple¡ªgo, talk to them, establish what was going to happen and when, and then spend the next week enjoying having legs with Amaris and the others as a sort of ¡°growing up¡± party. Amaris had told her parents to hold off but she knew they were already planning what sorts of things to do in that party.

    Amaris was fairly sure the dryads wouldn¡¯t object to that. After all, Coleus didn¡¯t need to be reconnected to the Glen in that time, only at the end. Still, despite being part of the plan¡¯s making, she didn¡¯t quite have Coleus¡¯ optimism.

    ¡°You look troubled again,¡± Vayvaresi observed.

    ¡°I am a serial doubter,¡± Amaris said, picking up a plastic bag filled with a substance she didn¡¯t even want to try and identify, throwing it in the dumpster. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking of all the ways this could go wrong.¡±

    Vayvaresi nodded. ¡°Dryads are an¡­ inscrutable bunch. Despite their consistency across the world, they do not think as we do.¡± Vayvaresi glanced at Coleus doing her plant work. ¡°Before I came here, I had never seen one of their children. I have seen both of their forms, however, the tree, and the free leaf.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Vayvaresi nodded. ¡°Free leaves are extremely rare because the dryads work tirelessly to prevent them from existing. I suspect there is maybe one in the entire world at any given time, due to the way they try to raise only one child at a time. The one I knew would be long dead at this point, he was already old when I last saw him.¡±

    ¡°What are free leaves¡­ like?¡±

    ¡°I can only speak of the man I knew. He was¡­ a little eccentric, even by your standards. Collected computer chips for their aesthetics, thought it funny to use plants to control the movements of birds, had a habit of poisoning people for fun. Not the best man in the world, clearly, but I can tell you that he was happy and satisfied with his life.¡±

    Amaris nodded, taking that as encouragement.

    ¡°As for the dryads on the ¡®normal¡¯ life cycle¡­ even someone as old as I am struggles to identify with them. They do have a maximum lifespan, but it¡¯s measured in the millenia, and in their protected Glens they rarely face actual danger. They view time from a higher level than we do, thinking more like a forest than anything. This otherness has led them to be mistreated by many like us, and even when we do not wish them harm, attempted connections rarely go smoothly. Our worlds and ways of thinking are just so different. I am unsure, but I wonder if trying to think on our timescales is actually physically painful to them, they try so hard to avoid it and speak of it with such disdain whenever they have to.¡±

    ¡°¡­Will that happen to her?¡±

    ¡°Possibly. But do you think even a struggle such as that would get her to cut ties with you?¡±

    Amaris looked to Coleus. ¡°¡­No. Not her, and not anyone else here. They all put up with too much stuff from my curse. Well, except you, Vayvaresi,¡± Amaris chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m your little cure!¡±

    ¡°I am still in your debt for your simple kindness.¡±

    ¡°Eh, if you say so.¡±

    At this point Coleus got close enough to talk to them. ¡°Soooo are y¡¯all talkin¡¯ ¡®bout me, hmm?¡±

    Amaris blinked. ¡°What¡¯s with the fake accent?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes ya gotta just spread out from th¡¯ puns, y¡¯know?¡± Coleus pretended to spit on the ground before returning to her normal voice. ¡°Though it is a little hard on the throat¡­¡±

    ¡°But why though?¡±

    ¡°I heard it once on one of Irene¡¯s video games and it sounded cool. Frozen, even.¡± Coleus chuckled at herself.

    Amaris rolled her eyes. ¡°Okay¡­ anyway, to answer your question, yes we were talking about you, but more dryads in general. Vayvaresi actually knows a lot.¡±

    ¡°I bet she doesn¡¯t know everything,¡± Coleus chuckled. ¡°Got any questions?¡±

    ¡°Actually, there is one thing I am curious about that none would ever tell me,¡± Vayvaresi said. ¡°The magic of the Glens is highly unique and in opposition to much of the way of this world. Where does it come from?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Coleus shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that, because I don¡¯t know. Not a shingle clue. The oldest dryads in the Glens know, but whenever they¡¯re asked they say ¡®that secret will not be passed to the next generation, we have decreed that it will be lost to time.¡¯ ¡°

    Vayvaresi blinked. ¡°Why do I have the feeling we weren¡¯t even supposed to know that much?¡±

    Coleus shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t see what you can do with the knowledge that the secret is kept so hard that no one ever tells it to anyone.¡±

    ¡°It makes me more curious.¡±

    ¡°It might actually be relevant, too,¡± Amaris said. ¡°The Strider was made out of a Glen intentionally, for¡­ vague reasons. Maybe that has something to do with why.¡±

    Coleus shrugged. ¡°There is a truly ancient dryad in the Strider Glen right now, he didn¡¯t seem to think it relevant.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Amaris scratched her chin. Pitch came out and started licking her face as she did so, increasing the amount of action on the chin, almost as if he thought that would help her think. ¡°There¡¯s something important here, but I can¡¯t figure out what. Which means your family is doing their job at keeping the secret.¡± Amaris shrugged. ¡°I won¡¯t pry unless something else happens to make it really important.¡±

    ¡°The Glen¡¯s power works even if we have no clue how,¡± Coleus said.

    ¡°Hey! Girls!¡± Amaris¡¯ Mom called from the front of the Headquarters. ¡°It¡¯s ready!¡±

    Irene, Vayvaresi, Coleus, and Amaris ran to the front. As they ran, they got a good look at how much the building had changed. It no longer looked run down, instead it looked green and healthy and almost all the trash had been cleared away. The lots had been tidied up, and a few ornamental trees had been planted.

    The part Amaris¡¯ Mom wanted them to see, though, was the sign she¡¯d put out front. Using her artist¡¯s sense of aesthetics, she had created a logo that was somehow both simple and impressive. Four large black letters dominated the doors, each with four-pointed stars in them that were lit by a backlight.

    ORHI.

    Outer Reality Handling Incorporated.

    ¡°Behold, ORHI!¡± Amaris¡¯ Mom declared, bowing extravagantly.

    ¡°Or he what?¡± Coleus asked.

    Amaris elbowed her. ¡°He¡¯ll call the pun police and acronym police and grammar police on you all at the same time.¡±

    Coleus nodded. ¡°Understandable.¡±

    Amaris looked at the sign and grinned. ¡°Yes¡­ yes, this will do. This will do nicely. Soon, people will come to us with problems, and we will deal with them. The weirdness in this city is going to find the opposition has become organized.¡±

    Coleus winked. ¡°Between you handling things down here and me mane-aging the Strider, we should be able to get it all under control.¡±

    ¡°The darkness won¡¯t know what hit it!¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah!¡± Irene stammered.

    Amaris put her hands on her hips, a smug, satisfied expression coming to rest on her face. ¡°This¡­ this is what I was meant to do. Mom?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Thank you for being¡­ you. I wouldn¡¯t have blamed you if you tried to protect me from everything and hide me from it all.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I wanted to, don¡¯t get me wrong, I still want to shelter you like a mother hen. But¡­ well, that would be unrealistic, and you were clearly given this ¡®curse¡¯ for a reason. Dia knows what that reason was, and it¡¯s hard, but¡­ you do good, Amaris. I¡¯m proud of you.¡±

    Amaris jumped her Mom into a hug. She was a little old and big to be held above the ground, but her Mom did it anyway, though she let out a few grunts.

    Amaris took a moment to appreciate just how fortunate she was. Her curse had had no bearing on who her parents were or where her home was¡ªthis was all in place before that. She could have had terrible parents, or misunderstanding ones, or overprotective. But no, she had her parents.

    It truly was the best gift she had.

    ~~~

    ¡°So,¡± Coleus said, pulling out a folding chair and placing it just outside the six large rock pillars that marked the Glen¡¯s boundaries. ¡°I¡¯m here to talk. First of all, I fully intend to put down my roots.¡±

    This prompted a response. The dryads around the center lake directed their heads toward her. They were somewhat far away, but the Glen had no issue transmitting their voice to the edge.

    ¡°Child, I sense you have conditions,¡± the eldest said.

    ¡°Sort of?¡± Coleus said, tilting her hand side to side. ¡°My work out here is not exactly done, but I¡¯ve come to the realization that I can still do it even while rooted in place. This Glen is connected to the entire Strider, I don¡¯t need to be able to move to do things here, and I can keep managing everything just fine. ¡­I will still be able to think fast enough to do that, yes?¡±

    ¡°The adjustment of the mind is a process.¡± The eldest paused. ¡°It seems quick to us, but a few years to you may be long.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Coleus nodded. ¡°I understand that it¡¯s hard for you all to interact with mortals, but things still need to be done for the ones that are here. I¡¯ll do it, and I¡¯ll try to do it without help.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡±

    ¡°And, I¡¯m not coming back right now. I want to spend the next few days with my friends outside while I still can. Because¡­ well, once I¡¯ve put down my roots, I can¡¯t exactly go out to restaurants with them, they have to come to me.¡±

    ¡°So long as you return before your time is up.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I will.¡± Coleus gave them a sad smile. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose my family. I know we tend not to use that word and try to be all unified like a forest, but that¡¯s what you are to me. I¡­¡± She paused. ¡°I know you made a deal out of not telling me who my parents were, as is tradition, but I think I know. And I just¡­ I want to thank you for all that. I have been¡­¡± She rubbed the back of her head. ¡°More than a little rebellious. I still think your disdain for mortals is, quite frankly, stupid, but I¡¯ve been dismissive and rude in a lot of other ways. You¡­ didn¡¯t deserve that. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°It is rare to see such maturity appear prior to putting down roots, for all the ways the outside world has infected you, your experiences have forced you to grow.¡±

    Coleus nodded. ¡°And I thank Amaris and the others for that. You may not, but I do. I understand that you want to bar her from the Glen and¡­ I disagree, but I can be fine with that. I can talk to her through the Strider while I manage it.¡±

    ¡°It is¡­ acceptable.¡±

    Coleus chuckled. ¡°W¡ªwow, I was expecting this to be sew much worse. Get it? Because of the¡ªnever mind.¡± Coleus waved a dismissive hand. ¡°But you¡¯re being¡­ amazingly agreeable! It¡¯s¡­ wow I almost don¡¯t believe it, I was expecting an argument.¡±

    ¡°We just want you to return home and not throw your life away. Anything that permits that is acceptable.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ really did all just want the best for me.¡± Coleus chuckled. ¡°I¡­ all right, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Your terms have been accepted. We look forward to your retu¡ª¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t take this anymore,¡± a female dryad said, doing what their kind almost never did, move quickly and decisively toward Coleus. ¡°He is lying.¡±

    ¡°Pistil!¡± the eldest called. ¡°Your words will consign a child to death!¡±

    ¡°I will not have her resent us for misleading her.¡±

    ¡°You defy the will of the Glen.¡±

    ¡°You defy the will of Dia, that is the truth.¡±

    ¡°You have said enough.¡± And, like that, Pistil was frozen in place.

    Coleus stared at her. Mother¡­

    There was silence. The other dryads could not think quickly enough to come to a decision on what to do. And Coleus was reeling.

    However, her mind cleared first.

    ¡°That¡¯s what would happen to me, huh?¡± Coleus said. ¡°You¡¯d freeze me so I couldn¡¯t do anything. For how long?¡±

    There was silence.

    ¡°For how long?!¡± Coleus shrieked.

    ¡°Until we are able to excise the Glen from the Strider,¡± a male dryad who hadn¡¯t spoken yet said.

    ¡°W-what?¡±

    ¡°The Glen is not meant to be known by mortals. We have only remained so long because it was so intimately tied to the structure of this place. Once we can move it, we will, and it will no longer be our concern.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­ you just want to abandon these people!?¡±

    ¡°The Glen is not meant to be what you wish it to be. We are immensely grateful that you have returned it to its health, but its restoration is not complete. It cannot be complete until it is hidden.¡±

    Coleus¡¯ eyes were filling up with water. ¡°I thought, surely, surely, after seeing all the good that staying here and being open has done, you would change.¡±

    ¡°The ways of the Glen have been bent to the point of near blasphemy already,¡± the eldest said. ¡°We already long for the day where we can return to our proper ways.¡±

    ¡°You can return! I¡­ I can stay here by myself, rooted to the ground, if need be!¡± Coleus wailed.

    ¡°Since lies are no longer on the table, I will give you no illusions. We want you back. To lose you would be a great travesty. But the laws of the Glen should bend for no one. I, personally, have been absolutely disgusted by what has needed to happen here, how it has made us cross lines we were never supposed to cross. The people know of us, Coleus. If we remain they will abuse us.¡±

    ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°Do you think I am not old enough to have seen the formations of the laws!?¡± the eldest dryad was clearly angry, another thing that rarely occurred in their kind. ¡°We were blessed! We had great power! We could push back the darkness! But once we did, we would try to work alongside those who we helped. But every single time, without fail, they took advantage of us. Started harvesting our purity. Draining us of our life. There has not been a single Glen, Coleus, not a single one that has survived prolonged contact with mortals.¡±

    ¡°Wh-what¡­?¡±

    ¡°They fell us like trees, they butcher us for our healing, and if they can, they enslave us. We were the saviors, the lights in the darkness, and then we saw that the true darkness was within the hearts of men. The world is evil, Coleus, and that is not hyperbole. It does not deserve us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­. why didn¡¯t you tell me any of this!?¡±

    ¡°Because it breeds hate,¡± a female dryad said. ¡°To know the crimes that have been committed against us in the past has led many a dryad on the warpath, sending us into the very darkness we are sworn not to become.¡±

    ¡°So we live like this,¡± the eldest added. ¡°Secluded. Hidden. Away. Raising our children away from corruption. We help those who come to us by chance, in the background, as it is the only way we have found that keeps us safe.¡±

    Coleus stared at them blankly. Then she clenched her fists. ¡°If we aren¡¯t willing to risk ourselves, then how are we any better than them?¡±

    The dryads had no response to this.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have an answer, do you!?¡± Coleus shouted. ¡°We¡¯re concerned about our own safety! Well, guess what, all of them out there are as well! They¡¯re selfish, we¡¯re selfish¡ª¡±

    ¡°We do not hurt them.¡±

    ¡°If you remove this glen from the Strider the forces within will go on a rampage,¡± Coleus spat. ¡°I have kept them back and slowly burned away the darkness, but the moment there are no more ropes tying them down, there will be carnage.¡±

    ¡°We are not performing those acts.¡±

    ¡°But you, simply by staying here, can stop them. Or just letting me stay!¡±

    ¡°That might have been reasonable, if you had demonstrated even the slightest bit of respect for our ways. But you have not. You are a rebellious child who denies our code that has been built up over thousands of years, each and every portion of which has good reason. You¡­ are not an acceptable master of this Glen, to give it to you alone would be a disservice to it.¡±

    Coleus clenched her fists. ¡°If that¡¯s how you¡¯re going to be¡­ then¡­ then I don¡¯t want any part of it. I¡¯m going to stay here. I¡¯ll become a free leaf and run the Strider that way!¡±

    ¡°How are you going to do that? The power of the Glen is all that keeps this in check.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Coleus shouted. ¡°But I¡¯m going to try anyway! Which is more than I can say for you!¡± She stood up and kicked the folding chair over, tears streaming down her face. She started storming off¡­ but she stopped.

    ¡°¡­Thank you, Pistil,¡± she said. ¡°I hope¡­ they¡¯ll forgive you for this.¡±

    ¡°¡­We do not hold grudges,¡± the male dryad from before said. ¡°Do not worry about her.¡±

    Coleus nodded. She left, but the anger had already deflated from her. There was no stomping or storming, just a resigned, lonely walk.

    ~~~

    Scarlet adjusted her tie¡ªtoday it was an orange one with little red theater masks printed on it. ¡°Okay, boys, they¡¯re not going to like me being there.¡±

    ¡°What happened between you?¡± one of the camera men asked.

    ¡°Not my place to say,¡± Scarlet said, giving him an awkward smirk. ¡°But what they¡¯re doing is still news-worthy and, ultimately, it¡¯ll be better for them if we do this story. So, get ready to jump.¡±

    ¡°You got it.¡±

    The driver of the news station van called back. ¡°We¡¯re here!¡±

    ¡°All right everyone, let¡¯s go!¡± With that, Scarlet and three separate camera men stepped out into the old and decrepit parking lot near what was now ORHI Headquarters. ¡°Hello viewers! Scarlet Taylor here. Behind me is the future site of a very interesting business venture known as ORHI, or Outer Reality Handling Incorporated. With a name like that you might wonder if they¡¯re a new sort of law firm or paperwork company, but no, their business application indicates that they seek to deal with the strange and unusual ¡®magic¡¯ that has entered our world as of late. They will be the first of their kind when they open up their doors; ready to take in requests from all sorts to deal with the weirdness of the world that the layman can¡¯t handle!¡±

    She made a gesture with her foot for the camera men to start walking with her, approaching ORHI Headquarters slowly. ¡°As you can see, the building itself is hardly normal. There¡¯s a large number of plants on display built right into the architecture, and the architecture itself is that of an old abandoned prison! Why would they bother with such a place? Well, there are many dark and dangerous things they have to deal with that need to be locked away to protect the populace; and as for the plants, well, to deal with the unusual one has to be able to use and understand the unusual. Our favorite little dryad Coleus was responsible for this particular construction and, even though she is not an employee of the company, she is connected to them.

    ¡°You may ask who runs this establishment? Well, the only official employee as of now is Irene Velacroux, but as you can tell from the level of development on the property she¡¯s definitely not the only one here, just the only one such an unusual business is able to put on the books. The woman herself is neither from Yeshalo nor the Strider, she just happened to be on the Strider when everything went down. She¡¯s from an extremely distant land known as Valite, and used to be a member of the nobility there, but left that life behind¡ªdetails are sparse, but it seems that this was not by choice. Unfortunately, it¡¯s nearly impossible to validate any of this as we cannot search our records nor the Strider¡¯s for anything on her, but we do know she has enough connections to establish this company.¡±

    She would have continued on, but at that point someone noticed her.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Dmitri Kelvin shouted.

    ¡°Why, I¡¯m doing a news story on an interesting new type of business!¡± Scarlet said, throwing her hair back. ¡°And no, I¡¯m not trespassing.¡±

    ¡°You dare show your face to us again!?¡±

    ¡°Listen, Dmitri,¡± Scarlet coughed. ¡°I¡¯m a news reporter, I¡¯ve got to do these stories, and¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, I know you chose this assignment. What, are you hoping to get on our good side by arranging some publicity?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I have no hope of that, I just happen to think you deserve publicity.¡± Scarlet winked at him.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ how can you¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey uh¡­¡± Jenny walked up. ¡°Maybe don¡¯t embarrass us on national TV?¡±

    ¡°Jenny¡­?¡± Dmitri looked to her. ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Jenny turned to Scarlet and put on a big smile. ¡°Old and slow over here¡¯s got a bee in his bonnet, you can ask me questions. Gotta give a better impression after all.¡±

    ¡°Oh, none of what he said will go on the record, you have my word,¡± Scarlet said.

    ¡°Oh how thoughtful of you,¡± Jenny deadpanned.

    ¡°I know right?¡± Scarlet chuckled. ¡°Anyway, you sure you want to do an interview¡­?¡±

    ¡°Want to? No. Not really. But you¡¯re here, I¡¯m here, and for once I¡¯d rather do the talking.¡±

    ¡°In that case, describe who you are and what you do here?¡±

    ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Jenny Zero. I may not look it but I¡¯m the muscle, a magic girl who can¡¯t die and loves to throw punches. Like this.¡± She performed a wind punch that knocked Scarlet back, just enough to be forceful but not enough to do any damage. ¡°See? Gotta be able to take on some of the monstrosities in the world.¡±

    ¡°I see, fascinating¡­¡± Scarlet said, adjusting her glasses. ¡°What sorts of things have you encountered that require such force?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been told that there was thi¡ª¡±

    Scarlet¡¯s phone suddenly started ringing. She frowned. She had it set only to do that if a priority caller was coming through. She pulled out the large, brick-shaped phone and put it to her ear. ¡°Scarlet Taylor. ¡­What do you mean there¡¯s about to be a lot bigger news?¡±

    ~~~

    Coleus took the Retrograde when she left.

    Something about driving a giant all-terrain-vehicle with a ton of power behind it was soothing to her. A little act of further rebellion, embracing the technological and artificial.

    On the long ride down the elevator to the ground, her demeanor changed rapidly from seething fury to bawling to a blank stare at the ceiling while she wondered what exactly she was going to do. She had set up the Strider well, but could she manage it long term without the magic of the Glens? She had extremely high doubts she could pull it off practically, without the power to back it up she¡¯d have to rely on the infrastructure she¡¯d already made and, while it was impressive, it wouldn¡¯t be as effective against would-be assassins. They would eventually figure out that her power had diminished and then all it would take was one clever attack plan. She wouldn¡¯t be able to purge any dark artifacts, either.

    Any plans she tried to make were quickly run aside as anger or sadness filled her, usually in extreme strengths. The two emotions fought over control of her and she wasn¡¯t even sure which one she wanted to feel. Part of her felt ashamed that she was angry at the family who cared so deeply for her; that she could not deny, they had put up with so much just for her sake. But the other part of her felt ashamed for being sad that she was forced to leave such horrible people who would leave so many to die in carnage. It¡¯s like they just didn¡¯t care about anyone else!

    She let out a yell and rammed her head into the Retrograde¡¯s wheel, letting out a very long and very loud honk. In the middle of this honk the elevator reached the ground, jostling her.

    With an exhausted sigh, Coleus drove off the platform and to the checkpoint.

    General Mason was there. ¡°¡­I take it that it didn¡¯t go well.¡±

    ¡°No. It didn¡¯t.¡± Coleus sniffed. ¡°¡­I¡­ might need your people¡¯s help.¡±

    ¡°If I had the authority, I¡¯d give it to you right here, right now. But¡­¡± General Mason clenched his chin. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be, I¡¯ll¡­ draft up some paperwork and make it official or¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not sorry for that. ¡­Well, I am, but that¡¯s not what¡­¡± General Mason shook his head. ¡°I have to follow orders, Coleus, even if I don¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°Follow orders¡­?¡± Coleus frowned at him. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll¡­ see. Just¡­ sit right there.¡± He pulled out a walkie-talkie. ¡°The apple has fallen from the tree.¡±

    ¡°Roger that,¡± a voice said from the other side.

    A very deep pit started forming in Coleus¡¯ stomach. ¡°General Mason¡­ what¡­?¡±

    General Mason couldn¡¯t look her in the eyes.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know what¡¯s about to happen but I can tell it¡¯s terrible, please, stop it!¡±

    ¡°¡­I wish I could, Coleus, believe me.¡± He pulled down his hat. ¡°This ain¡¯t right.¡±

    Coleus looked up. There was a fighter jet above them.

    A black dot was released from the aircraft. It was only in the air for a second or two before it crashed down onto the exact center of the Strider.

    The explosion was unlike anything Coleus had ever seen. A perfectly spherical ball of white energy emerged from the epicenter of the explosion, surrounding the majority of the Strider¡¯s main body. The ropes holding the elevator up snapped and whipped to the ground in a haphazard fashion. The primary flower was large enough to rise above the white sphere, and those parts that were above it ignited and floated into the air like burning kites.

    The white sphere of energy shrunk to a pinprick and popped, leaving only a cloud of ash behind. The Strider¡¯s legs remained standing, unmoving.

    Coleus could only stare at the absolute clean destruction for several seconds. Then her face twisted into the ugliest scowl that had ever been seen on it. ¡°You! What did you do!?¡±

    ¡°Eliminated a ¡®threat,¡¯ ¡° General Mason said, clearly not believing the words he was parroting.

    ¡°A threat!? I can¡¯t believe you! I ca¡ª¡±

    ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t blame him,¡± a familiar voice said. ¡°If he tried to put his foot down and refuse he would have been executed and I¡¯d have had someone else do it.¡±

    General Mason suddenly stood to attention. Slowly, Coleus turned her head to the side, noticing a small white cat in a golden tie on the ground. He looked so small from her position in the Retrograde. But it was still unmistakable. President Antonio Castillero.

    Coleus could barely sputter out the word ¡°why?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Antonio sighed. ¡°Well, simply put, because they were extremely dangerous. My cabinet has been clamoring for action to be taken against them since the very start. They had many good points, but in the midst of it all, I saw you, able to work and keep things mostly under control. I had faith and trust in you that you continued to deliver on. You were the best thing for the Strider, and what gave me the edge to convince everyone not to try to destroy everything.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I was still going to¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, we bugged the entire conversation. But you have to admit, without the support of the Glen you do not have the requisite power to control the situation. The risk assessment became too great. There was no longer any justification I could give for allowing the Strider¡¯s core to persist, especially since we had this new weapon developed that could take care of it so cleanly.¡± He paused. ¡°You are not to blame for this, you worked tirelessly and with great integrity all the way through. It is those dryads, amazingly short-sighted for such a long-lived race, who pushed our hand by rejecting you.¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°They are not to blame. You are.¡±

    General Mason visibly tensed.

    Antonio tilted his head and frowned, flicking his tail. ¡°You know what, you are completely correct. I could have vetoed this. I had the power. As regretful that I am that this had to occur, I am the one who decided that it had to occur. I am the ultimate cause.¡± Antonio fell silent. ¡°I do not believe that helps you decide what to do next.¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Coleus shouted.

    ¡°Naturally. So you have someone to blame now. I will gladly take it.¡± He flicked his tail. ¡°The question now is, will you act on that?¡±

    Coleus stared at him dumbly.

    ¡°You really are such a pure soul, it hadn¡¯t even occurred to you until now to try to exact revenge. And even now you¡¯re horrified that you could even entertain the idea, despite having far more reason to do so than most.¡± Antonio tilted his head to the side. ¡°I believe I made the right choice, waiting until you were out. It was a risk that they would find out our plans, but a worthwhile one. You will be a very great asset to this country.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do anything for you.¡±

    ¡°I highly doubt the help you will offer will be in the form of governmental work. It¡¯ll come just from you being you. I have high hopes for you, Coleus.¡±

    ¡°¡­I have no hopes for you.¡±

    ¡°Then vote against me next election, you have that right, you got all the papers signed, after all. None of them are void and they will still be processed. We live in a democracy, and you might just have enough weight to your words to hold some sway.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Coleus¡¯ eyes darkened. ¡°That¡¯s what you want.¡±

    ¡°The only way you could give me what I don¡¯t want is to leave the country. And you won¡¯t do that. Your heart bleeds too much.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re a monster.¡±

    There was the slightest hint of a smile on Antonio¡¯s face for a moment. ¡°So I am. Surely living among monsters is nothing new for you?¡±

    Coleus felt a new feeling rising within her. Not anger, not sorrow, not confusion¡­ fear. Pure, simple, fear. She suddenly felt really, really small compared to the cat she was towering over. She knew in that moment that she needed to go. She slammed her foot on the pedal and drove the Retrograde away at high speed.

    ¡°Let her go,¡± Antonio told the soldiers. ¡°The car has registration, and this checkpoint is about to be dissolved anyway.¡± He turned to General Mason. ¡°By the way, exemplary work, I do admire those who can follow even the most distasteful of orders.¡±

    ¡°I will accept no medals or accommodations for this,¡± General Mason said.

    ¡°Nor would I expect you too, but know that you have risen considerably in my regard. I need more men like you; loyal, but who can also take two seconds to think for themselves.¡± He flicked his tail. ¡°Now, if you excuse me, I need to go give an address to the people to explain what just happened.¡± With that, he walked off, several bodyguards revealing themselves from hidden positions around the checkpoint.

    General Mason looked up at the smoking hole where the Strider¡¯s main body used to be. The smoke and ash had finally started reaching the ground.

    ¡°¡­May Dia have mercy on us.¡±

    ~~~

    Coleus sat on a really comfy recliner bundled up in the softest of blankets, a cup of white chocolate cocoa in her hands. It was absolutely delicious, custom made by Irene from ORHI Headquarters¡¯ kitchen. She took another sip, feeling its warmth spread throughout her body.

    I feel so empty.

    Slowly, she looked up. She was in the ¡°lounge/meeting room¡± area, which was filled with various couches and seats. Enough for everyone, and most everyone was there. Amaris, both her parents, Vayvaresi, Emma, Rin, Irene, Orville, Jenny, Nina, Grandpa Kelvin¡­

    ¡°¡­Thank you, everyone,¡± Coleus said, sniffing. ¡°Thanks for¡­ being here.¡±

    Emma burst into tears and tried to hide it from Coleus.

    ¡°Things¡­ are terrible,¡± Coleus said, swallowing hard. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know if my family¡¯s alive. They¡­ could have warped away. But the explosion, it was¡­ it was so fast¡­¡± She started trembling. ¡°They¡­ they rejected me, and I rejected them, but now I just want to see them again. I¡¯d¡­ I¡¯d give almost anything¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡­ try to look,¡± Orville said. ¡°They may have blocked me but I can¡­ see if I can hunt anything down.¡±

    Coleus nodded. ¡°Thanks, Orville.¡± She looked down at the cocoa. ¡°I¡­ I know I¡¯m not to blame. But, inside, there¡¯s still shouting. Shouting that I failed. But¡­¡± She started to shiver. ¡°Why is the world so cruel? Every single Glen that¡¯s tried to remain in contact with mortals has fallen! Every last one!¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡± Amaris frowned. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not sure. I no longer think things like this are because of my curse. I¡­ something¡¯s deeply wrong with the place we live, Coleus.¡±

    ¡°There is something deeply insidious beneath us,¡± Vayvaresi agreed.

    ¡°¡­And we have declared it our enemy,¡± Coleus said, flatly. She narrowed her eyes. ¡°Amaris. Can you promise me you¡¯ll fight until the bitter end to find why the world is dark and destroy it?¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll succeed. But I can promise that I will do everything I can. That¡¯s the entire purpose of this company. This company¡­ that can be a home for you.¡±

    ¡°¡­A garden¡­¡± Coleus looked around at the vines that lined the walls and gave a soft smile. ¡°I¡­ I can do that. I can manage this garden.¡± She paused. ¡°Unless¡­ that¡¯s what he wants¡­¡±

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe the President would order something like this¡­¡± Amaris¡¯ mom said.

    ¡°You¡¯ve clearly forgotten about the micropurge,¡± Rin grumbled.

    ¡°The what?¡±

    ¡°Oh right, they don¡¯t talk about that, the military operation in the dregs with 50% civilian casualties?¡± Rin folded her arms. ¡°Almost all of them nekos.¡±

    ¡°Do you think¡­ he¡¯s the problem?¡± Coleus asked.

    Amaris shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s only been in power two years. This all goes much deeper than that, much older than that. Also¡­ he¡¯s just a cat.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not so sure about that,¡± Coleus said, shivering.

    Amaris opened her mouth, then closed it. ¡°¡­All right, maybe there is something up with him. Still, the problem is old. Very old. We need to figure out what it is and¡­ hopefully, someday, things like this won¡¯t have to happen anymore.¡±

    Rin frowned. ¡°Do you really think it¡¯s possible to get people to stop fighting each other?¡±

    Amaris paused. ¡°I¡­ guess not. But this¡­ this is something else. People like to fight. But there¡¯s something beyond that wrong here. Something that makes it so serial killers are encouraged to form, that monsters can prowl the streets and nobody believe they exist, that makes it so every Glen that tries to bridge the gap is lost to cruelty. That is what we¡¯re facing.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like you¡¯re declaring war on the universe,¡± Jenny said, grinning. ¡°Count me in.¡±

    ¡°Me too,¡± Coleus said, hardening her gaze. ¡°My family wouldn¡¯t stand up against the darkness because they cared about themselves. I won¡¯t go down that path. I will risk myself. I¡­ am a free leaf. And they won¡¯t know what hit them.¡± She paused. ¡°So what do we do now?¡±

    Amaris sat back. ¡°¡­Wait for a customer or something to happen. Rest. Try not to get caught up in the riots that are no doubt already happening.¡±

    ¡°¡­There¡¯s going to be more than riots¡­¡± Coleus said. ¡°A lot of people thought of the Strider as their home and had family up there¡­ it¡¯s going to get worse.¡± She let out a gasp, suddenly realizing something. ¡°He¡­ he¡¯s too smart not to know that would happen, he must want it for some reason!¡±

    ¡°If the remnants of the Strider devolve into violence¡­¡± Rin chuckled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯ll be easy to excuse an extermination.¡±

    ¡°Diabolical¡­¡± Amaris¡¯ Mom said, hand to her mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s how politicians and nobility are,¡± Irene said in an uncharacteristically jaded tone.

    ¡°And we¡¯re mostly just a bunch of kids!¡± Emma called out. ¡°What do we think we¡¯re going to do!?¡±

    Amaris stood up, Pitch weaving through her fingers. ¡°¡­Everything we can.¡±

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s not much?¡±

    Amaris smiled sadly. ¡°That¡­ might be all we get to do, Emma. But it¡¯ll be something.¡±

    Coleus looked at her cocoa. Even the smallest spark lowers the amount of darkness in the world. I will give myself to that spark, no matter how hopeless it seems.

    ¡­When did I become so brave?

 XXI - Crisis of Faith

    EPISODE XXI

    Crisis of Faith

    Three people lived inside the ORHI building; Irene, Jenny, and Coleus. That said, Jenny only slept there rarely, and often not even in the building, choosing instead to rest in one of the trees outside. Coleus always slept inside, but her ¡°bed¡± was a large bush with giant leaves she wrapped herself in like a cocoon every night. She¡¯d been sleeping a lot more than usual, by her own admission, and she wasn¡¯t entirely sure why.

    Irene was the only one with a normal bed, and this bed was in a room behind the receptionist¡¯s desk. She had to admit, it was much better than the couch. However, she still had difficulty sleeping, entirely due to the knowledge that there were horrific things locked in the basement.

    She couldn¡¯t even hear any of them. Had she not known they were there, nothing would have kept her awake. But she did know. And as such, the few nights she had spent here had been fitful ones. She had thought they were getting better, but this particular night had been the worst by far. Fitful moments of sleep less than an hour long, to the point at which she was now more angry and grumpy than afraid, but that also kept her from sleeping.

    She glanced at the clock.

    7 AM.

    It was time to get up.

    Irene let out a massive groan and rammed her face into the pillow. It was one of the most comfortable pillows in existence and it made her feel so welcome. But she was too agitated. Too grumpy. Too twitchy.

    ¡°Irene¡­?¡±

    Irene sat up. ¡°Orville, didn¡¯t your mother ever teach you not to randomly appear in girls¡¯ bedrooms?¡±

    Orville looked confused. ¡°Why would she? I couldn¡¯t appear i¡ªoh. OH. I¡¯m so¡ª¡± He was gone, leaving her memory mid-sentence.

    Irene groggily got up and got dressed. The only part of her old outfit she still wore these days was her large hat, the rest was replaced with Yeshalo-style dress, which in this case was a blue long-sleeve shirt, pants, and a translucent black skirt overtop of the pants.

    She walked out of her room and into the Receptionist¡¯s desk. Orville was sitting on a chair on the other side, looking extremely awkward. She ignored him and went to the coffee machine that was built into the wall, surrounded by various smooth blue vines that apparently kept the electricity from shorting out. Irene didn¡¯t know how and hadn¡¯t bothered to ask Coleus about it. She filled her cup with the blackest coffee the machine could generate and downed it all in a few massive swallows.

    Then she did it again with the second cup, barely stopping to breathe in the middle.

    After she filled it a third time she opted not to down it like a shot and simply sat down in her chair and fixed Orville with a purposefully fake smile. ¡°How can I help you today?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t thinking¡­¡±

    ¡°Amazingly, I¡¯m so fed up with everything that you aren¡¯t even making the list right now,¡± Irene grumbled, dropping her smile as she rammed her forehead into the desk. ¡°Why can¡¯t coffee kick in instantly¡­?¡±

    ¡°That would probably be unsafe.¡±

    ¡°I need to cook breakfast¡­¡± Irene whined. ¡°Coleus will be waiting for it¡­¡±

    ¡°Actually, Jenny¡¯s currently cooking in the kitchen.¡±

    Irene suddenly stood bolt upright. ¡°...That kid can cook?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any results yet, and I am doubtful¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll wake me up then¡­¡±

    Coleus walked in a side door, hand to a mouth that was stuck in a comically long yawn. After she was finished she had to take in a large breath. ¡°Okay, alarm clocks, uh¡­ well they work¡­¡± She rubbed her eyes and gave Irene a big smile. ¡°Good morning!¡±

    Irene didn¡¯t even attempt to shift her glowering expression.

    ¡°Oh, my, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.¡±

    ¡°Tell me about it.¡±

    Coleus tilted her head. ¡°I think I can get some sleep-inducing flowers for you, though relying on them probably isn¡¯t healthy¡­¡±

    ¡°I just¡­ need to get used to it¡­ it¡¯ll¡­¡±

    ¡°You said it was getting butter, right?¡±

    Irene didn¡¯t even register the pun. ¡°Yeah. Until last night. Now I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°And here I am getting too much sleep.¡± Coleus shook her head. ¡°What strange prob-lemons we have¡­¡±

    ¡°Concentrated lemon juice. That might do the trick.¡± Irene stood up and walked over to the mini-fridge, opening it to find¡­ nothing.

    ¡°...Didn¡¯t we stock that yesterday?¡± Coleus asked.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Irene said.

    ¡°There wasn¡¯t any lemon anything in there, though,¡± Orville offered.

    ¡°So this was doubly pointless. Yay.¡± Irene slammed the door shut and slumped back down.

    ¡°...Shouldn¡¯t we figure out where the food went?¡± Coleus asked.

    ¡°Orville¡¯s already on it. Probably.¡± Irene let out a yawn.

    ¡°Oh, he was here? Huh.¡± Coleus rubbed the back of her head a lot. ¡°He doesn¡¯t show up for me very often¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m his go-to.¡±

    ¡°Oh, whew, and here I was thinking he didn¡¯t like me, but no, he just¡­¡± Coleus¡¯ already big eyes widened even further. ¡°Oh. Oh my gosh. That makes so much sense¡­¡±

    Irene raised an eyebrow. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°...Um¡­ I don¡¯t think I should be¡­ uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Jenny took it all,¡± Orville said as he appeared in Irene¡¯s perceptions.

    Irene twitched. ¡°What exactly is she making in there?¡±

    ¡°Pancakes!¡± Jenny said, suddenly charging through the doors with a tray filled to the brim with pancakes. She set them down on the receptionist¡¯s desk with so much force that a few pancakes went flying. Coleus caught one of them with her mouth.

    Irene stared at the pancakes. Even with her addled brain and perpetual grumpiness, she could put two and two together. ¡°...You don¡¯t need anything from the mini-fridge to make pancakes¡­¡±

    Jenny kept smiling. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just enjoy your breakfast! Fresh and piping hot bonafide Jenny-made pancakes!¡±

    ¡°Jenny, where¡¯s my seltzer water?¡±

    ¡°Well. Uh. You see¡­¡± Jenny started twiddling her thumbs.

    ¡°Jenny¡­¡±

    ¡°The toaster oven burnt me so I punched it! There!¡± She put her head in her hands and refused to look anyone in the eyes.

    Irene blinked. ¡°How¡­¡±

    ¡°Fist,¡± Jenny said without looking up. ¡°Toaster oven. Destroyed.¡±

    Coleus sighed and made an attempt at speaking without letting go of the pancake she was munching on like some kind of rabbit. ¡°Mmf puff ¡®a oh th¡¯ liff.¡±

    Irene continued to stare at Jenny. ¡°I mean, that¡¯s not what confused me. What confused me is why that explains what happened to all my food and¡­ why did you care about being burnt anyway?¡±

    Jenny groaned. ¡°Things went wrong. Things went¡­ very wrong. Just because I can ignore pain doesn¡¯t mean my fingers won¡¯t stop working if they get too hot! And then I¡¯ll drop all the food and cause a fire and the cans will explode and¡­¡± Jenny looked to her side, presumably to something Orville had said. She glared at him. ¡°None of your business. ¡­No, don¡¯t go look, I¡­ ¡­dangit.¡± She put her head in her hands once more. ¡°Why can¡¯t we cook things on a campfire? I¡¯m good at that. Excellent, even. Survival cuisine, that¡¯s me! But noooo, can¡¯t have a campfire inside that¡¯s a fire hazard.¡±

    ¡°...I can teach you to cook, you know,¡± Irene said. ¡°Anyone can learn.¡±

    ¡°I should already know! I¡¯m Jenny!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t strike me as the type to want to learn how to do it.¡±

    ¡°...Eh?¡±

    ¡°Too impatient.¡±

    Coleus nodded. ¡°She¡¯s got you there.¡±

    ¡°Surely sometime in my long life I learned to cook¡­ somewhere¡­¡± Jenny furrowed her brow. ¡°I can make a killer s¡¯more. And flame-grilled fish. And¡­ Okay fine I¡¯ll take you up on your offer.¡±

    This improved Irene¡¯s mood markedly, finally bringing a smile to her face. ¡°Good. The culinary delights will soon be at your gloved fingertips. First, though¡­¡± She gingerly placed her hand on Jenny¡¯s shoulder. ¡°One rule we need to establish.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Irene tightened her grip down on Jenny¡¯s shoulder pressure point. ¡°Don¡¯t take everything out of the fridge again. Ever.¡±

    Jenny blinked. ¡°...This feels weird. It¡¯s supposed to really hurt, right?¡±

    Irene groaned, releasing Jenny and flopping back into her chair. ¡°I¡¯m a hopeless weakling.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not hopeless!¡± Coleus said.

    ¡°Yeah! Just weak!¡± Jenny added.

    Coleus shoved Jenny off her chair.

    Orville reappeared. ¡°Even looking back over the memory, I have no idea what Jenny was trying to make. It was¡­ I can¡¯t even describe it, she almost seemed to be throwing things in at random. She spent a lot of time cleaning up her mess. The entire kitchen looked like a warzone but now it¡¯s sparkling, quite impressive.¡±

    ¡°At least she knows how to clean,¡± Irene said.

    ¡°I remember learning that! Worked as a maid for a while!¡± Jenny said, jumping back onto her chair as though nothing had happened. ¡°Not that I remember what city that was in, but I was a maid! The dirt was my enemy and the sparkle was my reward! Take that, dirt!¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡±

    And so breakfast continued with two grumpy people, one person trying her absolute hardest not to be grumpy or depressing, and Orville. As they ate and talked with each other, their moods slowly improved. The caffeine kicked in, the dark thoughts of the night pushed away, and embarrassing failures forgotten, replaced with idle chatter and what Amaris would have identified as ¡°antics.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s going to be fine,¡± Coleus said, wiping a tear from her eye, but smiling brightly nonetheless.

    Irene gave Coleus a hard look. ¡°You¡­ sure?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡­ finally believe that, now, just¡­ sitting here with you two when you¡¯ve clearly woken up grumpy. The hallmarks of a bad day. But¡­ everything¡¯s still fine. Life goes on. Breakfast is break-fast.¡± Coleus glanced to the left at Orville. ¡°What do you mean that¡¯s not even a pun?¡±

    Jenny giggled. ¡°Hey, if I¡¯ve learned anything, it¡¯s that life goes on no matter what.¡±

    Irene nodded slowly. ¡°Yes¡­ I guess it does. Until it doesn¡¯t. When a dark creature comes out of the woodwork in the middle of the night and eats you up.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m immune to that.¡±

    ¡°What if the acid was so strong you couldn¡¯t reform fast enough. What then?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ actually this happened before, I waited until I went out the other end. Don¡¯t recommend.¡±

    Irene snorted with a mixture of a gag and a laugh. ¡°Jenny! At breakfast?¡±

    ¡°What? You¡¯re the one who brought up being eaten!¡±

    ¡°Yes, but, there¡¯s like¡­ a line!¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ line¡­ lime¡­¡± Coleus furrowed her brow. ¡°There¡¯s gotta be something there¡­¡±

    ¡°Quick, change the topic before she figures it out!¡± Jenny called.

    ¡°Too late! My goals have already ali¡ª¡±

    There was suddenly a knock at the door.

    ¡°A customer!?¡± Jenny blurted, almost falling out of her chair.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t even open yet¡­¡± Irene said, standing up and walking to the front doors. Through the big windows she could pretty easily see the form of a man on the other side in the robes of a Keeper. He was a human with a very thick brown beard¡­

    Irene recognized him.

    She opened the door. ¡°Keeper Harold?¡±

    ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Keeper Harold said, clearly pained that he was recognized.

    ¡°H-hey, no, it¡¯s fine, you can come in, j-just surprised to see you is all¡­¡± Irene led him inside. ¡°We aren¡¯t exactly open yet so forgive the mess, but uh¡­¡±

    ¡°So this is the Keeper Harold Amaris talks about so much¡­¡± Jenny said, tilting her head to the side. ¡°...You really do look boring.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ what?¡± Keeper Harold stamered.

    ¡°Jenny! Be nice! He¡¯s a guest!¡± Coleus huffed. ¡°And¡­ possible customer?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ yes, I saw Scarlet¡¯s story on you and¡­¡± he glanced nervously at Coleus.

    Coleus sighed, leaving the room without so much as another word.

    ¡°You know, she doesn¡¯t bite,¡± Jenny said. ¡°...Unless you¡¯re a pancake.¡±

    ¡°I just¡­¡± Keeper Harold sat down, shaking his head. ¡°There¡¯s so much going on¡­¡±

    ¡°In her world too.¡±

    Irene sat down in her receptionist¡¯s seat and tried to look professional despite sitting behind several stacks of pancakes. ¡°So, Keeper Harold¡­ what can we do for you today?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m being haunted by gh-gh-gh-ghosts!¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Both Jenny and Irene raised their eyebrows in unison.

    ¡°I knew it, you don¡¯t believe me¡­ this was a bad idea¡­¡±

    ¡°What kind?¡± Jenny asked.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°We talking white ghosts that look like floating sheets, horrid images of dead people, completely invisible ones, the glowing on¡ª¡±

    ¡°Invisible! Invisible!¡±

    ¡°Oooooh, fun, those are the hardest to punch!¡±

    Irene scrambled, taking out a notebook and pen from a nearby drawer. ¡°N-now Keeper Harold, we¡¯ll need to know everything you can tell us if we¡¯re going to help you. When did this all start?¡±

    ¡°Two weeks ago the writing started to appear¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Amaris stood at the back doors of Harold¡¯s Sanctuary.

    She was supposed to be here. She was told to be here. She¡¯d technically been hired to be here. At the back doors that no one was ever allowed in and she had been told so, so many times as a child never to go over here. It was for the Keepers only, not for little children like her to run amok.

    ¡°You actually look scared,¡± Jenny noted with surprise. ¡°It¡¯s just a ghost.¡±

    ¡°If that,¡± Amaris said. ¡°But no, it¡¯s not that. I¡¯m just reliving moments of being shouted at for being too curious.¡±

    ¡°That seems backward.¡±

    ¡°Children are known to destroy things,¡± Vayvaresi said from Amaris¡¯ feet. It was just the three of them today¡ªfour if Pitch was counted, though as he was currently sleeping that standpoint was dubious at best.

    ¡°I was¡­¡± Amaris paused. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m coordinated now, but I could be kind of an oaf before. But it wasn¡¯t just me, it was all kids. Just made us want to investigate more and that led to even more shouting¡­¡± she shivered. ¡°I almost never think about that anymore.¡±

    ¡°And it¡¯s all coming flooding back,¡± Vayvaresi observed.

    ¡°Yes. All of it. I feel kind of silly. It¡¯s just a bunch of old people in robes they¡¯re not sca¡ª¡±

    ¡°AMARIS KELVIN!¡±

    Amaris let out a scream and hid behind Jenny.

    The source of the voice had been a very old, very mangy-looking gray cat in Keeper¡¯s robes. His face sagged so much his eyes weren¡¯t even visible under the folds of his brow. A permanent scowl revealed a mouth with only about half the teeth that belonged in it.

    ¡°What are you doing here!? Have you learned nothing!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m s-supposed to be here, Keeper Golino Sir,¡± Amaris managed, avoiding even looking at the cat¡¯s face.

    ¡°You? Supposed to be here!? It looks like you need remedial training on telling the truth as well! Shameful!¡±

    ¡°L-look, Keeper Harol¡ª¡± Amaris stammered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡±

    ¡°My goodness Amaris, you¡¯ve become Irene,¡± Jenny said, blinking in disbelief. ¡°He¡¯s just a cat.¡±

    ¡°Just a cat!? I don¡¯t know who you are, young lady but you better learn to respect your elders!¡± Keeper Golino hissed at her.

    Jenny just chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t even know why that¡¯s funny.¡±

    ¡°Where are your parents, insolent brat!?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t have any.¡± Jenny put her hands on her hips. ¡°What are you gonna do to me now, old sourpuss?¡±

    Amaris gasped in shock.

    ¡°What? Seriously, what is he gonna do to me?¡±

    ¡°Jenny! You don¡¯t j-just call him that to his face!¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°W-well uh¡­ it¡¯s¡­ uh¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s rude?¡± Vayvaresi offered.

    The rage on Keeper Golino¡¯s face somehow became even more intense the moment he realized it was Vayvaresi who was talking. ¡°A Strider? What are you doing around here, trying to spy on us? Vandalize our Sanctuary? Steal our children?¡±

    Vayvaresi shrunk back slightly. ¡°I was unaware speaking was a crime¡­¡±

    ¡°Amaris I did not think you could stoop to such lows, I will be having a talk with your parents about¡­ discipline.¡±

    ¡°No! No, there¡¯s no need for that!¡± Amaris stammered.

    ¡°Clearly there is! You¡¯re snooping around where you don¡¯t belong with the worst company possible! A brat and a Strider! I knew you were too curious for your own good but I didn¡¯t have you pegged as stupid. I can feel the corruption wafting off of these two!¡±

    Vayvaresi cleared her throat. ¡° ¡®It is for the weak and corrupted we sacrifice our own prestige.¡¯ ¡°

    Amaris stared at her in horror. You did not quote Dia¡¯s Word in opposition to Keeper Golino. It was suicide! It was¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to engage with the likes of y¡ª¡±

    Suddenly, the back door to the Sanctuary flew open, revealing Keeper Harold with bags under his eyes so large it was clear he hadn¡¯t been sleeping recently.

    ¡°Oh thank you Dia,¡± Amaris gasped. ¡°Keeper Harold, explain t¡ª¡±

    ¡°Explain!?¡± Keeper Golino shouted. ¡°What is there to explain? Harold, look, she¡¯s let the curiosity get the better of her again and the company she keeps i¡ª¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re here by my invitation, Golino,¡± Harold said. ¡°Remember what we talked about last month about your anger?¡±

    Golino stammered. ¡°Harold, you dare bring th¡ª¡±

    ¡° ¡®Accept correction with a ready heart,¡¯ ¡° Keeper Harold quoted half-heartedly, but it was enough to get Keeper Golino to shut up. He gestured at Amaris and the others. ¡°Come with me.¡±

    Amaris darted into the Sanctuary like she was running for her life. Jenny and Vayvaresi walked in at a much more leisurely pace, giving Amaris odd looks as they closed the door behind them.

    Amaris let out a huge breath and slid to the ground.

    ¡°...Are you¡­ okay?¡± Jenny asked, tilting her head to the side.

    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Just remembering cat saliva flying from sharp teeth inches from my face¡­ crying for hours¡­ losing lunch privileges¡­¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ but can he like actually¡­ do anything to you?¡± Jenny rubbed the back of her head.

    ¡°Well. Uh¡­¡± Amaris blushed. ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°I am terribly sorry you¡¯ve had to go through that,¡± Keeper Harold said with a nod of his head. ¡°Keeper Golino is¡­¡± He decided it was best not to finish that sentence and put his hand to the bridge of his nose.

    ¡°You too?¡± Jenny stared at Keeper Harold in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re his boss! He¡¯s just an old cat! Fire him or something!¡±

    Vayvaresi coughed. ¡°Jenny, I don¡¯t think it is our place to judge the way this Sanctuary runs itself.¡±

    Jenny twitched. ¡°...Fine. I¡¯ll just let people stew in their problems then. Hmph.¡±

    At this point, Amaris stood up. ¡°He really can¡¯t do anything to me, all of that was just¡­ instinct.¡± She rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Apparently, I had trauma even before I got cursed.¡±

    ¡°C-cursed?¡± Keeper Harold stammered.

    ¡°Cursed to be interesting, it¡¯s why I¡¯m part of ORHI.¡± Amaris tilted her head. ¡°Did no one tell you that was why I was doing this?¡±

    ¡°Uh. Well.¡± Jenny tapped her fingers together. ¡°I may not have mentioned a curse¡­ Just that you had a way of getting involved in interesting things.¡±

    ¡°Jenny that¡¯s a more complicated way of saying it, why¡¯d you do that?¡±

    Jenny opened her mouth, glanced at Keeper Harold, and shut it.

    ¡°Jenny¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Jenny is in ¡®can¡¯t say anything nice¡¯ mode, please come back later.¡±

    Amaris sighed. ¡°Sorry, Keeper Harold, we¡¯re not getting to your problem. Ahem.¡± She stood up straight and put on a serious expression. ¡°The three of us are here because you have a ghost problem. Jenny briefed me on the way here, but I want to hear it from you. What exactly has been going on?¡±

    Keeper Harold took in a deep breath. ¡°Two weeks ago, writing started to appear on the walls, written in blood. The deepest, darkest red blood I¡¯ve ever seen¡­¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°Saying things like ¡®you know what you did¡¯ and ¡®judgment is coming¡¯ and ¡®your days are numbered?¡¯ if I remember right?¡±

    Keeper Harold nodded as he started walking down a hallway, leading them along. His Sanctuary was a large one, so there were many halls that were well-decorated. There were many images of Dia¡¯s triangle in different landscape settings made out of stained glass, though a few were of Dia¡¯s smooth humanoid form with pupilless eyes. ¡°Yes, that was all they said, at first. The blood was always dripping on the walls while the writing was there. I managed to get a few pictures of the more recent ones¡­¡± He took a handful of photographs out of his robes and handed them to Amaris.

    She examined them with a critical eye, Vayvaresi joining her in the effort by standing on her backpack. The images were of decently high quality, showing well-lit walls of the Sanctuary, though sometimes the light came through stained glass making it somewhat hard to read the words on the wall. Every letter was scrawled with overly jagged lines of a blood-red coloration. It certainly looked like blood from the pictures. In the few pictures she had, ¡°YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID¡± was repeated the most often, but there were other phrases. ¡°SUFFER IN MADNESS,¡± ¡°JUSTICE WILL COME WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT,¡± and ¡°BEWARE EVERY SECOND DOOR¡± just to name a few.

    ¡°And here¡¯s the wall where they appear most often,¡± Keeper Harold said. They were in a back room with a large window that allowed a great beam of sunlight to shine right on an empty wall. ¡°There used to be a painting here but some kid got back here and knocked it over a few months ago, we haven¡¯t fixed it. Making this the clearest wall nearby.¡±

    Amaris ran her hands across the wall. It was completely bare and covered with a light coat of periwinkle paint. There was no sign of damage or tampering and definitely no sign of blood. ¡°When was the last time you saw one here?¡±

    ¡°Yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ and no one else has seen them?¡±

    ¡°No. They said I was crazy until I got the pictures¡­ but now they say it¡¯s just pranks. Or the dark magic of the Strider come to doom us all.¡±

    ¡°Pretty hard to pull off a prank like this,¡± Amaris said, tilting her head to the side. ¡°You can¡¯t just unpaint a wall normally. As for the second one¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°Possible, but I don¡¯t think so, unless you¡¯ve personally upset a Strider.¡±

    ¡°The other Keepers are far more likely to have done that¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She tapped her foot on the ground. ¡°Vayvaresi, got anything?¡±

    Vayvaresi shook her head. ¡°It feels like a perfectly normal wall. Not even anything lingering on it. If this was a real haunt I¡¯d be able to sense something.¡±

    ¡°How does she¡­?¡± Keeper Harold began, but was unsure how to formulate his question.

    ¡°I am an ancient kitsune,¡± Vayvaresi said. ¡°I have¡­ some attunement to the more arcane nature of spirits.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s not a ghost?¡±

    ¡°Unlikely. That doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not something else, though.¡±

    ¡°...Like what?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s sit down to discuss ideas,¡± Amaris suggested.

    With a nod, Keeper Harold led them to his office. For the office of a head Keeper in a large Sanctuary, it didn¡¯t look all that special. There was a desk, a nice lamp, and a lot of books neatly stacked around the walls. There were no pictures of family or even any knick-knacks, the only frivolous thing was a potted cactus sitting in the window.

    He nervously sat down. ¡°They¡¯ve appeared in here a few times¡­ on the wall above the doorframe.¡±

    Amaris glanced up and behind her. ¡°There¡¯s not much space there, probably a hassle to get the words right.¡± With that, she sat down. ¡°Jenny, before I start going through this, thoughts?¡±

    ¡°Ghost or not, it¡¯s clearly a haunting,¡± Jenny said. ¡°Something¡¯s trying to terrify Keeper Harold specifically. If we could figure out why, I might have a few thoughts about what kind of thing is doing this.¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°So, Keeper Harold, I don¡¯t think this is a ¡®normal¡¯ occurrence, so you were right to come to us. To pull off a prank like this would be¡­ quite difficult, and the lack of evidence of anything being written on the walls at all is very unusual.¡±

    ¡°I knew it¡­¡± Keeper Harold said.

    ¡°Now, there are two major possibilities¡ªsomething from the Strider, and something that has been in Nuk all along. You might be surprised to learn that there are a lot of things we find that have always been here since long before the Strider arrived.¡±

    Keeper Harold¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡­¡±

    ¡°We are. For instance, there are a lot of doorways that just appear in buildings that aren¡¯t on any floor plans and lead to places that there are no records of building. It¡¯s the most widespread mystery we¡¯ve found.¡±

    ¡°...Should I avoid the door on the third floor?¡±

    ¡°They¡­ I don¡¯t know, they seem harmless?¡± Amaris rubbed the back of her head. ¡°We¡¯ve only personally visited a few but they don¡¯t seem to do anything besides just be there and sometimes take you to places that don¡¯t make physical sense. Regardless, my point is that there¡¯s plenty of things in Nuk already, we don¡¯t need to necessarily examine the Strider. In fact, I find it unlikely that the Striders are involved at all. As you know the Strider was¡­¡± Amaris paused. ¡°Destroyed, eight days ago. Any Strider that had been targeting you would likely have changed behavior at that point, but you¡¯ve detected no change at all.¡±

    Keeper Harold shook his head. ¡°The messages became more frequent a few days ago, but not when the Strider was taken.¡±

    ¡°So this means we¡¯ve likely got something that¡¯s been here all along and has a history. And, as it appears, specifically a history with you. But as far as you know you have no enemies?¡±

    Keeper Harold shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s the weirdest part about it, the words seem obsessed with the idea that I know what I did, but I can¡¯t recall anything at all!¡±

    ¡°Could be something you did in your childhood¡­?¡± Amaris suggested. ¡°Doesn¡¯t have to be recent.¡±

    ¡°When I was young, I went on a stealing phase, but it was never anything of value since I didn¡¯t really understand value. Beyond that¡­ there are those who object to my teachings, but they would hate any traditional Keeper in Yeshalo. I¡¯m very careful not to broach any controversial topics.¡±

    ¡°...I noticed,¡± Amaris said, fighting the urge to yawn simply from thinking about the last message and meditation service. ¡°Anyway, maybe you did something you forgot, or maybe they¡¯re mistaking you for someone else.¡±

    ¡°Hauntings of actual ghosts can do that,¡± Jenny offered. ¡°They mistake someone living for an ancestor and blame them for everything.¡±

    ¡°I hear my grandfather was a violent man, but I didn¡¯t know him very well.¡± Keeper Harold frowned. ¡°Do you think he did something?¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Amaris said. ¡°We¡¯ll probably need to look into it, what was his name?¡±

    ¡°Archibald Harold.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that will help the investigation,¡± Vayvaresi said. ¡°After all, I sensed no ghosts or spirit or anything.¡±

    ¡°All sorts of things can haunt, ghosts are just the most common,¡± Jenny said. ¡°You could have goblins.¡±

    ¡°...Goblins.¡± Vayvaresi raised an eyebrow. ¡°Goblins with enough wherewithal to clean a wall spotless without leaving any signs that there had ever been anything on it?¡±

    ¡°Okay, I get the point, but it could be some kind of special monster or light being or something, okay? They can be cursed to haunt things. Or do it just for fun.¡±

    ¡°Which does leave open the possibility of magic prank,¡± Amaris pointed out. ¡°Maybe it is a prank, just pulled off by someone with access to stuff outside ¡®normal.¡¯ Whatever ¡®normal¡¯ really is. I think we need a new word to describe the baseline of what people expect.¡±

    ¡°Baseline?¡± Vayvaresi offered with a smirk.

    ¡°You¡¯re funny.¡± Amaris looked up to Keeper Harold. ¡°However, we can¡¯t rule out the fact that you¡¯re being targeted and might be in legitimate danger. Jenny, would you mind protecting him for the next little while?¡±

    ¡°How long?¡± Jenny asked.

    Amaris shrugged. ¡°Research could take a few days and we have other responsibilities to attend to. Like school. You okay with that?¡±

    Jenny shrugged. ¡°Eh, fine, just don¡¯t go getting attacked while I¡¯m not watching you.¡±

    ¡°I have Vayvaresi for that.¡± Amaris stood up. ¡°Keeper Harold, Jenny may not look like much but she¡¯s completely immortal and invincible and can punch with enough power to dent trucks. You¡¯ll be safer with her watching you.¡±

    Keeper Harold looked at Jenny with uncertainty.

    ¡°Also, if the words refuse to show themselves to anyone but you¡­ well, having her around all the time might make them stop.¡±

    At this Keeper Harold was sold. ¡°All right Jenny, you get to see how a Keeper works for the next little while.¡±

    ¡°Oh joy,¡± Jenny deadpanned. ¡°I totally don¡¯t already know how this works. Nope. Not at all.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense, a child of your age will never have been let back here¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m probably far older than anyone you know. I don¡¯t age.¡±

    ¡°...Oh.¡±

    ¡°Just keep to your work, I¡¯ll be watching. And trying not to mock your beard.¡± Jenny broke out into a grin. ¡°Whoops, my bad.¡±

    Amaris sighed. ¡°At least try not to annoy our first customer, okay?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll try all right.¡± Jenny chuckled.

    Amaris rolled her eyes. ¡°Come on, Vayvaresi, we need to see if we can find Orville.¡±

    ~~~

    Amaris, Rin, and Emma were having lunch as they usually did at the table by the window. Vayvaresi sometimes rested on the windowsill, though today she was curled up asleep under the table. As of yet, no one had questioned Amaris about the strange fox creature that followed her around, and Amaris got the impression no one wanted to.

    Amaris noted that people, rather than ignoring her, now gave her strange looks and tended to sit further away from their table.

    Emma huffed. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into everyone?¡±

    ¡°Hard to ignore what¡¯s been happening around me,¡± Amaris pointed out. ¡°Birthday party, the whole fiasco with moving things out of the basement¡­¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t even there!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not hard to find out I¡¯m involved, and rumors spread like wildfire thanks to everyone¡¯s favorite bully.¡±

    Rin snorted. ¡°It¡¯s hilarious how ineffective Judit is.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Amaris shrugged. ¡°I mean she¡¯s getting people to avoid me.¡±

    ¡°Do you care all that much?¡±

    ¡°...Not really, no. I¡¯m mostly concerned she¡¯s going to notice I don¡¯t care and try something more drastic.¡±

    ¡°She knows not to try to beat you up at this point.¡±

    ¡°If she gets angry enough, reason will fly out the window. And she¡¯s already really angry.¡± Amaris took a long, contemplative sip of her soda. ¡°She¡¯s probably going to get roped into something she really doesn¡¯t want to at some point. I hope whatever monster it is doesn¡¯t eat her.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯d deserve it,¡± Rin commented.

    ¡°Rin!¡± Emma gasped. ¡°Judit may be an absolute jerk, but she doesn¡¯t deserve to be eaten.¡±

    ¡°Agree to disagree.¡±

    ¡°Siding with Emma on this one,¡± Amaris said. ¡°We aren¡¯t cruel.¡±

    ¡°When this comes back to bite you, I am going to rub it in your face,¡± Rin said. ¡°You¡¯ll spare someone and they¡¯re gonna shoot you in the back.¡±

    ¡°Maybe. Still gotta try to do the right thing, right?¡±

    Rin put her hand to the bridge of her nose and let out a mixture between a yowl and a sigh. ¡°You are way too idealistic for this job you¡¯ve given yourself.¡±

    ¡°I dunno, it¡¯s working out so far. We already have a customer. Keeper Harold thinks he¡¯s being haunted by a ghost. I have Jenny watching him and Irene and Coleus on research. Orville¡¯s digging through his ancestry. It¡¯s quite fascinating, really¡­¡±

    Rin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°...I¡¯d like to see a ghost.¡±

    Emma facepalmed. ¡°Now you¡¯re the crazy one.¡±

    ¡°I want to see a ghost.¡± Rin folded her arms. ¡°Judge me for being curious, why don¡¯t you.¡±

    ¡°Cats are the curious ones.¡±

    ¡°And what am I?¡±

    ¡°A neko¡­?¡± Emma blinked. ¡°You¡¯re not half-cat. That¡¯s ridiculous. ¡­And kind of disturbing.¡±

    ¡°Maybe anyone can be curious,¡± Amaris grumbled, poking at her food with her fork. ¡°Maybe neko, cat, human, dryad, doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    Emma glanced at Amaris. ¡°You okay¡­?¡±

    ¡°Just not sure how to fix problems that everyone has,¡± Amaris shook her head, turning to Rin. ¡°The haunting¡¯s probably not caused by a ghost, we¡¯ve determined that much. It¡¯ll probably be disappointing.¡±

    ¡°Well, now I want to know just out of principle.¡± Rin flicked her tail and clawed at the air with her nails. ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll be something I can stab. I did say I was on board with the whole ¡®fighting the darkness¡¯ thing. So it¡¯s stabbin¡¯ time.¡±

    Amaris rolled her eyes. ¡°You can come with me next time we do something, but prepare to be disappointed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m always prepared for that,¡± Rin said without a hint of sarcasm.

    ¡°Rin¡­¡± Emma raised an eyebrow. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to have your throwing knives on you¡­ would you?¡±

    Rin blinked and put on an extremely fake smile. ¡°Of course not!¡±

    ¡°Rin! You can¡¯t ju¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shh!¡± Amaris said, noticing that a group of kids were coming over. It was Ralph and his posse, and to her shock, they sat down at the table next to theirs, the half-dozen girls around Ralph chattering away. Ralph, meanwhile, turned his chair partially sideways and looked at Amaris. ¡°Good afternoon, Amaris. You all looked lonely over here.¡±

    ¡°Good¡­ afternoon¡­¡± Amaris said, confused.

    ¡°Oh, Ralph! I¡ªI¡ªI um¡­ hi!¡± Emma grinned. ¡°Haven¡¯t really talked to you since the¡­ well the birthday party!¡±

    ¡°Great party,¡± Ralph said, giving Emma a wink.

    Emma all but melted in her seat. ¡°Great¡­ you said¡­ great¡­¡±

    Ralph once again turned his attention to Amaris. ¡°So¡­ I heard you got yourself a job.¡±

    What on earth is happening? ¡°Yes. I¡¯m part of Outer Reality Handling Incorporated, I use my curse to help root out unusual happenings that people don¡¯t know how to deal with, like the Nommer.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like an excellent use of your skills. If you ever need some muscle or connections, don¡¯t hesitate to come to me, I¡¯ll do what I can.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ thanks, but¡­ why?¡±

    ¡°I owe you, don¡¯t I?¡±

    Amaris considered this. Was Ralph really the sort of person to repay an honor debt? She didn¡¯t think so, but she barely knew him, and he had held himself well during the Nommer fiasco¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind, but I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll need it. Plus if we ¡®employ¡¯ too many kids the government might get¡­ testy. My parents are technically the ones that get the paycheck and Irene owns the business.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even need payment, just wanted you to know I¡¯m always open.¡±

    ¡°Got it. Thanks!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Anyway, I can tell Rin over there is giving me the stink eye¡­¡±

    ¡°No, really,¡± Rin deadpanned.

    ¡°So I¡¯ll leave you three to it. And I¡¯ll see what I can do about this wide berth of tables around you three.¡± He turned his chair back around and started¡­ listening to the conversations his posse was having, he didn¡¯t really say anything himself.

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Amaris said. ¡°I guess we have an ally?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s sitting right there oh my gosh¡­¡± Emma said. ¡°He winked at me!¡±

    Rin groaned. ¡°And we were just starting to make progress on you too¡­ you¡¯ve already relapsed.¡±

    ¡°I can recognize that my chances are about slim to none at least.¡± Emma crossed her arms and huffed. ¡°But a girl can dream!¡±

    ¡°He was acting weird, though,¡± Rin said. ¡°He¡¯s not the friendly sort. Or the sort to go out of his way to do anything. Something¡¯s up.¡±

    ¡°Shock setting in from the whole thing with the Nommer?¡± Amaris suggested. ¡°You¡¯ve seen how most people handle these things. Not well.¡± She gestured at Emma.

    ¡°I¡¯m doing better!¡± Emma blurted.

    ¡°Yes, you are. Buuuuuut¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ get braver. Just¡­ a matter of time. And screaming.¡±

    ¡°Lots of screaming,¡± Rin agreed.

    ¡°Ehe¡­¡±

    ¡°Perhaps we should get a training regimen¡­¡± Rin scratched her chin. ¡°I bet Orville could conjure up some nightmares¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, he probably could!¡± Amaris lit up. ¡°Training! Let¡¯s see, we can draw nightmares from my experiences¡­ I¡¯m thinking the Predateor was the one that strengthened me the most over a short time¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh no. I¡¯m doomed.¡± Emma said, staring straight ahead.

    ¡°You were doomed either way,¡± Amaris pointed out. ¡°Curse and all.¡±

    ¡°I guess¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Jenny was not the sort to sit through services, either teaching or meditation. Her sense of ¡®spirituality¡¯ was that there was certainly something watching over everything; she¡¯d seen too many freaky coincidences and things in her long life to think it was all random. If pressed she¡¯d say ¡°probably Dia¡± and wave a dismissive hand. She was an ever-changing enigma, nailing down a specific philosophy and trying to live by it forever wasn¡¯t really her thing. She was what she was and reality was what it was, and that was that. Add this to the fact that she didn¡¯t like sitting still or listening or being respectful, one could understand why Sanctuaries and Jenny didn¡¯t mix.

    But she had a job right now and that job was to make sure Keeper Harold wasn¡¯t eaten by not-ghosts or whatever.

    It was day two of this task. The man was involved in three services every day, and while he generally only led one, he was still part of them. Morning meditation, afternoon message, and evening mixed meditation-message.

    Everything Amaris had told Jenny about how boring he was couldn¡¯t compare to the actual messages. Everything was dull. Large portions of it were just methodical readings that were often inscrutable, and then Harold would ¡°bring out¡± only the most obvious and least confusing thing about the passage, leaving everything else in the dust. Nothing to get anyone angry, nothing to get anyone excited, just¡­ almost substanceless drawl.

    She vastly preferred it when he wasn¡¯t the one leading. Keeper Gollino got angry in the time he led. That was excellent to watch, very entertaining. Got a lot of people to walk out in the middle too, that was hilarious.

    Currently, much to Jenny¡¯s chagrin, Keeper Harold was speaking. Beyond boring. Focusing on the creation of the world, a story so widespread even Jenny knew it by heart. Yada yada Dia yada yada what came before yada yada the Seven Great Crystalline Ones yada yada yada yada¡­

    Jenny almost didn¡¯t notice he was wrapping up she was so bored. But the moment she put two and two together she stood bolt upright and started making her way toward the stage¡ªthe Sanctuary was large enough to have a proper stage with lighting and everything. She needed to keep a closer eye on him. At this point, when the service was over, people would often come up and greet him, perhaps ask a few questions, and it was prime opportunity for someone to try something.

    ¡°You look tired, Keeper Harold¡­¡± someone said.

    ¡°Been a rough few weeks,¡± he responded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m working on it.¡±

    ¡°You should take a break if it becomes too much.¡±

    ¡°I will, I will.¡±

    Almost all the conversations were equally pointless pleasantries. Keeper Harold was never unpleasant or upset with anyone who came to him, but he never seemed to have much emotion either. He had clearly done this every day of his life for decades. It was almost automatic.

    After the commotion died down, he wandered the back hallways, Jenny trailing behind him.

    ¡°Y¡¯know, I know it¡¯s not my place, but maybe you should take a few days off,¡± Jenny suggested. ¡°You look about ready to fall asleep.¡±

    ¡°I could do all this in my sleep, it is no trouble,¡± Keeper Harold said with a yawn. ¡°Furthermore it is my duty.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your concern though, Jenny.¡±

    ¡°Also, every time you¡¯re up there I¡¯m falling asleep. Don¡¯t you have any more interesting material?¡±

    ¡°Oh, plenty, but that¡¯s not what they¡¯re here for. You saw Gollino¡¯s message.¡±

    ¡°Best one by far.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°For my entertainment, I couldn¡¯t care less about what the rant was actually about.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Keeper Harold nodded.

    ¡°Not gonna call me out on that? Isn¡¯t that your job?¡±

    ¡°I am a Keeper of this Sanctuary. Where is the requirement that I have to correct you?¡±

    ¡°I may be kind of clueless and rebellious, but I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re supposed to be spiritual guides or something.¡±

    Keeper Harold shrugged. ¡°I did not get to where I am by ruffling feathers. Though you clearly did; Dia takes all sorts.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh¡­¡± Jenny put her hands in her pockets. It¡¯s like talking to a brick wall¡­

    They passed by the room with the blank wall, currently bathed in light from outside. They were about to leave it behind¡­ when the words appeared, emerging from the wall like sweat, but the consistency and color of blood.

    COWARD.

    Jenny jumped into a defensive stance between Keeper Harold and the words before the Keeper even noticed they were there¡ªthe moment he did he let out a terrified gasp. More words appeared.

    PROTECTING YOURSELF WITH A CHILD?

    ¡°Hey!¡± Jenny shouted, pointing at the wall. ¡°You watch who you¡¯re calling a child!¡± She clenched her fist and lit it on fire. ¡°You might regret it.¡±

    The words currently present absorbed back into the wall, leaving no sign they had been there, only to quickly be replaced by a new set of words.

    A CHILD WITH BLASPHEMOUS MAGIC! YOU HAVE DENIED YOUR OWN CREEDS!

    ¡°Pretty sure I¡¯m not a demon.¡±

    HYPOCRISY! HYPOCRISY! HYPOCRISY!

    Jenny punched forward. She had enough sense about her to know she shouldn¡¯t do anything to damage the wall, so she used a windy punch and drove her fist into the ¡°H¡± on the middle ¡°Hypocrisy.¡±

    The words remained, undeterred.

    YOU ARE POWERLESS BEFORE US. YOU FALL FURTHER AND FURTHER INTO SIN.

    Jenny growled. ¡°Oh, me? I don¡¯t give a rip, and if you want to get to Keeper Harold you¡¯ve gotta go through me! Got it?¡±

    YOUR SINS HAVE MADE DIA HAND YOU OVER TO US.

    ¡°What sins?!¡± Keeper Harold blurted. ¡°Please, tell me what I have done and I will do whatever I can to atone! I just want this to end!¡±

    YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID.

    ¡°I don¡¯t! I really don¡¯t! I know nothing at all, please, what do you want!?¡±

    YOUR LIFE IS FORFEIT.

    And with that, the words were gone.

    ¡°Well,¡± Jenny said. ¡°That was fun.¡± She glanced at the shaking and blubbering Keeper Harold. ¡°You¡¯re a lot more interesting when your emotions break out in full force, I think I like you like this.¡± She chuckled. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ve gotten some new information. Time to get Amaris¡­¡±

    Keeper Harold was still shivering and blubbering.

    ¡°Or we can wait for your legs to start working again. That works too.¡±

    ~~~

    Amaris, Vayvaresi, and Rin arrived at the Sanctuary less than an hour after the ¡°incident.¡± This time they didn¡¯t even wait for Keeper Harold to come get them, they walked right up the steps and entered the back door, scrambling through the hallway and past the shocked expressions of a few Keepers.

    They found Keeper Harold not at the scene of the occurrence, but in his office, sitting in his chair with his head bowed, muttering what Amaris thought were prayers, but she couldn¡¯t be certain.

    ¡°Okay, he¡¯s terrified,¡± Rin said.

    ¡°Hey, his life was threatened, give him a break,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Ahem. Jenny, was there anything you didn¡¯t mention on the phone¡­?¡±

    Jenny shook her head. ¡°I told you what the words said. I think. Half of them insulted me. You¡¯re lucky I didn¡¯t break the wall.¡± She put her hands on her hips and grinned, as if she were expecting praise for her restraint.

    Amaris gave her none, instead opting to leave the office and check the scene of the incident, leaving Jenny to guard her charge. The room looked exactly the same as when they¡¯d last been here, save for a rearrangement of dust due to Jenny¡¯s punch, which had left a small scuff on the wall. Amaris ran her finger over it. Dry.

    ¡°I sense Jenny¡¯s power,¡± Vayvaresi said, brushing her tails against the wall. ¡°That girl has the most unique signature, even such a small use of her power stands out like a lighthouse. But I sense nothing else.¡± Vayvaresi smirked. ¡°And yet, curious is it not, that she confirmed that there was something here that ¡®magically¡¯ appeared? Truly¡­ perplexing.¡±

    ¡°The letter was there, she punched it¡­¡± Amaris frowned.

    ¡°She said it was blood, right?¡± Rin asked. ¡°Did any get on her?¡±

    ¡°Hey Jenny!¡± Amaris called down the hall. ¡°Did you get any of the blood on your hand when you punched it!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to shout, I¡¯m right here,¡± Jenny said, turning the corner with a shaky Keeper Harold right behind her.

    ¡°Oh. I figured he¡¯d take a bit longer to calm down.¡±

    ¡°He wanted to see this. Anyway, uh¡­¡± Jenny furrowed her brow, then she checked her glove. In the folds she found some paint dust, but that was it. ¡°No blood.¡±

    ¡°And if it had been there it would have wetted the paint dust,¡± Rin said. ¡°It¡¯s an illusion.¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah¡­¡± Amaris said. ¡°But one run without magic.¡±

    ¡°You can project an image on a wall without magic,¡± Rin said, crossing her arms and flicking both her tail and her ears at the same time.

    ¡°Project¡­¡± Amaris slowly turned to the window, putting the pieces together. ¡°Keeper Harold, have you ever encountered the words in a room without a window?¡±

    Keeper Harold thought for a minute. ¡°No¡­¡±

    Amaris slammed her fist into her hand. ¡°Bingo. Someone¡¯s projecting these things from a distance, probably through the window.¡±

    Rin ran to the window and opened it. ¡°Y¡¯know, I was really hoping for a ghost¡­¡±

    Vayvaresi hopped through the window onto the grass outside, sniffing the air. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She put her nose to the ground and kept sniffing.

    ¡°Got something?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    Everyone started crawling through the window¡ªbut Keeper Harold put a hand on Amaris¡¯ shoulder, keeping her back.

    ¡°Oh, sorry Keeper Harold, you wanted to talk to me?¡± Amaris turned her back to the window.

    Keeper Harold nodded. ¡°Y-yes, I, uh¡­ I meant to ask you, do you¡­ do you really think my life is in d-danger?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible, but it¡¯s looking more and more like whatever this is just wants to scare you, or maybe it wants to hurt you and can¡¯t, possibly because all it can do is project things from a distance. I¡¯m formulating a plan; we can have you hide in rooms without windows for a few days, make whatever¡¯s doing this a little upset, then lead you out to specific windowed areas so we can catch them in the act of projecting. Then instead of looking at the words we look out the window and check for any hints about where this is coming from.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ you really are capable, little Amaris.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, had to be.¡±

    ¡°I must apologize, I did not believe in your adventures when I first heard of them.¡±

    ¡°No need to apologize, I¡¯m a kid, kids are known to exaggerate.¡± Amaris put her hands behind her back. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I wouldn¡¯t have believed me.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Keeper Harold frowned. ¡°Amaris, do you think I did something?¡±

    Amaris tilted her head. ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°To anger these¡­ words.¡±

    ¡°They sure seem to think you did, but they aren¡¯t giving any clues to hint at what it is. And you¡¯re too¡­ I¡¯m going to say mild-mannered to do anything that would justify this in my book.¡±

    He crossed his arms. ¡°I just¡­ I have this feeling. Like Dia is trying to show me something, and I can¡¯t see it.¡±

    ¡°And you, the Keeper, are asking a kid with a curse and trauma, to shine light on a spiritual question?¡± Amaris raised her eyebrow.

    ¡°Sometimes we need words from outside. And you know our ways, you do not wear that necklace in vain.¡±

    Amaris fingered her necklace, flipping it over to examine the fragment of her old shirt¡¯s mathematical function. She flipped it again to gaze into the shimmering crystal of the pendant. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ I have seen some things out there. I¡¯m not¡­ completely clueless.¡± She looked up to him. ¡°Keeper Harold, if there¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve learned out there, it¡¯s that everything happens for a reason. Those horrible things changed me in just the right way so I could do what I needed to do. This here¡­ may be a huge misunderstanding and have no basis in truth. But even so, it might still teach you¡ªor all of us, even¡ªsomething.¡± She paused, scratching the back of her head. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know exactly where we¡¯re told that, but I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s somewhere.¡±

    ¡° ¡®The time is Dia¡¯s, every laugh and every cry is ordained in its fullness.¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°Yeah, that one.¡± Amaris smiled. ¡°So¡­ yeah. That¡¯s what I have to say about that.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Amaris. Before you go, I shall do my best to help you in turn.¡± He rested his hand on her shoulder. ¡°You are a good kid who is being built up for much. I implore you to carefully examine the company you keep.¡±

    Amaris¡¯ smile dropped instantly. ¡°...You¡¯re talking about Rin aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Amaris¡­¡±

    Amaris pushed his hand off her shoulder and started climbing through the window.

    ¡°Look, Amaris, she¡¯s a¡ª¡±

    ¡°We need to end this conversation now, Keeper Harold. You don¡¯t want to finish that sentence.¡± Without so much as looking back out at him, she marched off in a huff over to the others. They had gathered around a tree. Vayvaresi was poking around in the branches, sniffing the leaves.

    ¡°Woah,¡± Jenny said, glancing at Amaris. ¡°What happened to you? You look like you want to strangle something.¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯m good at being strangled.¡± Jenny offered her neck.

    Amaris lightly shoved Jenny in the shoulder. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be the same. Probably not good to feed it anyway.¡±

    ¡°Worth a shot.¡±

    ¡°What did he ask you?¡± Rin asked.

    ¡°Oh, stuff about the job, and then we had a good moment of actual bonding where we recognized each other as people, and then he basically told me not to be friends with Rin. You know. The usual.¡±

    Rin chuckled.

    ¡°It¡¯s not funny!¡±

    ¡°Oh, but it is. Secret jerks are everywhere, Amaris.¡± She stretched out her tail and leaned on the tree. ¡°You know, if he wants to leave me out to dry, we could just leave him out to dry¡­¡±

    ¡°Rin, no.¡±

    ¡°What? He¡¯s upset you, upset him back. Let him be tormented by these words.¡±

    ¡°Rin, that won¡¯t solve anything.¡±

    Rin¡¯s amused expression soured. She crossed her arms. ¡°You were like this with Scarlet too. Amaris, sometimes you need to take revenge.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Why? Justice has to be done! The world isn¡¯t going to do it, so you have to take it into your own hands. People need to be shown what-for, people need to be taken down a peg.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like exactly what Freddloi was doing, cursing people because of some flaw.¡± Amaris narrowed her eyes. ¡°You up for that? Cursing people?¡±

    Rin scowled. ¡°If they deserve it.¡±

    ¡°Well. Maybe think a few moments about what you deserve.¡±

    ¡°I deserve a lot more than I have.¡±

    ¡°Oh really? Like what?¡±

    ¡°Basic respect? I can¡¯t walk around in public alone, it¡¯s too dangerous!¡± She poked Amaris angrily in the chest. ¡°I get unusual glares from basically everyone, and any friends I try to make have to either hide me or put up with everyone in their life telling them that I¡¯m some stupid sneaky thief who¡¯s going to betray them one day!¡±

    It was at this point Amaris realized she was crying. She wiped her eyes, looking at the dampness of her hand almost in disbelief.

    Rin took a step back and awkwardly put her hands in her pockets. ¡°...Forget it. I¡¯m just mad.¡±

    ¡°Rin¡­¡±

    ¡°I said forget it.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ um¡­¡± Amaris swallowed hard. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll try.¡±

    There was silence around the base of the tree.

    Jenny coughed very loudly. ¡°So! Kitsune of the tree, what have you found?¡±

    ¡°Evidence of people,¡± Vayvaresi said, dropping down onto Amaris¡¯ backpack. ¡°Two different scents, neko. And I sense magic.¡±

    Amaris immediately perked up. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes. In fact, it¡¯s a kind I know well enough to properly identify. It¡¯s pure crystal magic, the kind that comes from those crystals you have.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­ so it is magic¡­¡± Amaris put her hand to her chin. ¡°So the projection itself is magically produced, but once it goes a distance¡­ I see, I see¡­¡± Amaris tried to turn to Vayvaresi, but given the kitsune¡¯s position that was impossible so Amaris gave up on that. ¡°What can you tell us about what ¡®crystal magic¡¯ can do?¡±

    ¡°I was never a wizard, I just spent time in some places that used it. Give me a moment to recall¡­¡± She swished her tails over Amaris¡¯ head. ¡°I know there are a handful of different colors and they all do different things. There¡¯s a color that deals exclusively in light, purple.¡±

    Amaris snapped her fingers. ¡°There it is. They¡¯re projecting the messages through windows using these light crystals. I think I have a plan¡­ though now we might want to bring the anti-magic crystals an¡ª.¡±

    Suddenly, Orville was in front of her. ¡°Greetings, Amaris.¡±

    ¡°Got any news, Orville?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t look so great¡­ oh, uh, well¡­ nothing that helps. Keeper Harold¡¯s grandfather was indeed a cruel man, but I haven¡¯t found anything that I think pertains to this. The man never even set foot in Nuk. He did like popping heads off of chipmunks with his bare hands, though.¡± Orville shivered. ¡°The things I see in the past¡­¡±

    ¡°Did he have anything in particular against¡­ nekos?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ actually, no. Which is surprising considering what I saw happening around him. I think he thought them too ¡®easy¡¯ of targets for his ire.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ well, get Coleus or Irene to write down what you¡¯ve found in case it matters. We¡¯ve got a plan to set up.¡± She turned awkwardly to Rin. ¡°...Still want to catch these guys?¡±

    Rin shook her head. ¡°Not really. They¡¯re nekos, Amaris. Think for five seconds about what¡¯ll happen to them if they get caught.¡±

    Amaris¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ they could be killed just¡­ because¡­¡±

    ¡°So I suggest we just not catch them.¡±

    ¡°But what if they really do try to kill Keeper Harold? We can¡¯t let that happen!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s just a¡­¡± Rin stopped herself, a look of horror crossing her face. She leaned against the tree and sat down.

    ¡°Rin¡­ are you¡­?¡±

    Rin let out a particularly nasty swear and punched the ground, letting out a yowling cry right afterward.

    Amaris crouched down until she was at Rin¡¯s eye level. ¡°Rin¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking!¡± Rin spat. Amaris nodded, staying completely silent while Rin thought.

    During her thoughts, Rin¡¯s tail flicked back and forth, her ears twitched in every direction and she kept scraping her nails against each other, scraping off the colorful polish bit by bit.

    Eventually, Rin sagged her head in defeat. ¡°...You¡¯re right Amaris, we can¡¯t let that happen.¡±

    ¡°Rin, what¡¯s going on in there?¡±

    ¡°Just got a real good look at how nasty I am.¡± She squinted her eyes, obviously trying not to cry.

    ¡°Rin, you¡¯re not nasty¡­¡±

    ¡°I wanted to just let them kill him! I didn¡¯t care! He was just another lousy human who would get what¡¯s coming to him!¡± She put her hands to her ears and tugged at them. ¡°But that¡¯s exactly what they think about us! Agh! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!¡± She suddenly looked Amaris right in the eyes, her slitted pupils extremely dilated. ¡°...You can¡¯t say that¡¯s not nasty.¡±

    Amaris shook her head. ¡°No¡­ I can¡¯t. It is nasty. But¡­ you see it.¡±

    ¡°Well, yay, what am I supposed to do about it?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Amaris paused. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°If I may?¡± Vayvaresi asked.

    ¡°Knock yourself out,¡± Rin grumbled.

    ¡°Simply being aware of it is enough,¡± Vayvaresi said. ¡°Be honest about what¡¯s inside you. Take it seriously. That is already an improvement.¡±

    ¡°But it sucks.¡±

    ¡°Oh, did I give you the impression you could be happy about it?¡± Vayvaresi shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not the way things are. Fortunately, life is about more than just happiness.¡±

    Rin grumbled. ¡°Fine, fine, yeah, good wisdom old fox, can¡¯t find any problems with it, mff¡­¡± She hung her head back and groaned. ¡°This sucks.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t get any arguments from me, little Rin.¡± Vayvaresi flicked her tails.

    ¡°Yaaaay¡­¡± Rin crossed her arms. ¡°...We still need to come up with a plan.¡±

    ¡°A plan to catch them without handing them over to the police,¡± Amaris shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s a tall order¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure we can figure something out!¡± Jenny said, grinning very awkwardly. ¡°Right, gang?¡±

    Rin snorted. ¡°Jenny, you suck at this, and none of us are really good at it so that¡¯s saying something.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Amaris tilted her head. ¡°I think Vayvaresi¡¯s pretty emotionally intelligent.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but she sounds so old and wise and arrogant¡­¡± Rin twirled a hand in the air as if illustrating her point.

    ¡°I do have experience,¡± Vayvaresi pointed out.

    ¡°Just because it makes sense doesn¡¯t mean I have to like it.¡±

    ¡°Naturally. I do believe I said something similar earlier about happiness not being the only point of life?¡±

    Rin scrunched her nose. ¡°You really are extremely annoying, you know that?¡±

    Vayvaresi lifted a paw in the equivalent of a shrug. ¡°I¡¯ll say what needs to be said regardless. Such as bringing us back on task: the plan.¡±

    ¡°Yes, right, plan¡­¡± Amaris folded her arms. ¡°Plan¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Two nekos pressed themselves down to the ground, walking on all fours with their tails down so the bushes could hide their presence. Even most nekos considered balling up one¡¯s fists and using them as extra feet distasteful, so virtually no one ever did it, but in truth neko bodies were not exactly like that of a human, and were comfortable in such a position for short periods of time. As such, what should have been an awkward motion that revealed their presence right away simply didn¡¯t.

    Were someone to see the nekos, the fact that they were twins would have been evident¡ªa brother and a sister; older teenagers, possibly even young adults. They wore very ratty, dark clothes that definitely weren¡¯t sufficient to provide any sort of warmth and were barely enough to avoid getting arrested for indecency.

    They crept along in nearly absolute silence, only rustling the bushes slightly as they approached their target¡ªthe tree. The tree was the best spot; it had a lot of escape routes, low foot traffic, was a decent distance from the Sanctuary, and most importantly had a very large window in clear line-of-sight. The two of them jumped into the tree, landing on the two branches that kept them hidden from outside eyes but allowed them to see easily.

    The girl pulled out a pair of binoculars. One of the lenses was cracked and useless, so she used it like a telescope, which functioned well enough for her purposes; watching the Sanctuary window very, very closely.

    ¡°I wish you¡¯d let me do it again¡­¡± her brother whispered as he unrolled a piece of leather delicately, using his thigh as a table.

    ¡°You clearly have a harder time, we can¡¯t afford to be sloppy.¡±

    ¡°Still¡­¡±

    ¡°Just give them to me.¡± She held out her hand without taking her gaze off the distant window.

    Her brother sighed and finished unrolling the leather, revealing multiple small shards of purple crystals, most of which had taken cubical or nearly-cubical shapes. All of them had little pieces of string tied around them. He delicately picked up one of the crystals by the string and gave it to his sister.

    She was careful, even without looking she made sure only to clamp down once she was sure she was holding the stringed area between two of her fingers. She wanted to make physical contact with the crystal without slicing her fingers open on the impossibly sharp edges. Numerous markings on her digits indicated that she had failed to do this numerous times, but with pain came experience, and she was now able to hold it without incident.

    All she had to do¡­ was wait.

    Sometimes they waited here for hours and he never showed up. But when he did¡­

    ¡°I hope he has a heart attack today,¡± she muttered under her breath.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying we can¡¯t keep trying for that, we need to do something more direct.¡±

    ¡°I have a knife.¡±

    Her brother sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve told you multiple times, we can¡¯t just be that direct, they¡¯ll find us and this will have all been for nothing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m getting tired of playing with illusions.¡±

    ¡°Look, we don¡¯t have enough of the crystals to try to learn something else, so just¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± She flicked her tail back and forth but didn¡¯t move her body at all. There he was, Keeper Harold, looking terrified out of his wits. Good. Of course, the girl with the magic fists was also there. Which was less good, but from what they¡¯d seen, she was an idiot and, even more importantly, was slower than them. There was also no way she could see them from all the way over there.

    The girl clenched her fingers down a little tighter on the crystal and willed an image to manifest. The crystal itself sparkled slightly, but bizarrely cast no light directly. It did, however, project words that looked like they were made out of overly realistic blood. This time she even opted to add a few floating skulls¡ªthey needed to spice up the show or it wouldn¡¯t go anywhere.

    She couldn¡¯t actually hear anything that Keeper Harold or the punching girl were saying, but vague words of doom didn¡¯t need to make much sense in response, the physical context was enough. This time she started with discussion of grinding Keeper Harold¡¯s bones and¡­

    ¡­the red-gloved girl was opening the window.

    ¡°...She can¡¯t possibly¡­¡±

    She started running right for the tree.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been made!¡±

    ¡°W-what!?¡± her brother stammered.

    ¡°Bail!¡± she shouted as she jumped out of the tree.

    Without making any attempt to be quiet, he rolled up the crystals and bounded after his sister. They did not run on all fours, for their top speed was still at full sprint on their legs.

    Out of the corner of her eye, the girl saw a man in a bowler hat¡­ wait, there was no one there. What?

    They glanced behind them. The red-gloved girl was still pursuing, but her legs were short and she was falling quickly behind. She wasn¡¯t even going to be hard to shake, just a left, another left, then a right, and a left and they threw her completely off the trail.

    Even though they stopped running at this point, the two of them didn¡¯t speak a word until they had returned to the dregs.

    ¡°How did she see us?¡± the brother asked, putting a hand to his head. ¡°She¡¯s not that observant¡­¡±

    ¡°It was almost as if she knew we were there before we showed up,¡± his sister said, putting a hand to her chin. ¡°Perhaps Keeper Harold also hired investigators in addition to a bodyguard¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re doomed. They¡¯re going to track us down¡­¡±

    ¡°The girl only saw us briefly and they can prove nothing.¡±

    ¡°But they know who to look for now. We can¡¯t go back.¡±

    His sister froze. ¡°We¡­ no, that¡¯s unacceptable. We have to finish this.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°How is irrelevant, the need is evident. He must pay.¡±

    ¡°We still need a plan.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t come up with something, this knife has his name on it.¡±

    Her brother let out a low whistle.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious. Think about Grandpa.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll cool down in a few hours and then we can think more rationally about this.¡±

    ¡°Rationality went out the window the moment we decided we wanted him dead.¡±

    ¡°Coming from you, that¡¯s rich.¡±

    She huffed and made sure to walk just a little bit faster to annoy him.

    The two of them went deeper and deeper into the dregs, until they got to the very center, where the homeless beggars lived. There were no real buildings here, just a lot of junk consisting of broken down cars, shipping containers, repurposed dumpsters, and anything else the nekos could get their hands on that couldn¡¯t just be taken away by someone strolling in.

    Their ¡°home,¡± such as they had one, was made out of cardboard, a poor material even by the standards of the other nekos in the area. They were fortunate that there hadn¡¯t been major rain since they¡¯d erected it. It was little more than a place to sleep and store what few belongings they had.

    Their Grandpa lived there with them. He was there currently¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t like he could go anywhere else very easily, seeing as he only had one leg and struggled to get around even with crutches. The crutches were the nicest thing they owned, and even they in all their metal glory were starting to show signs of wear.

    The twins had expected to see him. They had not expected to see him dining at a table with guests. Guests who largely weren¡¯t even nekos! There was a girl with black hair and a huge backpack, a neko in a frilly dress that made the twins angry just to look at it, a woman in a large hat, and¡­ a fox creature clearly from the Strider. No wonder they hadn¡¯t been attacked, no nekos around here wanted to deal with the Strider.

    Grandpa turned to his grandchildren. ¡°Ah, Iwakiri! Kirishima! Come, I¡¯ve made some excellent friends!¡±

    Kirishima twitched her tail, refusing to sit down. ¡°Grandpa¡­¡±

    Iwakiri put his hand over his sister¡¯s mouth, laughing nervously. ¡°Let¡¯s not be hasty here, uh, Grandpa, care to explain?¡±

    ¡°Explain? Hmph. I thought you two were raised better than that.¡± He crossed his arms. ¡°These four came by on an investigation and were offering food and assistance in exchange for any information. I didn¡¯t have anything to tell them but then we got talkin¡¯ and whew they¡¯ve got quite the set of stories here! Did you know Amaris here is cursed to be interesting? Absolutely amazing!¡±

    Amaris beamed at the neko twins. ¡°I¡¯m sure you two are part of that curse too, though I generally consider it something of a gift. Here, let me introduce you, that¡¯s Vayvaresi under the table, Irene over here shaking in her boots, and Rin, who is currently watching out to make sure nobody tries to shank us. This is shanking town. after all.¡±

    ¡°They do worse things than shank you here,¡± Rin grunted.

    ¡°Ah, but we have you and Vayvaresi!¡±

    ¡°That only helps until they form a mob.¡±

    ¡°Bah, they¡¯re too hungry and depressed for that around here,¡± Grandpa said, slapping his only remaining knee. ¡°Not like me! Really am sorry I couldn¡¯t help you with your investigation, though.¡±

    ¡°It happens, we¡¯ll just have to look somewhere else,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°Investigation¡­¡± Kirishima asked, narrowing her eyes.

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re part of ORHI, Outer Reality Handing Incorporated. We deal with unusual magic things that normal people can¡¯t handle.¡±

    Kirishima gingerly took a step back. ¡°Magic? What sort of magic?¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re currently looking for some purple crystals with powers related to light. Seen them?¡±

    The twins considered running right then and there, but one glance at each other communicated all they needed to. They couldn¡¯t leave Grandpa here with these people. So they were going to have to bluff.

    ¡°Strange,¡± Iwakiri said, shrugging. ¡°But no, we haven¡¯t seen anything like that.¡±

    ¡°Strange,¡± Vayvaresi said. ¡°Because I smell it on you.¡± Before they knew what was happening, Vayvaresi was behind them and had the leather roll in her mouth. It unfurled, dropping the purple crystals to the ground, shattering a few of them.

    Grandpa¡¯s smile vanished in an instant. ¡°My Kiris¡­ what was that?¡±

    Kirishima drew her knife. ¡°Something we¡¯ll talk about later! Now w¡ª¡± There was suddenly a man in front of her. She slashed at him and stumbled forward into nothing, a headache forming in the back of her mind. Rin jumped into action while she was confused, throwing a knife at Kirishima¡¯s knife, knocking it out of her hand and clattering it to the ground.

    ¡°You can¡¯t win and we have you surrounded,¡± Rin said. ¡°So stop being a couple of idiots, sit down at the table, and talk.¡± Her glare was intense and violent.

    Amaris, meanwhile, just gave the two of them a warm smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we don¡¯t want to hurt you. We can if you make things difficult. We have no intention of handing you over to the police unless you make us.¡±

    ¡°The police¡­?¡± Kirishima¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Had you not even thought about it until now!?¡± Rin shouted. ¡°How stupid are you two?¡±

    ¡°Oh, we thought of it,¡± Iwakiri admitted, sitting down with a much calmer expression than his sister. ¡°But the plan was not to be caught, obviously. I¡¯m curious how you did it.¡±

    ¡°We used magic,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Specifically, we have a memory ghost working in our employ. We had him wait around with Jenny until she spotted you running out of the tree, then he jumped into your memories and found out where you lived. The rest of us just drove here.¡±

    ¡°They shot at us¡­¡± Irene said with a shiver.

    ¡°The Retrograde is bulletproof.¡±

    ¡°I know. Now.¡±

    Grandpa turned to Amaris. ¡°So, wait, this was all a ruse?¡±

    ¡°Well, you be the judge of that,¡± Amaris said. ¡°I never lied to you, after all, and I¡¯d like a peaceful resolution to this.¡± She leaned back in her chair. ¡°So, Kiris, you want to explain what you¡¯ve been up to, or do you want me to?¡±

    Kirishima glared at Amaris. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain it,¡± Iwakiri said, nervously folding his hands together. ¡°So, uh, Grandpa, remember when you broke your leg?¡±

    ¡°Not¡­ an easy one to forget,¡± Grandpa said with a sigh.

    ¡°Well, we found out who did that to you.¡±

    ¡°You what!?¡±

    ¡°Found some witnesses¡­¡±

    ¡°You were trying to take revenge on a human!?¡±

    ¡°Told you they were stupid,¡± Rin said.

    ¡°You can shut up, brat!¡± Kirishima shouted at Rin. ¡°You don¡¯t know the half of it. We used to have a home, princess. We had to sell that to pay for the medical bills. We had to sell everything. And then they botched the operation and had to amputate his leg! All of this happened because of that precious Keeper you¡¯re trying to protect!¡±

    Amaris folded her hands together, closing her eyes. ¡°And how did he do this?¡±

    ¡°All Grandpa did was say hi and he lashed out in rage.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Grandpa said.

    ¡°Multiple people saw it!¡±

    ¡°He was terrified that he was being mugged by a neko.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so he was afraid of you and not angry, big difference.¡± Kirishima hissed. ¡°You were still nothing to him, and he ruined everything.¡±

    ¡°...Orville says they¡¯re telling the truth,¡± Irene said. ¡°He couldn¡¯t find the event in Keeper Harold¡¯s memory, but he could in Gramps here.¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t even remember!?¡± Iwakiri stammered. ¡°Wh¡­ what!? He just ruined a life! He has to know what he did!¡±

    ¡°...Evidentially getting scared out of his wits by a neko on the street is a common occurrence for him.¡±

    Amaris sighed, rubbing her hands against her temples. ¡°This man, I swear¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t even like him!¡± Kirishima declared, slamming her hands on the table. ¡°Why are you even helping him? I bet it¡¯s money, it¡¯s definitely money isn¡ª¡±

    ¡°Would you shut up for five seconds?¡± Rin asked. ¡°If it was for the money we would have ambushed you at the tree and hauled you off to prison to be ¡®mistakenly¡¯ offed by another inmate! That¡¯s what people normally do.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ why didn¡¯t¡­¡± Kirishima frowned as she answered her own half-spoken question. ¡°And you call me the stupid one.¡±

    Rin blinked. ¡°Holy cow, she figured it out, Amaris. How can she be so stupid in her life choices but still be able to do that one?¡±

    ¡°Rage is blinding,¡± Vayvaresi offered.

    ¡°I¡¯ll blind you,¡± Kirishima spat.

    ¡°Can someone explain to a poor old man what¡¯s going on?¡± Grandpa asked. ¡°I am¡­ quite confused as to why all this is happening.¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°Kirishima just figured out why we¡¯re here. To find out a way to stop them while also saving them from the police. To stop the torments on Keeper Harold while also keeping their mistakes from eating them alive.¡±

    Iwakiri narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why though?¡±

    ¡°They think themselves heroes,¡± Kirishima answered in response. ¡°You think you¡¯re all high and mighty don¡¯t you, Amaris? Cursed to be interesting¡­ I think I see you, now. Thinking you can thrust your nose into everything, make it better, save lives¡­¡±

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s working pretty well so far. We¡¯ve captured several dangerous creatures, ended some monstrosities, and are cataloging the dark depths of this city.¡±

    ¡°Also she stopped the Strider from destroying Nuk,¡± Rin offered.

    ¡°That was a team effort¡­¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have worked without being interesting.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ yeah.¡± Amaris rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. ¡°Aaaanyway let¡¯s not inflate my ego too much here. I guess I am trying to be the hero. What are you going to do, stop me?¡±

    Kirishima snarled.

    ¡°There¡¯s a very simple way to do that, refuse my help and attack, which will get you arrested.¡± Amaris frowned. ¡°I really wish that wasn¡¯t a death threat but it is. Your other option is to stop tormenting Keeper Harold.¡±

    ¡°Deal,¡± Iwakiri said without missing a beat.

    ¡°You two are so far into your hate you¡¯d try something the moment you think our backs were turned,¡± Rin said.

    Iwakiri held his hands to his side. ¡°Dang, they¡¯re good.¡±

    His sister twitched. ¡°I¡­ am not¡­ letting that man go free!¡±

    ¡°You are,¡± Amaris said, expression suddenly hard. ¡°I am not giving you a choice.¡±

    Tears started rolling down Kirishima¡¯s face. ¡°Then there truly is no justice in the world.¡± She jumped for the knife on the ground. Everyone endered a defensive stance¡ªsave for Amaris, who jumped at Kirishima.

    Kirishima¡¯s target wasn¡¯t any of them. When she grabbed the handle on the blade she thrust it wildly toward her neck.

    She was blocked by Amaris¡¯ arm. The blade cut deep into Amaris¡¯ flesh. Amaris let out a pained scream, but still managed to twist herself away from Kirishima, taking the blade with her.

    Kirishima stared at the bloodied Amaris in disbelief. ¡°What in th¡ª¡±

    Iwakiri tackled his sister to the ground. ¡°What in Dia¡¯s name were you doing!?¡±

    Kirishima had no words, she only stared blankly at Amaris as the others tended to her. The knife was deep in her arm, but it was stopping most of the blood flow on its own. Amaris managed to, slowly, regain control of her breath and her shouting. Leaning on Irene and Rin, she stood to her feet, glaring right at Kirishima.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. There isn¡¯t any justice in this world.¡± Amaris took in a haggard grasp. ¡°The world is dark and evil. I¡¯m here to change that.¡± She gave the two of them a shaky smile. ¡°Our proposal¡­ is that you join us. We keep an eye on you. You get to fight real injustice. And you get a home for your Grandpa.¡±

    Kirishima could only stare at Amaris in shock for the longest time. Then her eyes welled up with tears and she started bawling in her brother¡¯s arms.

    Iwakiri held her tight, unable to keep the tears out of his own eyes. ¡°Where¡­ where did you get such kindness?¡±

    ¡°Not sure,¡± Amaris admitted. ¡°Probably has to do with all the things I¡¯ve suffered.¡± She turned to Grandpa. ¡°...This okay with you¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure I understand, but I know an earnest heart when I see one. And¡­¡± he glanced back at the broken down house. ¡°I would be a fool to turn it down. I am wasting away here¡­¡±

    ¡°Good. Now¡­ I think I need to get to Coleus before we try to take this knife out.¡± She paused, taking a moment to catch her breath. ¡°Orville will be watching you two for a while. He¡¯ll tell you when we need you¡­ your first mission is to figure out where those purple crystals came from and make a report. Yeah¡­ yeah that sounds like a good idea.¡±

    ¡°...Old Man Fidget dropped them one day,¡± Kirishima said through her blubberings. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ all we know¡­¡±

    ¡°You can find out more,¡± Amaris said.

    Kirishima nodded slowly.

    ¡°...I do hope I¡¯m not making a mistake here,¡± Amaris continued. ¡°This¡­ this is a risk. Please don¡¯t make me regret it.¡± She let out a shark breath as she stumbled away with the others. ¡°Someone call Jenny and have her tell Keeper Harold we¡¯ve chased away the troublemakers¡­¡±

    Soon, there was only Kirishima, Iwakiri, and Grandpa. And Orville, but he was only visible to one at a time and generally kept his distance.

    Grandpa folded his arms. ¡°I want you to promise me something, you two.¡±

    They looked up at him, eyes wide.

    ¡°Leave that Keeper alone.¡±

    ¡°Bu¡ª¡± Iwakiri began

    ¡°I¡¯m accepting nothing less. Nothing less. Nothing makes me more ashamed than to know my own grandkids were taking revenge on my behalf.¡±

    ¡°...We promise,¡± Kirishima said. ¡°And¡­ we¡¯re¡­ sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say an apology you don¡¯t mean.¡±

    ¡°...We are sorry,¡± Iwakiri said, hanging his head. ¡°We disappointed you.¡±

    ¡°We never wanted you to have to think anything of it¡­¡± his sister added.

    Grandpa shook his head. ¡°You two are¡­¡± he sighed. ¡°This is gonna be a long, long talk. Can¡¯t believe you two got this far off the path¡­ You have any idea how lucky you are? I haven¡¯t seen that level of insane kindness in decades!¡±

    The twins hung their heads as their Grandpa continued to berate them¡ªfor several hours, all the way until the sun started to set.

    When it rose again, they would have new lives.

    ~~~

    It was midnight.

    The corn in a field rustled in a light breeze.

    A vole ran across part of a crop circle.

    The crop circle lit up with a blinding yellow light for a split second.

    The smell of burnt vole persisted only for a few minutes.

 XXII - Dont go to the Arcade at Midnight

    EPISODE XXII

    Don¡¯t go to the Arcade at Midnight

    Nuk had a few arcades spread across town, but one was far larger and better stocked than any of the others: Vi¡¯s Virtual Ventures. The exterior wasn¡¯t all that fancy, looking like any other storefront on the strip where it stood, just with more of a love for neon lighting than the more traditional businesses nearby. Seeing as it was currently the middle of the day, the lights were difficult to see and the sign was actually the hardest to make out of everything nearby. Fortunately, Vi¡¯s Virtual Ventures didn¡¯t need to be easily recognized since anyone who cared already knew about its existence, and anyone who didn¡¯t was not the sort to need to know about it.

    The interior was covered in a dark carpet that popped with brightly colored abstract shapes. There were virtually no standard lightbulbs in the building; instead, the arcade relied on colored lights and the arcade cabinets themselves to provide illumination. There was little to no organization within the arcade machines, with driving games situated next to shooters and top-down adventure games. There were also the more traditional arcade games that didn¡¯t require screens, such as hoops, skee ball, and cat marbles.

    Cat marbles was Vayvaresi¡¯s favorite game, it turned out. She wasn¡¯t big on all the screens and loud noises, but she did like watching thousands of marbles with cat ears roll down player-created mazes. She had stuck around it even after Amaris had wandered elsewhere with Nina and Taylor. Amaris always made sure to keep an eye on Vayvaresi in case something happened, but they were in the same building so Vayvaresi¡¯s curse was unlikely to activate. It was her own curse that she had to be careful of.

    Amaris herself wasn¡¯t much of a ¡°gamer,¡± as Nina would say. She enjoyed the games well enough and her GameBrick was one of her prized possessions, though that was mainly just because it accompanied her on her journeys. Still, she didn¡¯t mind visiting an arcade every now and then to have fun, especially if it meant spending time with Auntie Nina.

    Nina, however, was a gamer, despite her age. She knew how to play every digital game in the arcade with impressive skill and finesse, and was part of local competitive gaming scenes. Today, she was supposedly just having fun, but they¡¯d run into Taylor, who was also part of the competitive scene, and thus Amaris got to watch as the two of them slowly became more and more invested in winning over the course of the day.

    Amaris didn¡¯t mind. She wasn¡¯t exactly here to win the games.

    The two of them were currently playing some kind of hunting simulator. The controllers were big, plastic, clunky, oversized rifles that didn¡¯t hit the spot on the screen they were aimed at.

    Both Taylor and Nina knew this and were able to adjust their aims to compensate, going for headshots on all the elk currently on screen, trying to take them out before either of the others. The expressions on both of them were of utter and complete focus. Taylor had even lifted up her stylish blue shades onto her forehead to make sure she got the best information into her eyes. Everything was calculated.

    Amaris had to admit, it was somewhat impressive. They flicked their guns left and right with amazing precision, headshotting every single elk, missing only when their opponent had hit the target before them. It was like watching an intense rapid-fire hunting sport. Just that the elk weren¡¯t real.

    You know, that would be really messed up if the elk were real, Amaris thought. Or if these video games contained real worlds that we torment every time we play¡­ She filed that thought away for later in her brain, in case she ever had to deal with something like that.

    Eventually, the game¡¯s timer ran out. Nina shot her hands into the air. ¡°Hah! Gotcha, Taylor!¡±

    Taylor put her gun up and slid her glasses back down over her eyes. She crossed her arms and leaned back on an arcade cabinet, striking a cool pose accented by her smug smirk. ¡°Your reflexes will go eventually, granny, and then I¡¯ll have you.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, loser wants to trash talk!¡± Nina put her hands on her hips and shook her head. ¡°You¡¯ll be waiting a long time for that, kid!¡±

    Taylor chuckled, turning to Amaris. ¡°We¡¯re not leaving you out, are we?¡±

    ¡°You totally are, but it¡¯s fun to watch,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°Oh, my, sorry Amaris,¡± Nina said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize, Auntie Nina, you¡¯re fine. Although¡­ if you¡¯ll permit me to make a request, how about you try that unfair jackpot game that nobody wins?¡±

    ¡°That thing¡¯s rigged,¡± Nina and Taylor said at the same time.

    ¡°Really? It¡¯s just a really fast reaction test¡­¡± Amaris frowned. ¡°Wait, you could easily program it to just not stop when you tap it, and it would be below human reaction time to tell that it slipped¡­¡±

    ¡°Which it does,¡± Nina said. ¡°We¡¯ve tested it multiple times.¡±

    ¡°I tested it,¡± Taylor said, hands on her hips. ¡°You all kept trying it until I made the autotapper.¡±

    ¡°Vi would throw you out if she knew you had done that.¡±

    ¡°She has no proof and she never will.¡±

    Amaris shrugged. ¡°Well in that case, uh¡­ I dunno, something with ghosts?¡± She paused. ¡°...Hmm, we all call Orville a memory ghost, but he¡¯s not really a ghost is he? No haunting, no spooking, not really dead. Technically.¡± She furrowed her brow. ¡°I think.¡±

    ¡°Plenty of haunted house games,¡± Taylor said. ¡°Of course, they say the arcade itself is haunted¡­¡±

    Nina groaned. ¡°Not this again.¡±

    ¡°Tell me more,¡± Amaris said, giving Taylor all of her attention.

    Taylor put her hand to the bridge of her nose. ¡°I forgot that you literally deal with hauntings and weird stuff all the time and take it seriously¡­ it¡¯s just a silly baseless rumor. Apparently, if you try to break into the arcade at midnight the spirits of the machines will take you. Naturally, just superstitious nonsense, as there¡¯s no one here at midnight so even if you did break in and vanish, who is gonna figure out that it¡¯s the spirits of the machines?¡±

    ¡°It ain¡¯t a rumor!¡± An old man sweeping up a nearby floor shouted at them.

    ¡°Sure it isn¡¯t, Steve,¡± Taylor deadpanned.

    ¡°Why do you think it isn¡¯t a rumor?¡± Amaris asked Steve.

    Steve snorted. ¡°What do you care, kid?¡±

    Amaris removed her ORHI business card and handed it to him. ¡°We deal with the magical and supernatural, if you really have a problem we can help.¡±

    The old man stared at the business card blankly for a minute. ¡°...I¡¯ve seen you on the news, haven¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve been interviewed recently.¡±

    ¡°Well then¡­ stay here, I¡¯m gonna show this to the boss.¡±

    Nina glanced at Taylor. ¡°Apparently something goes down in this place.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never actually heard or seen anything¡­¡± Taylor said, shaking her head. ¡°You¡¯d think if kids were vanishing at midnight I¡¯d remember it.¡±

    Amaris shrugged. ¡°Maybe the people you hang around aren¡¯t stupid enough to try it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ huh, I wouldn¡¯t have said they were all that smart, but you¡¯re right no one I know has tried to break into here at midnight just to see.¡±

    ¡°They probably have, they just didn¡¯t tell you,¡± the voice of an old woman came to them: Vi, the owner of the establishment. She was permanently hunched over and had to use a cane to get around, but still wore a vibrant blue dress that would have been a fashion statement in a prior era. ¡°And you thought they just stopped coming.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Vi. Uh. Hi.¡± Taylor grinned awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m just gonna go and let you talk to Amaris here¡­¡±

    ¡°You plant your feet, young missy.¡±

    Nina whistled. ¡°Better listen to her, she¡¯ll thwack ya.¡±

    Taylor shuffled her feet nervously but didn¡¯t move.

    Amaris extended a hand to Vi. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Amaris Kelvin. I don¡¯t come here that often, but I do like it.¡±

    ¡°Pleased to hear it,¡± Vi said, shaking her hand. ¡°You¡¯re already far more polite than most of the people who come here.¡±

    ¡°To be fair, ma¡¯am, this is an arcade, you kind of attract the unruly sorts.¡±

    Vi nodded. ¡°When I discovered the first arcade cabinet in the ruins, I had no idea it would turn into this business¡­ lucrative though it has become, I wonder if I would take the same path were I allowed to go back.¡± She shook her head. ¡°But you¡¯re not here to hear an old woman¡¯s potential regrets, and I¡¯m not here to tell my life story. Steve tells me you¡¯re with this ORHI group?¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°I have a curse that makes my life interesting, we use it to root out supernatural things.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ you might be able to help then. Yes, the rumors are true, kids really do vanish when they sneak in here at midnight. Though the evidence is somewhat¡­ indirect. We have a security system that records whenever people break in, and as most of the people who would break in are stupid kids, a little alarm going off is usually enough to send them running, and when it isn¡¯t, well, we have security cameras that can identify them. Here¡¯s the thing though.¡± She narrowed her eyes at Amaris. ¡°The alarm never goes off between eleven PM and two AM. Ever.¡±

    Amaris furrowed her brow. ¡°You¡¯re right. If you have kids breaking in at other times, why not then? Especially because the rumor no doubt causes some kids to try it just to see.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. We thought that maybe the alarm was being tampered with, so we set up a security camera to watch the alarm systems themselves, and nothing happened. Something happens to this place at midnight.¡±

    ¡°Have you tried to stake the place out?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been considering it, but haven¡¯t taken any action yet. Since you¡¯re here that¡¯s solved my problem.¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll get some people together, we¡¯ll stake the place out. Our rates are on the card, is it okay if we come tonight?¡±

    Vi nodded. ¡°Yes. Best get it over with.¡±

    ¡°...By the way, how long has this been happening?¡¯

    ¡°It took us a long time to notice the weirdness in the security recordings, but they go all the way back to when they were installed, so at least ten years.¡±

    ¡°Ooookay¡­ something weird, yes. But if it¡¯s been happening that long we should be able to find some missing children reports.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re always able to find those,¡± Vayvaresi reminded her as she walked back from her game. ¡°This town is full of them.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, right, I was even one of them at one point¡­¡± Amaris furrowed her brow. If children can vanish so regularly as to make it problematic for us to track them down, how does anyone feel safe¡­?

    ¡°See you tonight, then?¡± Vi asked.

    ¡°See you tonight.¡±

    ¡°...Can I come?¡± Nina asked.

    ¡°You and Taylor both can,¡± Amaris said. ¡°You know the arcade, you might be of assistance.¡±

    Taylor gasped. ¡°I¡­ I get to go on a supernatural adventure!?¡±

    ¡°If you wa¡ª¡±

    ¡°A million times yes! Yes!¡±

    ~~~

    The team that night was Amaris, Vayvaresi, Coleus, Nina, Taylor, Orville, and the two new kids: Iwakiri and Kirishima. They all arrived at the arcade as it was closing and were setting up shop in one of the storage rooms behind an ¡®employees only¡¯ door.

    ¡°All right, you two Kiris, this is your first official mission,¡± Amaris said, hands on her hips.

    ¡°I thought the purple crystal investigation was our first mission?¡± Iwakiri asked.

    ¡°Well, I guess, but nobody hired us to do that one. Have you found anything out by the way?¡±

    Iwakiri shrugged. ¡°Maybe? We¡¯ve found more rumors of the crystals circulating, but nothing definite. Old Man Fidget doesn¡¯t even remember that he had them, much less where he got them from.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a secret being actively kept,¡± Kirishima mumbled. ¡°Those who know, like us, aren¡¯t supposed to.¡±

    Amaris sighed. ¡°Well, keep investigating when you have the chance. But for today, forget about it, we have a client. Our job is to figure out what happens in this arcade at midnight and, if need be, fix it. It could be anything, and I¡¯m expecting something pretty nasty, as whatever it does it seems to be wiping security feeds somehow.¡±

    ¡°You already mentioned this,¡± Kirishima mumbled.

    ¡°Just reminding you. And letting you know that it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t know what to do, this is just your first outing. And¡­¡± Amaris paused. ¡°It might get intense, sometimes these things can be really nasty. Be prepared for the worst.¡±

    ¡°The worst has already come¡­¡±

    Iwakiri sighed. ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive my sister, she¡­¡±

    ¡°Is broken,¡± Amaris said, nodding in understanding. ¡°I know. I won¡¯t hold it against her.¡±

    Kirishima looked like she wanted to fillet Amaris for a second, but then she returned to staring at the floor.

    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s thyme for Orville¡¯s report!¡± Coleus said. ¡°He, uh, wasn¡¯t able to find any memories inside this place at midnight.¡±

    ¡°Well, there goes that idea, I guess.¡± Amaris frowned. ¡°You¡¯d think he¡¯d be able to find us helpful information more often.¡±

    ¡°Would that be interesting?¡± Vayvaresi asked.

    Amaris twitched. ¡°I think it would be¡­¡±

    At this point, Vi came into the room. Amaris stood up to greet her. ¡°We¡¯re preparing. Our memory ghost hasn¡¯t found anything, so we¡¯re going ahead with the stakeout.¡±

    ¡°Good¡­¡± Vi glanced at the Kiris. ¡°Nekos? Really?¡±

    Amaris resisted the urge to go on a rant. ¡°Yes, they have skills and experience with magic.¡±

    ¡°...Fair enough.¡± Vi let out a haggard cough. ¡°I hope you¡¯re all still here in the morning.¡±

    ¡°If we aren¡¯t, you can call the rest of ORHI,¡± Amaris explained.

    ¡°Heh. Good luck. I¡¯m locking the place up now. If you can, please don¡¯t trash it.¡±

    ¡°No guarantees, as if a monster shows up we might have to fight it, but we¡¯ll do our best.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± For a moment, Vi looked like she was second-guessing this whole thing. Then she shrugged and walked out the back door, locking it.

    ¡°Okay, everyone!¡± Amaris said, clasping her hands. ¡°It is eight o¡¯clock! Weird stuff happens at eleven, so we need to spread out and find every nook and cranny of this place before then! Always travel in pairs and keep your walkie-talkies on and receiving!¡± Amaris held hers up and waved it. ¡°Got it?¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡± everyone called, except Kirishima, but Amaris knew she heard.

    ¡°All right, spread out!¡±

    ~~~

    Coleus ended up paired with Kirishima. Which was to say Coleus had picked her specifically because she looked like life was weighing her down like an anvil and Coleus wanted to try to cheer her up.

    ¡°Look at all these a-maze-ing hallways!¡± Coleus said, gesturing at the floor plan she had of the Arcade. Besides the show floor, which was just a massive open space, there were a lot of back rooms connected by narrow hallways. One might expect the hallways to be dark and oppressive, but considering that the show floor was only lit by neon absurdities, the normal lightbulbs in the ceiling were an incredible improvement. ¡°The left is right, but only right is right! Study carefully, we don¡¯t want to get lost later when a monster chases us through here!¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a maze,¡± Kirishima grumbled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, but I look at this map and I see a lot of hallways.¡±

    ¡°That are arranged normally and with plenty of doors and no dead ends that aren¡¯t a closet.¡±

    Coleus blinked. ¡°Well. Yeah. But isn¡¯t that cornpletely irreleva¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh look, another pointless pun that makes my soul feel like it¡¯s being ground against sandpaper, what an excellent way to improve my mood.¡±

    Coleus was stunned into silence, but she quickly recovered. ¡°Okay, I can stop with the puns.¡±

    ¡°Oh wow, she¡¯s going to do something she hates doing for my sake, that just makes me feel terrible.¡±

    Coleus put her hands on her hips. ¡°I was about to say ¡®it¡¯s almost like you don¡¯t want to have a good time¡¯ but then I realized that would be silly, because you actually don¡¯t want to have a good time. Well, guess what little lady? You¡¯re going to hang out with me and you¡¯re gonna like it.¡±

    ¡°Like the people on the Strider liked you when you locked them up in vines?¡±

    Coleus grinned evilly. ¡°Exactly.¡±

    Kirishima looked at her with an expression other than contempt for the first time ever¡ªfear crossed her face. She didn¡¯t say anything in return, she simply started walking faster, ahead of Coleus.

    Good, Coleus thought as a tear ran down her face. I wasn¡¯t going to be able to hold the pain in any longer¡­ She wiped her eyes, trying not to think of all those people in her vine prisons that had been burned to a crisp. She is going to try to push my buttons. I can¡¯t let them work. She can¡¯t win and she needs to have fun.

    It was slowly dawning on Coleus what a monumental task she had taken upon herself, and that perhaps her current emotional state wasn¡¯t up to the task.

    Oh well, too late to reconsider now¡­

    She started walking faster to catch up to Kirishima. ¡°So, to be clear, the locking you up with vines is purely meta-¡± she had to stop herself from making a pun and coughed on the syllable ¡°-phorical. I won¡¯t do that unless you attack me, which¡­¡± Coleus looked Kirishima up and down. ¡°Yeah, I do need to be prepared to do that.¡±

    ¡°Do you ever stop talking?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Good, consider doing that now.¡±

    ¡°We have to talk in order to do the job.¡±

    ¡°All we are doing is scouting out a hallway we already have a map of, there¡¯s not going to be anything here!¡±

    They turned a corner.

    There was a big door made out of some kind of red metal on a wall that supposedly led outside. It was not on the floor plan.

    Coleus gestured at the door.

    Kirishima visibly twitched. She marched over to the door and stretched out her hand.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that, are you crazy!?¡± Coleus shouted.

    Kirishima looked legitimately confused. ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to¡­¡±

    ¡°And get trapped in whatever psychotic death game is behind that door? No no no no no, we call this in to Amaris. Ahem.¡± Coleus whipped out the walkie-talkie. ¡°This is Coleus, we¡¯ve got something.¡±

    ¡°Already?¡± Amaris¡¯ voice came back. ¡°It¡¯s not even close to time!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s one of those mysterious doors that isn¡¯t on the floor plan.  This one¡¯s big, red, and metallic. It looks like it leads outside.¡±

    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Well, we didn¡¯t open it.¡±

    ¡°Sensible.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯d¡¯ve noticed a big red door on the outside.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, true. Location?¡±

    ¡°Western hallway.¡±

    ¡°Vayvaresi and I will be right there. ¡­By the way, Coleus, you doing alright? I haven¡¯t heard a single pun from you this conversation.¡±

    ¡°Kirishima has me on pun probation.¡±

    ¡°How cruel.¡±

    ¡°It is, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Mhm. See you soon.¡±

    Coleus twirled the walkie-talkie and put it away, fixing Kirishima with a smug grin.

    Kirishima simply folded her arms and leaned against the nearby wall, flicking her tail back and forth.

    ¡°So, do you want to sit in silence while we wait?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Too bad!¡± Coleus slid up to her and pulled out a purple peach and handed it to Kirishima. ¡°You get a snack instead!¡±

    Kirishima stared at the fruit for a few seconds. ¡°Did you¡­ grow that?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ yes?¡±

    Kirishima¡¯s face flashed with disgust.

    ¡°...In a garden. Not like¡­¡± Coleus searched herself for a moment. ¡°Where did you think I grew it?¡±

    ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to eat you!¡±

    ¡°Oooh, good to know I¡¯m not on the menu! That takes a load off my chest!¡± Coleus paused. ¡°...That doesn¡¯t count as a pun, right? That¡¯s just an expression¡­¡± She shook her head, holding the fruit out to her. ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡±

    Kirishima angrily grabbed it and started munching.

    ¡°Yay!¡±

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t mean anything,¡± Kirishima muttered.

    ¡°It means you¡¯re hungry. That¡¯s something.¡±

    Kirishima snorted and choked on her fruit, but quickly recovered.

    ¡°And that means you find me funny.¡± Coleus put her hands on her hips and grinned. ¡°And so it begins.¡±

    Kirishima grumbled something incoherently.

    ¡°One day, I shall learn to speak Kirishima-grunts. One day.¡±

    ¡°Good luck.¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡±

    ¡°No, that wa¡ª¡± Kirishima stopped herself.

    Coleus merely winked in response.

    A short while later, Amaris and Vayvaresi arrived at the end of the hall and jogged over. Pitch was currently out on Amaris¡¯ arm, coiling around just for the fun of it.

    Amaris stood in front of the door. ¡°Well. That¡¯s a door alright.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Kirishima deadpanned. ¡°Door.¡±

    Coleus chuckled. ¡°Door!¡±

    Amaris tapped her foot, thinking. ¡°Vayvaresi?¡±

    ¡°I sense nothing,¡± Vayvaresi said. ¡°...Correction. I have a deep foreboding sense of dread, but I have grown used to that sensation, particularly as of late.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, kind of comes with the territory.¡±

    ¡°Terror indeed,¡± Kirishima grumbled.

    Coleus put on her grumpiest face. ¡°Terrifying territory terror.¡±

    Kirishima snorted.

    Amaris turned around and gave the two of them an odd look.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind us,¡± Coleus said, keeping her grumpy expression.

    ¡°Really, don¡¯t,¡± Kirishima added. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t like the result.¡±

    ¡°...Kay¡­¡± Amaris returned her focus to the door. ¡°Well¡­ Vayvaresi, be ready, but I¡¯m gonna open it.¡± She cracked her knuckles and grabbed hold of the doorknob. She pulled it open.

    It led to a long, featureless red hallway with various other hallways connecting to it from the sides. There were no visible light sources but everything was clearly visible. There were no decorations, everything was made out of the same red metal.

    ¡°...A maze,¡± Kirishima deadpanned. ¡°Seriously. A maze.¡±

    ¡°A maze of hallways!¡± Coleus added.

    ¡°The universe hates me¡­¡±

    ¡°It hates Amaris, you¡¯re just next to her.¡±

    Amaris clicked her tongue. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll need to explore this, but before I send you in I want these doors off their hinges so you can¡¯t be inexplicably sealed in there. Coleus, you got this?¡±

    Coleus nodded. ¡°Yep!¡±

    Kirishima raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you going to tear it apart with vines?¡±

    ¡°That would actually take a lot of energy. No, I¡¯m going to be a bit more¡­ practical.¡± She pulled out a power drill and revved it up. ¡°It¡¯s engineering time.¡±

    ~~~

    Everyone else was looking around the show floor, considering that it took up most of the space in the establishment. They were still in pairs: Nina and Iwakiri on one end, Taylor and Orville on the other. Though, to be fair, Orville wasn¡¯t so much with Taylor as in her head, but at least he was present and watching her, which was the whole point.

    ¡°This is a very weird experience,¡± Taylor said.

    ¡°You¡¯re doing remarkably well,¡± Orville said as he examined the various arcade cabinets for anything suspicious. He was finding nothing.

    ¡°Just have to adjust to a new rule of conversation. Kind of like learning a new video game, really, just have to add some extra pauses in order to get things to work.¡±

    ¡°Some people really aren¡¯t suited for it.¡±

    ¡°Some people only live off instinct.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t call what you do instinct?¡±

    Taylor shook her head. ¡°To get good at a game you have to actively poke and prod around it, see where all the different niches lie. Try things, adjust your strategy. Just playing a lot until you get good leaves you with blind spots, and the serious players will use those blind spots to their advantage.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, perhaps I should try these games out¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you could play most of them the way you are now. Unless it was turn-based. And you had someone making your moves for you. But if there was anything that needed reaction time simply you being there would ruin it¡­¡± Taylor scratched her chin.

    ¡°Oh well, I suppose this is a curse, after all.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Anyway. Uh.¡± Taylor looked at her notebook. ¡°I think we¡¯re supposed to be cataloging the arcade cabinets?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sorry, I was quite distracting¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡± Taylor made a mark on her notebook about the nearby arcade cabinets, naming them next to their positions. ¡°Seen anything weird yet?¡±

    ¡°I am not well versed in arcade cabinets, but no, none of them has mysteriously started moving and the only people I see are you, Nina, and Iwakiri. To be fair, I am only looking through your eyes, to keep up the ¡®partner system.¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°I¡¯m just waiting for the other shoe to drop. We¡¯ll get some real excitement!¡±

    ¡°You really want a crazy adventure don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Yes, I do! I spend sooooo much of my time wishing I was actually in the video games, shooting aliens, tearing down evil monstrosities, finding magical creatures¡­¡±

    ¡°Careful, that¡¯s the sort of thing that would get you cursed like Amaris or myself.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I wouldn¡¯t mind that either. Cursed to be interesting¡­ she seems to be getting a kick out of it.¡±

    ¡°She would rather it not have happened, you know.¡±

    Taylor nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­ but like¡­¡± she sighed. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t have much to lose, Orville. Richard¡¯s basically it, and he¡¯d understand.¡±

    ¡°Your family¡­?¡±

    ¡°You go dig around my memory for a while, see why that isn¡¯t keeping me here.¡± Taylor crossed her arms.

    ¡°Something tells me I should stop talking now.¡±

    ¡°Probably. Or you could go dig around in my memory and see what you find. I¡¯m sure that won¡¯t make things even more awkward.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to make a note not to do that.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Taylor marked another arcade cabinet on her notebook. ¡°Now¡­ I think that¡¯s all of them, actually.¡±

    ¡°You are correct. Um¡­ shall we see if the others are done?¡±

    Taylor nodded, heading back to the center of the show floor. Nina and Iwakiri were already done and had laid out one of the maps on the ground, noting the arrangement of cabinets.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything odd,¡± Nina said, hand to her chin. ¡°Just arcade cabinets.¡±

    Iwakiri nodded. ¡°All the lines and chaotic placement can easily be explained by placement to optimize player playtime, making it hard to get out.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s going to make it hard to escape from the monster,¡± Taylor pointed out.

    ¡°It might not even be a monster,¡± Orville pointed out, dusting off his coat. ¡°Why, it could be some mysterious force that makes people vanish, or a simple hole in the ground that goes on forever.¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯m hoping for a monster.¡±

    Suddenly, all the lights went out.

    ¡°...You know, if I caused that, that¡¯s gonna be so funny later.¡±

    Nina sighed, turning on a flashlight and pulling out a walkie-talkie. ¡°The lights just went out, Amaris.¡±

    ¡°Huh? No they didn¡¯t. Not here, anyway.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re on the show floor.¡±

    ¡°Flashlight working?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Nina said, flicking the beam of light over a nearby arcade cabinet. Then the flashlight flickered out. ¡°Never mind, no.¡±

    ¡°Iwakiri, can you see?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but not well, eyes are still adjusting,¡± Iwakiri said. ¡°I don¡¯t hear or see any movement¡­¡±

    Suddenly, all the arcade cabinet screens lit up with static that was far louder than any of their speakers should have been able to produce. Iwakiri had to press his hands into his sensitive ears just to abate the pain. The cabinet in front of them gained a massive red eye in the middle of its screen, fixing its gaze right on Taylor. The arcade started to shudder rapidly, spewing loose change all over the ground while an ethereal red glow began to surround it, slowly taking the form of limbs of ghostly wire that ended in sparking tips.

    Taylor screamed.

    Iwakiri kicked the cabinet right in the screen, cracking it and knocking it over.

    The ethereal limbs vanished in an instant and all the lights turned back on.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    ¡°Ow,¡± the now tipped-over cabinet said with the kind of voice one would expect an office worker to have.

    Iwakiri stared down at it. Despite having a cracked and dead screen, the red eye was still visible. ¡°Ow?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Ow. I possessed the cabinet, you kicked it, it hurt. Ow.¡±

    Taylor poked her head out from behind Iwakiri. ¡°Y-you¡¯re not gonna tear us limb from limb?¡±

    ¡°How can I do that? You kicked me down!¡±

    ¡°Th-that¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s it!¡±

    Nina scratched the back of her head. ¡°Okay then¡­ that was¡­ easy.¡±

    At this point, Amaris and Vayvaresi ran up.

    ¡°Oh, do you want to kick me too?¡± the arcade cabinet asked.

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Amaris tilted her head. ¡°That depends, are you trying to hurt my friends?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Well, then I don¡¯t want to kick you.¡±

    ¡°Gee, how swell.¡±

    ¡°What are you, though?¡±

    The cabinet¡¯s single red eye blinked. ¡°You serious? I¡¯m a ghost! A ghost! I haunt things and scare people!¡±

    ¡°You are not doing that particularly well,¡± Vayvaresi pointed out.

    ¡°Oh, sorry, was I not scary enough by turning out the lights and forming ghostly limbs of murder!?¡±

    ¡°I do not know, I was not here to witness it.¡±

    ¡°He got Taylor at least,¡± Nina pointed out.

    ¡°I w-was not gotten!¡± Taylor stammered.

    ¡°You¡¯re still trembling.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m f-fine!¡±

    Amaris put her hands on her hips. ¡°Well, anyway, mister ghost¡­ do you have a name?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Problem?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ that¡¯ll be awkward.¡±

    ¡°Tough.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Well, in that case¡­¡± Amaris cleared her throat. ¡°Ghost, we are here to rid this arcade of supernatural influence.¡±

    ¡°On my first day!?¡±

    ¡°Your first day?¡± Amaris tilted her head. ¡°The supernatural happenings have been going on for at least ten years.¡±

    ¡°...You¡¯re kidding me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±

    The eye popped out of the broken arcade cabinet screen and gained numerous stress veins along its edges. ¡°I finally secure myself to a location for haunting and it¡¯s already occupied!?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah.¡± Amaris glanced at her watch. ¡°It¡¯s not even close to eleven yet, which is when the haunting supposedly starts.¡±

    The arcade ghost let out a long, agonized wail that sounded more pathetic than scary and settled back into his cabinet¡¯s broken screen.

    ¡°You¡­ okay?¡±

    ¡°Just leave me to die.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a ghost.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for reminding me of my predicament.¡±

    ¡°...You¡¯re welcome?¡±

    The ghost groaned. ¡°It¡¯s gonna take weeks to disconnect myself from this place and I won¡¯t be getting any scares in that time and that¡¯s gonna just tank everything down the drain¡­¡±

    ¡°Honestly, if you¡¯re just scaring people we might be able to cut a deal with the owner and let you stay here, as long as you don¡¯t hurt anyone.¡±

    This stunned the arcade cabinet into silence.

    ¡°...You sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡± Nina asked.

    Amaris shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t see why not, he might even be useful to this place, actually scare kids away rather than mysteriously making things disappear.¡±

    Iwakiri nodded. ¡°I like this idea.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re just letting the ghost¡­ stay?¡± Taylor asked, wide-eyed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s really a problem,¡± Amaris said with a shrug. ¡°I mean, you beat him by kicking the cabinet over, that¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°Insulting me in front of me,¡± the ghost grumbled. ¡°Gee, how delightful.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to talk to the owner to finalize the deal, but assuming we can do that, does it sound good?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    ¡°If not, we can find another place for you to haunt.¡±

    ¡°...Are you just messing with me?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯d like it much better if we could deal with supernatural strangeness by talking rather than a lot of screaming, blood, and arrows to the face.¡±

    ¡°All right fine I¡¯ll play nice.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± Amaris grinned. ¡°Now, mister nameless arcade ghost, you didn¡¯t know there was anything going on in this arcade before?¡±

    ¡°No. I just chose an arcade since it seemed fun and would probably have the most unique scenery, y¡¯know? Could do all sorts of cool things with the scares.¡±

    ¡°Right. Do you know anything about the mysterious door that appeared in the outer wall earlier tonight?¡±

    ¡°Um. A door appeared?¡± The ghost was silent for a moment. ¡°Yeah, no, don¡¯t know anything about that, I drifted in through the ground.¡±

    ¡°Anything about red hallways ring any bells?¡±

    ¡°Kid, I¡¯m a ghost, I haunt things and scare people. I¡¯m not here to solve some weird door mystery.¡±

    ¡°Well, maybe you could be of help to us?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Nina put her hands on her hips. ¡°We¡¯re being real patient with you, bud. We don¡¯t have to be.¡±

    ¡°I have a deal and I can tell you aren¡¯t the sorts to back off a deal, so no. I¡¯m not helping.¡± The ghost closed his eye and huffed.

    Amaris¡¯ left eye twitched. ¡°Well then maybe we¡¯ll use you as bait for the real monster.¡±

    ¡°Bluff.¡±

    ¡°I do think he is rather immune to coercion,¡± Vayvaresi pointed out. ¡°At least the kinds we are willing to engage in. I say we just leave him be and try to search for the real mystery here.¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°Fine. See you later, nameless ghost.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you for quite some time,¡± the ghost said. ¡°I am in the walls. My sight flows through the wires. Every screen is a face, you cannot escape me!¡±

    ¡°Then why are you still on the cabinet we kicked over?¡±

    The ghost stared at her blankly for a second. Then it was in one of the nearby cabinets, glowering at her.

    Amaris put her hand to the bridge of her nose. ¡°What a lame ghost¡­¡±

    ¡°I heard that!¡±

    ¡°So you did,¡± Amaris deadpanned. ¡°Anyway, everyone, what have you found about the cabinet layout?¡±

    ¡°Hey, stop ignoring me!¡±

    They kept ignoring him. Except Taylor, who did not take her eyes off him.

    ~~~

    Coleus and Kirishima looked down.

    There was a rope in front of their path.

    They looked behind them, following the rope they had tied to themselves back the way they had come in the endless red hallways.

    Kirishima threw a coin at the rope in front of them.

    They watched it fly into their view behind them.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing we have a rope attached to us, otherwise we would never have noticed that!¡± Coleus said, grinning.

    ¡°Indeed¡­¡± Kirishima took a few steps forward and found that, looking back, she could see herself standing on the rope. She placed her foot down on one of the segments and tugged on the part tied around her waist. She felt the rope shift under her foot.

    Coleus took out the walkie-talkie. ¡°Space is weird in here, Amaris.¡±

    ¡°Your signal is very faint,¡± a very garbled Amaris said from the other end.

    ¡°Probably because space is weird, we can currently see ourselves back along the path we came. It¡¯s loopy!¡± Coleus chuckled, then suddenly looked at Kirishima with wide eyes. ¡°I, uh, I mean, uh, it¡¯s crazy, yeah, crazy.¡±

    Kirishima rolled her eyes as she continued tugging at the rope in different ways, seeing how it felt. It was decidedly freaky to see herself tug a rope which in turn tugged her whole body forward. She flicked her tail to the side.

    ¡°You in any danger?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it.¡± Coleus looked around. ¡°Just a lot of twisting hallways.¡±

    ¡°Seems similar to the other doors we¡¯ve found, like the one under the school. ¡­No skeletons?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, not even any doors. Just hallway, hallway, hallway.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ aight, that¡¯s probably also unrelated to what we¡¯re supposed to deal with then. Keep exploring though.¡±

    ¡°Also unrelated?¡±

    ¡°We found an arcade ghost that moved in today, apparently.¡±

    ¡°How weird!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s very rude and annoyed that Iwakiri kicked him.¡±

    Coleus giggled. ¡°That sounds amazing.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I was not there to see it, alas¡­¡±

    ¡°Travesty.¡±

    ¡°Yep. Anyway, keep me posted, if you can¡¯t contact me with the walkie-talkie you¡¯ve gone too far.¡±

    ¡°You got it, boss!¡± Coleus hung up. ¡°So, shall we?¡±

    Kirishima suddenly stopped playing tug of war with herself. ¡°Uh? Oh. Sure.¡±

    ¡°...Having fun?¡±

    ¡°...Shut up.¡±

    ~~~

    Eventually, everyone was just waiting.

    Amaris, Vayvaresi, Orville, Iwakiri, Nina, and Taylor just sat on chairs in the middle of the arcade next to the arcade ghost. They¡¯d mapped out all the cabinets, closets, and every nook and cranny of the arcade, with only the infinite red hallways unaccounted for, and Coleus and Kirishima were working on that, continuing to find nothing.

    Amaris glanced at her watch. It was ten until eleven. ¡°Probably time to call them back¡­¡± She pulled out her walkie-talkie. ¡°Hey, Coleus, make sure to get to the entrance so you can watch it when the time comes, just in case.¡±

    No response came through.

    Amaris sighed. ¡°Of course¡­ Orville, are they okay?¡±

    Orville vanished. Half a minute later he came back. ¡°Yes, and Coleus apologizes profusely for going out of range, they are returning to the door now.¡±

    ¡°Backups upon backups¡­¡± Iwakiri nodded. ¡°Good. Very good.¡±

    ¡°Ready for anything,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Which means that whatever comes next is going to surprise us.¡±

    ¡°You all talk like insane people,¡± the ghost commented. He was currently inhabiting an arcade with a frog that hopped through a virtual maze. He was currently playing it. And not doing very well. His frog died to a pink skeleton and he started grumbling incoherently.

    ¡°We are insane people,¡± Amaris retorted.

    Nina grinned. ¡°You really are in your element here, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Amaris beamed. ¡°I am now, and yeah, now that I¡¯m used to all this there is a certain kind of¡­ thrill to it. It was still terrible to get here, but now that I¡¯m here, might as well make the most out of it, eh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you.¡±

    ¡°Auntie¡­¡± Amaris rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Yeah, I know. I hope you can handle what comes next.¡±

    ¡°I drove us away from a crazy angel memory thing at high speed! I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Amaris looked at Nina with knowing eyes. ¡°Auntie¡­ that¡¯s nothing. Part of me hopes you¡¯ll never see the harder stuff, but I also know that¡¯s an inevitability. It might be today that breaks you.¡±

    Taylor was tapping her foot anxiously.

    ¡°You too, for that matter,¡± Amaris told Taylor.

    ¡°I¡¯m f-fine¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re terrified.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just like being in a game.¡± Taylor opened and closed her fists. ¡°I can handle it.¡±

    ¡°It¡­ really isn¡¯t like that at all, and I think you¡¯re starting to see that.¡±

    Taylor tapped her foot. ¡°I can do this.¡±

    Amaris took in a sharp breath. ¡°Taylor, I¡­¡±

    Suddenly all of Vayvaresi¡¯s hairs stood on end. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡±

    Everyone stood up and started looking around for anything. But nothing had changed that they could see. The arcade cabinets were all still there. The lights were all on. The only unusual sound was the game music from the arcade the ghost was currently inhabiting.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure of it,¡± Vayvaresi iterated. ¡°I sense a deep, terrible presence¡­¡±

    ¡°Sure that¡¯s not me?¡± the ghost asked.

    ¡°Absolutely, you don¡¯t even register.¡±

    The ghost whimpered but did not return to playing his game. He shut it down and started looking around with his eye, hopping from cabinet to cabinet.

    Amaris pulled out the walkie-talkie. ¡°Coleus, we¡­¡± she didn¡¯t finish her sentence, because she realized she wasn¡¯t even getting static from the walkie-talkie. ¡°Well, there goes communications.¡±

    Orville frowned. ¡°Should I relay, or stay here?¡±

    ¡°Stay here, for now, there might be more to relay.¡±

    ¡°...you can¡¯t see outside anymore,¡± Iwakiri said.

    ¡°It¡¯s night,¡± Amaris pointed out.

    ¡°I could see the street light out that window before. Now I can¡¯t see anything.¡±

    Everyone slowly turned to the windows at the front of the arcade. Sure enough, nothing could be seen through them. It was absolute pitch darkness.

    ¡°...Maybe it only triggers if someone tries to leave,¡± Amaris suggested.

    ¡°So we stay here all night until it goes away!¡± Taylor suggested.

    ¡°We¡¯re here to solve the problem, not ignore it.¡± Amaris readied her crossbow. ¡°Vayvaresi, can you tell me anything about what you¡¯re feeling?¡±

    ¡°Deeply unsettled,¡± Vayvaresi said. ¡°Whatever it is has a raw presence of great power, but unlike anything I¡¯ve ever felt before.¡±

    ¡°Do you have a direction we could try to send Orville?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ yes, actually, right outside the front doors.¡±

    Amaris turned to Orville. ¡°Go update Coleus on what we know, and then try to see if you can find anything out there.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± And he was gone.

    Taylor shivered. ¡°We should have brought weapons¡­¡±

    ¡°We do have weapons,¡± Amaris pointed out. ¡°I have a crossbow and anti-magic arrows. Iwakiri and Kirishima have those purple crystals, and even though he¡¯s a bit of a jerk I¡¯m sure the ghost has some power.¡±

    ¡°And why would I help you?¡± the ghost demanded.

    ¡°Your life may be in danger shortly, despite you being a ghost.¡±

    ¡°Psh, if this is just another ghost¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m getting the distinct impression that it is not.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡­¡±

    Orville returned to Amaris¡¯ perceptions. ¡°I can¡¯t find anything out there. I was able to find someone outside the arcade though, and it doesn¡¯t look shrouded in darkness from the outside.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Amaris scratched her chin. ¡°I say we wait for Coleus to get back before trying anything.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s on her way,¡± Orville said. ¡°They¡¯re following the rope back now.¡±

    ¡°Good, good, until then, just be ready.¡±

    They could not have possibly been ready.

    One moment it was not there.

    The next moment it was, a six-fingered hand made of burned tree bark pressed right to Iwakiri¡¯s face. He ripped out his purple crystals and shone a bright light at the thing, but the light did not make it twitch, nor did it make the creature any brighter. It was not a black entity, either, no. It was dark, but largely brown, taking the appearance of a gnarled tree that had died so long ago it should have been dust. The thing had no eyes, and rather than legs it had numerous root-like appendages that were rooted to the ground, unmoving.

    Amaris shot one of her arrows at it, embedding the arrowhead in the wooden form. It didn¡¯t even flinch. It simply held fast to Iwakiri with its knobby, unmoving hand.

    Nina rushed forward, trying to pry the thing¡¯s fingers off Iwakiri, but found the rough protrusions even stronger than steel, despite feeling exactly like wood. There was no moving them.

    ¡°Iwakiri, talk to me!¡± Amaris said as she pulled a saw out of her backpack and tried to cut through the arm manually. The saw¡¯s blade quickly dulled.

    ¡°O-okay¡­¡± Iwakiri swallowed. ¡°I¡­ it feels woody, and¡­ nothing else besides that¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you see anything weird?¡±

    ¡°Its eyes.¡±

    Amaris glanced at the creature. ¡°It has no eyes.¡±

    ¡°Oh dear.¡±

    ¡°Can you describe them for me?¡± Amaris pulled out an anti-magic arrow and tried to cut the wooden thing. She was definitely able to cut into it, but it was slow progress as it was still solid wood.

    ¡°The eyes are¡­ white¡­ no, silver, like a mirror. I¡­ see me in them¡­¡±

    Then Iwakiri was just gone. There were no screams, no sparks, no dark aura, he was just gone. His clothes all dropped to the ground. The creature was in a new position, hands raised to the ceiling. A black trash bag had appeared on its back, about the size of a person.

    Amaris glanced at the clothes. ¡°...It just took someone!¡±

    ¡°Someone!?¡± Orville called. ¡°That was Iwakiri!¡±

    ¡°Then when it takes someone it wipes your memory!¡± Amaris called. She quickly jumped around the creature and grabbed hold of the bag behind it.

    There was definitely something live and breathing in there.

    But the moment she had touched the bag, suddenly the creature¡¯s hand was on her face.

    Oh no.

    ¡°Orville!¡± Amaris cried. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who can remember! You¡¯ve got to keep it together! I¡¯m probably going to end up in that bag there, as will everyone else!¡± All this time she struggled to get free, twisting her body, trying to get enough leverage to pop the arm out of a socket, ramming her pink crystals into the bark¡ªall to no avail. ¡°Make sure to watch Pitch!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll get you out of there!¡± Nina shouted, tearing at the wooden arm desperately.

    ¡°It¡¯s not going to work, Auntie, you need to run, or get the bag, or something!¡±

    Then Amaris saw it.

    The eyes. They appeared in front of the wooden form¡­

    Amaris shut her eyes. ¡°I saw its eyes! I¡­ oh crap I can still see them when my eyes are closed.¡±

    ¡°Amaris!¡± Nina shouted.

    ¡°Find Coleus! Orville, make sure to convey that! Coleus! It¡¯s a tree, maybe it¡¯ll work!¡±

    Vayvaresi tried to grab the bag while the creature held Amaris. Suddenly, everything moved again¡ªVayvaresi had a large gash across her face, Amaris was held higher into the air, and the bag was held closer to the beast¡¯s form.

    ¡°Move, everyone!¡± Amaris shouted.

    Nina finally listened. ¡°Orville, you better not let me forget!¡± She ran off, Vayvaresi at her heels.

    Taylor didn¡¯t move. Taylor could only stare at the beast.

    ¡°Taylor, you need t¡ª¡±

    And then Amaris was gone, her clothes and backpack falling to the ground. Pitch slithered out, confused.

    Taylor could only stare at the tree creature. The bag on its back was bigger, now. How had it gotten bigger?

    ¡°Taylor!¡± Orville shouted at her. ¡°That thing¡¯s going to put you in its bag and make everyone forget about you! You need to move!¡±

    The part of Taylor¡¯s mind that was able to comprehend sentences thought oh, guess there¡¯s two people I don¡¯t remember right now. That¡¯s great. Two sets of clothes on the ground. Amazing. I¡¯m next. I should run.

    Instead, her legs collapsed and she fell to her knees.

    The next thing she knew, she was in the creature¡¯s grip, wooden fingers wrapped around her head.

    Oh. I¡¯m next.

    ¡°Taylor!¡± Orville called. ¡°We¡¯ll¡­ we¡¯ll come back for you!¡±

    Sure. Yes.

    She saw the eyes form. She stared into them, not even blinking as they got bigger and bigger, filling her entire vision. She could feel the light washing over her, and a shadow began to take form in the eyes. A shadow¡­ her shadow. It was like looking in a dirty mirror in a dark room.

    Something in her mind flipped. She had been grabbed. She felt her body warm up slightly.

    Then the lights went out and she had a giant gash across her chest. She fell to the floor, gasping, unable to scream, but unable to ignore the searing fire on her chest.

    The creature was still before her, blood dripping off its fingers. It had no eyes, and no face, but Taylor somehow knew it was looking at her with contempt.

    It couldn¡¯t take me¡­ why?

    The creature remained in place for a few minutes. Then it was suddenly holding all the clothes that had fallen to the floor. Then it was gone, the only trace of its presence being the heavily injured Taylor.

    ¡°Holy mother of¡­¡± the ghost stammered from a nearby arcade screen. ¡°What even¡­¡±

    Taylor started wailing, not so much out of pain but of fear.

    ¡°Hey, um, I, er¡­ it¡¯ll be¡­ fine? Um¡­¡± the ghost blinked. ¡°Right so¡­ that¡¯s a bad wound you are totally going to die if I don¡¯t do something. Um. Um. Um¡­¡±

    Pitch slithered up to Taylor and started licking her tears away.

    ¡°Yes, thank you snake, you¡¯re really helpful in giving me ideas¡­¡± the ghost muttered. He possessed the nearest arcade cabinet he could and formed some ethereal legs for it so he could walk over to Taylor. He rolled her onto her back, forcing gravity to do some of the work keeping the blood in her. ¡°So. Uh¡­ snake?¡±

    Pitch flicked out his tongue.

    ¡°You think cauterizing with soulfire and exposed electricity is going to work¡­?¡±

    Pitch tilted his head to the side.

    ¡°Okay, no, uh¡­ how about I just¡­¡± The eye popped out of the main screen. Still tethered to the arcade, he pushed forward and released a bunch of red flames into Taylor¡¯s body.

    Her eyes lost all color, becoming pure white.

    ~~~

    ¡°...And I¡¯ve got to go check on the others, bye!¡± Orville vanished from Coleus¡¯ perceptions.

    Coleus turned back to Kirishima as they ran back along the red hallways. ¡°Right so, um, apparently we used to know two people called Amaris and Iwakiri?¡±

    Kirishima¡¯s nose scrunched up. ¡°Why does that last one sound like my name a little¡­?¡±

    ¡°No idea, but we knew them and they¡¯ve been erased from our minds somehow. Dark tree monster on the prowl, has a bag full of something, probably Amaris and Iwakiri. Fortunately¡­ I am plant-tastic! That tree won¡¯t know what hit him.¡±

    ¡°I bet you¡¯re mighty proud that you¡¯re what¡¯s needed today.¡±

    ¡°Not really!¡± Coleus said with a nervous chuckle. ¡°But I¡¯ll take it!¡±

    ¡°Of course you w¡ª¡± Kirishima ran face-first into something invisible, forcing it into reality. An eyeball with bat wings flew onto the ground, dead. ¡°What in¡­?¡±

    ¡°Jenny finds those things all over, I think they¡¯re always watching us.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it! Yet! We have bigger problems!¡±

    At long last, they finally returned to the entrance to the hallways. As it happened, Nina and Vayvaresi arrived at the same time.

    Coleus¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°Vayvaresi, your curse!¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, I¡­¡± Vayvaresi tilted her head. ¡°Wait, why am I even¡­?¡±

    Nina let out a scream of panic and kicked Vayvaresi in the chest, tossing her into the hall outside. ¡°Why was I running with that thing!?¡±

    ¡°Ow¡­ ribs¡­¡± Vayvaresi groaned from her position in the arcade hall.

    Nina ran into the red hall with Coleus and Kirishima. ¡°You got this, Coleus?¡±

    Coleus put her hands out in front of her, smirking. ¡°I may be a free leaf dryad, but I am still a dryad. Plants bow to my will.¡±

    The entity was suddenly present and its hand was already on Kirishima¡¯s face.

    ¡°Oh, you wanna take me on, buddy!?¡± Kirishima shouted. ¡°Bring it!¡± She started literally trying to bite the hand off.

    ¡°Get off her!¡± Coleus shouted, using her powers on the bark of the monstrosity, forming flowers and vines out of the wooden structure, pushing on Kirishima¡¯s face.

    This did something. However, Coleus never saw the creature move¡ªshe only knew that it was on her face now, and that several cracks had formed in the tree creature¡¯s ¡°trunk¡± of bark.

    Coleus started growing plants from the bark to prevent it from touching her face. ¡°Hah! I¡¯ve got you right where I want you, tree-ture!¡±

    Kirishima groaned.

    ¡°I earned that one, I¡¯ve saved your life.¡±

    ¡°Fine¡­¡±

    Coleus, even though the hand still had her held, kept growing more and more vines all around the creature, using its own bark as nutrients. Her goal was to consume the entire creature, converting it into her plants bit by bit until nothing was left, and that would free whoever was in that large sack on its back¡­

    The creature moved. One moment it was trying and failing to grab Coleus¡¯ face. The next its fingers were inside Coleus¡¯ face, having punctured her skin in six separate locations.

    Coleus had never known such pain. She screamed, the highly pressurized water within her veins spraying out of the seams between her skin and the creature¡¯s wooden fingers.

    ¡°Hey, idiot!¡± Kirishima shouted, holding a purple crystal in her hands. ¡°Eat this!¡± She focused the light from the crystal to a single point on the creature¡¯s main body. It readily lit on fire as though it were made of kindling.

    The creature did not move. It simply stared into Coleus. She could see the eyes¡­ ¡­and then herself. At this point, she stopped screaming.

    Then she was gone. She had only been wearing a shirt and a satchel, which fell to the ground. Her ¡°dress¡± had been part of her body.

    The creature¡¯s sack got bigger. It was now no longer on fire.

    Kirishima growled. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s slow, let¡¯s try to run around it and take our chances with the darkness outside.¡±

    Nina stared at the shirt on the ground, horrified.

    ¡°Move, idiot!¡± Kirishima grabbed Nina by the collar.

    She didn¡¯t even make it one step before the ground rumbled. The entrance to the arcade shimmered with a bright light¡­ and was replaced with a single, featureless red wall.

    There was no longer a way out.

    The tree creature seemed just as confused at this as Kirishima and Nina, because rather than attack them, it changed its shape to thrust its claws into the new wall. This had no evident effect on the wall.

    ¡°New plan, run into the chaos!¡± Kirishima grabbed Nina and rushed into the red hallways, using her mental map of the area to choose the most convoluted route she could think of.

    Except, she quickly found that the layout had changed. Some hallways were in slightly different positions. Some had a gradual slope to them. And others¡­

    ¡­ended in a door. A bright blue door

    ¡°Can we¡­ take¡­ a moment¡­?¡± Nina gasped.

    The tree creature appeared behind them, pointing a wooden finger right at Kirishima.

    ¡°Nope!¡± Kirishima said, opening the door and jumping right in. Whatever¡¯s on the other side of this can¡¯t be worse than here¡­

    ~~~

    Vayvaresi returned to the show floor with a limp. She was immensely shocked to find Taylor standing up on her own two feet. ¡°Taylor?¡±

    Taylor looked down at Vayvaresi, her shades glinting in the neon lighting. ¡°...Hi Vayvaresi.¡±

    ¡°Are you¡­ okay?¡± Vayvaresi could clearly see the massive amounts of blood all over her shirt and the parts of her skin that were exposed. There was also a very large puddle a short distance away¡­

    ¡°I¡­ guess?¡±

    Vayvaresi took a step back. ¡°I¡­ uh¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°But my curse¡­¡±

    ¡°Guess it doesn¡¯t work anymore.¡±

    ¡°These broken ribs from Nina say otherwise¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah. She¡¯s still human.¡±

    Vayvaresi looked up at her. ¡°What¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m dead.¡± Taylor put a hand to her chin and a tear rolled down her cheek. ¡°I¡¯m a freaking zombie!¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± the ghost shouted from his arcade cabinet. ¡°You are not a zombie! Well. Not the traditional kind anyway. I think you¡¯re closer to a vampire?¡±

    ¡°Oh, so I have to drink people¡¯s blood!?¡±

    ¡°Well, no, that¡¯s not it either, and you aren¡¯t going to burn in the sunlight. You¡¯re kind of just¡­ reanimated?¡±

    ¡°A freak. Great. That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s great.¡± She sat down on a nearby chair. Pitch slithered out from inside her shirt and started licking her face. She seemed to find this a comfort. ¡°I was always a freak but now I don¡¯t even know what kind¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, a little thanks would be nice,¡± the ghost said.

    ¡°I am not going to do that!¡± Taylor shouted at the top of her lungs. Then she slumped. ¡°No, no, you¡¯re right, this is better than dead. ¡­Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Glad to be of service.¡±

    ¡°I asked for this,¡± Taylor said, looking at her hands. Aside from her own blood that had gotten on them, they looked the same as normal. ¡°I asked for this. I¡­¡± Suddenly, a scowl crossed her face and she stood bolt upright. ¡°What am I complaining bout? I asked for this! I¡¯m on an adventure! Who cares if I¡¯m dead inside!? I am¡­ going to¡­ face that¡­¡± the thought of the wooden creature made her start quaking in her boots.

    ¡°Taylor, it¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t do it,¡± Vayvaresi said. ¡°Not everyone can, and sometimes people are forced to.¡±

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s going to die¡­¡±

    ¡°Pretty sure they just get put in the sack. I am unsure why you weren¡¯t¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    Orville appeared to Vayvaresi. ¡°Coleus has been taken. The plant girl we were relying on to solve everything.¡±

    ¡°Great¡­¡± Vayvaresi growled. ¡°What¡¯s our plan now, Orville?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know! I think that was it! ¡­Check the darkness outside, maybe?¡±

    Vayvaresi ran to the front doors and opened them.

    The darkness was not some kind of magical cloud or miasma. It was just utter nothing. Vayvaresi could poke her head outside and look down for eternity. There was just nothing.

    ¡°Dead end,¡± Vayvaresi said, closing the door with one of her tails.

    ¡°The arcade still looks fine to observers outside it¡­¡±

    ¡°If you get someone else in here, I bet they also become trapped,¡± Vayvaresi said. ¡°One-way door.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still in here with us¡­¡± Taylor whimpered.

    ¡°Actually no, it was trapped in the hallways with Nina and Kirishima,¡± Vayvaresi said. ¡°We¡¯re probably safe.¡±

    ¡°Then why is it still dark outside if it¡¯s gone!?¡±

    ¡°It probably just has a lingering presence.¡± Vayvaresi looked outside and flicked her tails. ¡°I certainly don¡¯t feel the massively imposing presence anymore. Though when that hallway sealed, I¡­¡± Vayvaresi tilted her head to the side. ¡°I can¡¯t even describe that.¡±

    Suddenly, one of the arcade games lit up.

    ¡°Ghost!¡± Taylor shouted.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t me! Wasn¡¯t me!¡± The ghost insisted. Which, to be fair, he was currently on the computer at the front desk, not in any of the cabinets. The cabinet in question that had activated was the one with the frog in a maze running from skeletons.

    Taylor approached it, empty eyes widening. ¡°What in the¡­?¡±

    She saw two pixelated figures in the maze, running as fast as they could from¡­ a stationary, brown, tree-like sprite.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s in there!¡±

    ¡°Ghost!¡± Vayvaresi shouted. ¡°Get in here, help them!¡±

    ¡°That seems like a bad idea!¡± the ghost said.

    ¡°What is the tree going to do, grab your head? It ignored you last time, you¡¯re safe!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ fine!¡± The ghost shifted to the maze cabinet. ¡°This feels really weird¡­¡±

    ~~~

    Kirishima ran through the blue-and-black pixelated maze she currently found herself in. In one hand she had a tight grip on Nina, and in the other she had a purple crystal.

    A pink pixelated skeleton appeared in front of her. She shot it with her laser and it disintegrated into pink cubes that vanished immediately after.

    ¡°We¡¯re inside the game¡­¡± Nina realized. ¡°I¡­ how!?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s in here too!¡± She glanced behind them, catching sight of the seemingly stationary tree creature reaching out for them. It was closer than the last time she¡¯d checked. Never see it move but boy is it fast¡­

    A white skeleton with red eyes appeared in front of them.

    ¡°That¡¯s not in the game¡­¡± Nina said.

    ¡°Is this thing on?¡± The ghost¡¯s voice came from the skeleton.

    ¡°Ghost!?¡± Nina shouted.

    ¡°Ghost?¡± Kirishima said, lowering her crystal.

    ¡°It¡¯s the ghost! How¡­?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in my arcade cabinet,¡± the ghost said. ¡°Anyway, Vayvaresi is yelling at me to take care of the tree creature, so¡­¡± the skeleton ran past them and stepped on the tree creature. The skeleton immediately shattered into white pixels and flew off in several directions.

    ¡°Well that didn¡¯t work,¡± a yellow skeleton said from another maze hall. ¡°How about¡­ the player character!¡±

    A giant frog hopped over Nina and Kirishima, landing between them and the tree creature. It stuck its tongue out and wrapped it around the tree. The frog, being the player character in the game, did not simply disintegrate on contact with the tree creature, though it did start flashing repeatedly.

    Then the tree vanished.

    ¡°It¡¯s moved along a different path,¡± the ghost said. ¡°Weird¡­¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t pass through the frog!¡± Nina called. ¡°See, the frog serves as a block unless it hops over something. The rules of the game are absolute!¡±

    ¡°Aha! I can just use it to protect you! Infinite frog wall block!¡±

    The tree creature suddenly appeared in the hall in front of them. The frog hopped over the two of them and blocked the tree beast¡¯s path.

    ¡°This won¡¯t last forever, you¡¯re eventually going to run out of life!¡± Nina called. ¡°We need a way out! You can see the entire maze, right? Can you see a door?¡±

    ¡°Yes, actually. It¡¯s¡­ quite a ways away, oh dear¡­¡±

    ¡°Shortest path?¡±

    ¡°Give me a sec this maze is complicated!¡±

    ¡°Just ask Taylor, she¡¯ll know instantly!¡±

    ¡°Taylor is¡­ having a fun time right now.¡±

    ¡°Well, shake her out of it!¡±

    ¡°This is not going to work¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°They are going to die right in front of me¡­¡± Taylor breathed. ¡°They. Are going to die. On this arcade screen. There is nothing I can¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± the ghost shouted. ¡°I need you to find the fastest path to the door!¡±

    Taylor glanced at the maze. She knew the layout, it was familiar to her, and the door was in a place of high traffic. She knew the path instantly.

    ¡°Where do I take them?¡±

    ¡°D-down!¡± Taylor stammered.

    Immediately the two figures in the game started moving downward, the frog hopping along behind them.

    The tree, however, was faster, and was taking an alternate route¡­ it would catch up with them.

    ¡°Stop the tree!¡± Taylor called.

    ¡°Working on it¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going the wrong way!¡± Taylor grabbed hold of the arcade cabinet¡¯s controls and directed the frog¡¯s motion to take a slight detour to block the tree without being anywhere near Nina and Kirishima. She laughed nervously. ¡°It¡¯s so going to kill me for this¡­¡±

    ¡°How is it even going to know you¡¯re doing it?¡± Vayvaresi asked.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know! Heh¡­ HAH!¡± A crazed grin crawled up Taylor¡¯s face. ¡°I¡­ I can do this! You¡¯re in a game you stupid tree! This is my world now!¡± She had two hits left where she could use the frog to block the tree¡¯s progress. She knew exactly where she needed to go if the tree played optimally, and it wasn¡¯t, because it clearly had no idea of the map¡¯s layout! She could toy with it, mocking it with the frog, bouncing back and forth for style points only to hop right back over it¡­

    This was her game.

    With her at the helm, it was essentially trivial to run circles around the tree. Nina and Kirishima easily got through the door. However, after that, the tree destroyed the frog, and it respawned too far away to stop it.

    The tree also made it through the door.

    ¡°...You did it,¡± Vayvaresi said from on top of the arcade cabinet.

    ¡°I¡­ I did¡­¡± Taylor let out a show, shaky breath. ¡°I did!¡± She pointed an aggressive finger at the arcade. ¡°Take that, stupid tree, this zombie¡¯s beat you dowwwwwn! Down! Down!¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t hear you and you are not a zombie,¡± the ghost deadpanned.

    Taylor was too busy doing a very bad victory dance.

    ~~~

    Amaris had not lost awareness the entire time.

    To be fair, she might have preferred it if she had. The moment the light enveloped her, she was suddenly forced into a fetal position with dry, itchy cords wrapping her ankles and wrists together. She was completely naked and, oh, to top it all off, her eyes and mouth were sewn shut with the cords and burned her flesh with every jostle of the sack.

    Normal screaming wasn¡¯t really an option with a sealed mouth, but panic sure was. And she was this close to panicking.

    But no. No, she¡¯d been through terrible things, and she got through them by keeping her head on her shoulders. Even though she was blind, mute, unarmed, and had very little range of motion, surely there was something she could do?

    She finally started trying to take stock of her surroundings. She had no eyes, but there were other senses. Her sense of touch was the most immediately obvious, there were two others in here with her: the leaves of Coleus were impossible to ignore, and there was¡­ skin and fur, a neko. Probably that Iwakiri she was made to forget about. Curiously, Coleus was in here, and she hadn¡¯t forgotten about her¡­ guess the tree monster didn¡¯t bother wiping memories of those already taken.

    Ignoring the moment how disgusting, sweaty, and disturbing being pressed this closely together inside of a sack was, she tried to take stock of the other two. Both of them were breathing, but very slowly. Was she just lucky to be awake? Or was she the only one who hadn¡¯t passed out from the pain and stress? Probably the latter, actually¡ªhaving cords sewn through her eyelids was decidedly unpleasant, but still a far cry from nearly being beaten to death by Freddloi.

    She nudged the other two a few times but they didn¡¯t really respond. She was alone in whatever she tried.

    The sack itself was evidently simple burlap; flakey, itchy, and smelly¡ªmostly of sweat, but also of blood. Old blood. This sack had been used for this purpose many times¡­

    She turned lastly to her ears. It was hard to hear what was going on outside the sack, it was all muffled, but¡­ it sounded like a lot of very loud arcade noises? Was that the voice of the ghost? And¡­ a digitized ribbit?

    She didn¡¯t have any idea what that meant, but she decided it wasn¡¯t going to help her. She needed out, and despite her very soul screaming at her to flail wildly and get out, she forced that part of herself down¡ªthough, in the process, made herself feel sick to her stomach. She gagged, but with the sealed mouth, nothing could come out, though she did burn her lower sinuses with the stomach acid.

    The sack was old and flaking. That was clearly the weak point she could exploit. However, the obvious answer¡ªusing her teeth¡ªwas impossible. She was going to have to use her fingers. She was a girl who kept her nails short, but not so short that they wouldn¡¯t be useful here. Even with her wrists tied to her ankles, she could still force her fingers into the burlap and start etching away at it¡­ by touch, she found a spot where the bag was particularly old, frayed, and a little dry. She started running her nails back and forth across it, tearing bits and pieces of fabric off one at a time.

    It was slow work. But it was working.

    The only problem was Amaris didn¡¯t know how long she had. So she worked as frantically as she could, using all of her fingers to tear, tear, tear!

    She eventually cut a hole in the sack. At which point she decided that the best thing she could do was not try to pry it apart with her hands, as those were locked together, but instead just attempt to ram her entire head through the opening.

    This worked like a charm.

    The entire sack ripped open, depositing her, Coleus, and Iwakiri onto the ground, which was¡­ made of corn? Were they in a cornfield?

    She sat there in silence on top of a bunch of corn. A cool night breeze blew over her skin.

    There was nothing left for her to do. She was out. She couldn¡¯t see, she couldn¡¯t talk, and she couldn¡¯t really move.

    It was only then that the helplessness truly set in.

    She tried to scream, but only grunts could come out. She flailed and kicked and twisted around, but the cords held fast. She tried to open her mouth but her body would not let her fray her lips like that.

    There was nothing she could do anymore.

    ~~~

    Nina and Kirishima ran through the moonlit cornfield. The door had let them out right in the middle of it, and so they took their opportunity and ran.

    The wooden creature evidently didn¡¯t like them being outside, for when it made it through the door after them, it let out a cry of rage akin to a tree snapping in half when struck by lightning.

    It appeared in front of them, multiple cracks forming across its central trunk. It no longer had the sack.

    ¡°It gets cracks whenever it moves too fast¡­¡± Kriishima said as she hit it with a laser, lighting it on fire. ¡°We just need to¡­¡±

    The creature moved again, grabbing Kirishima¡¯s face in its hand. It was no longer on fire.

    Kirishima shrieked in rage and lit the hand itself on fire, spreading the flames across her own skin. Even as she burned herself, she didn¡¯t care. Let it burn. You¡¯re going to have to move to take care of your hand! I don¡¯t care how indestructible you are, those fingers are thin! BURN!

    She was right. The creature did have to back off to remove the fire from its hand. However, as it did so, it cut Kirishima across the stomach, but it was not a deep wound, likely because it spent the rest of its ¡°movement¡± getting rid of the fire.

    Kirishima, bleeding and with a heavily burned face, continued her run with relentless determination.

    ¡°Help!¡± Nina called as they ran. ¡°Somebody help us!¡±

    They suddenly rushed out of the corn¡­ and into a crop circle.

    The two of them stopped dead in their tracks. The air within the crop circle was a dead calm. There had been wind elsewhere in the field. Not here.

    ¡°...I have an idea,¡± Nina said. ¡°Let¡¯s trick it.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    Nina did the leading this time. Running around the edge of the crop circle, they came to the other end, placing the center of the circle between them and where they had entered.

    ¡°You feel it too, that this place is dangerous?¡± Nina asked.

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Kirishima¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re going to have it pass through the center!¡±

    ¡°Exactly. I¡¯m¡­ thinking it¡¯s too greedy¡­¡±

    ¡°If this doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯m dead¡­¡±

    ¡°Got a better plan?¡±

    Kirishima looked at her purple crystal. ¡°Burn my face again.¡±

    ¡°Great plan¡­¡±

    The creature moved.

    It was stopped in the center of the crop circle.

    Kirishima laughed, the rocking motion making her trip over a rock. In a panic, she grabbed hold of Nina, pulling her down with her into the corn.

    This was extremely lucky, for an instant later the crop circle lit up with a burst of blinding light, sending a beam straight into the sky, right at the moon. They would have been consumed if they had remained inside a moment longer.

    But the tree creature was reduced to nothing more than ash in the wind.

    Nina threw her fists into the air. ¡°All right!¡± Her smile vanished instantly. ¡°Amaris!¡±

    Kirishima¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Iwakiri!¡±

    The two of them ran back the way they came, finding the discarded sack¡­ and three fetal forms tied up on the ground nearby. Two of them were clearly out cold, but the third¡­ the third was flailing frantically.

    ¡°Amaris! Amaris!¡± Nina wailed. ¡°Amaris, it¡¯s okay, Auntie Nina¡¯s here, Auntie Nina¡¯s here!¡±

    Kirishima took a much slower approach, kneeling down to look at the form of her brother. ¡°...How could I have ever¡­?¡± She shook her head, removing a knife from her pocket and starting to cut all the cords. For a moment, she stopped, turning to Coleus. Her frown deepened before she resumed her work.

    Nina got through Amaris¡¯ mouth threads first. Amaris opened her mouth and gasped. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­¡±

    ¡°Amaris, I¡¯m so, so sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°You remember me, that means you won¡­¡± Amaris took in another gasp. ¡°I¡­ Auntie. This¡­ this is what we have to deal with.¡± Even though her eyes were still sealed shut, she looked right at Nina. ¡°This is going to keep happening.¡±

    The weight of it all suddenly hit Nina. She slumped to the ground, staring blankly into the distance as her face paled.

    Amaris shivered in the cold, but she didn¡¯t prod her aunt to continue cutting anything. She could deal with being cold and blind for a few more minutes. Nina needed to think. And Amaris¡­

    ¡­Amaris was safe. She knew she was safe, and remembered. The cords that still bound her were temporary, no longer an offense that had to be removed right then and there.

    She was no longer powerless.

    But for a moment, for that moment before she heard Nina¡¯s voice¡­

    Even now, I can¡¯t just take on everything¡­

 XXIII - The Society of Pointed Hats

    EPISODE XXIII

    The Society of Pointed Hats

    Kirishima and Iwakiri slinked down an alleyway in the middle of the night. This was normal behavior for them, even before they were ¡°hired¡± by ORHI. However, they usually did this in alleyways in the dregs; tonight they were on the other side of Nuk, in a human-dominated poor region. The buildings were of low quality, there were rats everywhere, and many houses had multiple families crammed into them like sardines. But at least the citizens here generally didn¡¯t have to fear for their lives from random people walking on the street. Though this meant nothing to the more unusual dangers that everyone pretended didn¡¯t exist¡­.

    Kirishima looked down at her hand. Within, wrapped up in plastic, was a decidedly red crystal. One of the street urchins in the dregs had been trying to pawn it off secretly, but Iwakiri had intercepted him. Kirishima later forced him to talk. He had found it inside an abandoned warehouse.

    A warehouse that the two nekos could now see at the end of the alleyway.

    Kirishima held out a hand, telling Iwakiri to stop moving. ¡°...You good for this?¡±

    Iwakiri was silent. Just as Kirishima was beginning to wonder what was going on, he spoke. ¡°Oh, right¡­ Yeah. I¡¯m¡­ fine.¡±

    Kirishima looked back at him. Neko eyes could see just fine in moonlight, and the scars around her brother¡¯s lips and eyes were evident, as was the fact that he was distracted. ¡°Iwakiri¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he reiterated.

    ¡°You don¡¯t look it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Repeating yourself doesn¡¯t make me believe you any more.¡±

    Iwakiri crossed his arms. ¡°Do you want to call this off because I might not be fine?¡±

    Kirishima scowled. Yes. ¡°No. We¡¯re here, this is the only lead we¡¯ve gotten in weeks on these crystals, we need to follow through. For Grandpa.¡±

    ¡°Pretty sure they won¡¯t hurt Grandpa even if we fail.¡±

    ¡°Oh in that case let¡¯s just stroll on back and accept failure right now.¡±

    ¡°Kirishima¡­¡±

    Don¡¯t push it. ¡°Let¡¯s just get moving.¡± She cautiously moved forward, making as little noise as possible. The warehouse was completely ordinary from the outside¡ªit was made of warped metal siding, had one large entrance, a few small ones, and no windows. Seeing the interior was not an option from their vantage point.

    Kirishima gestured for Iwakiri to listen in while she kept watch. He pressed his ear to one of the smaller entrances, closing his eyes so he could listen closely.

    Kirishima waited, eyes darting left and right, just waiting for something to come out of nowhere and attack them.

    Nothing came. There wasn¡¯t even a cricket. Their only companion was the crescent moon overhead.

    ¡°There are people in there,¡± Iwakiri whispered.

    Kirishima¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They were trying to be quiet, not speaking. But I heard their footsteps. There are less than a dozen of them. They opened a trapdoor and descended into some kind of basement where I can¡¯t hear them anymore.¡±

    ¡°...Is anyone still on the main floor?¡±

    ¡°No, all of them went down.¡±

    Dangit, that means we can go further in. ¡°Will the door alert them?¡±

    Iwakiri firmly placed one of his hands under the door and the other on the doorknob. It was awkward, but this way he could apply force to ease the tension on the hinges, reducing the metallic creaking that would have occurred significantly. ¡°No.¡±

    With a soft sigh, Kirishima entered the warehouse. Even though Iwakiri had said all of them had gone down below, she continued sneaking. The interior of the warehouse was filled to the brim with dust and old boxes interspersed occasionally with the bones of a rat. Clearly, this warehouse had not been used for its intended purpose in many years. In fact, there was little sign of people at all¡ªthe primary indication was a section near the center without any dust on the ground. No footprints, notably, but there was a broom set up on a nearby box which had clearly had dust knocked off of it. The people, whoever they were, had been making some effort to cover their tracks, only someone skilled in tracking would likely have noticed that there were signs of foot traffic.

    Kirishima wasn¡¯t falling for it, though. She did have to admit, it was a good thing to do, because had they not swept up the dust their shoe prints could be picked out by any kid off the street. As it was, it took a bit of looking around to actually find the trapdoor. It was naturally within an area cleared of dust, but it was so flush with the concrete floor that it almost couldn¡¯t be seen. Kirishima had to step on it and feel its decidedly non-concrete makeup under her shoe to realize where it was. Fortunately, she had a light step, so no noise came from the step.

    Kirishima stared at the trapdoor. They could be right under it. Opening it would be very dangerous¡­

    Iwakiri pressed his ear to the ground, listening. He quickly stood up and then proceeded to open the trapdoor carefully and slowly. It was clearly very light and made less noise than the warehouse door itself. Underneath was a very narrow and steep staircase.

    Iwakiri turned to Kirishima and nodded. He paused, an unspoken offer to let her go first.

    She shook her head and waved him on. I¡¯m keeping an eye on you.

    Iwakiri shrugged and started slowly descending the stairs. Kirishima followed afterward. She purposefully left the trapdoor open, making a faster escape route.

    The stairway was dark, but it reached the basement floor rather quickly. They could see faint light up ahead, leaking from around a corner. As they approached it, they noted the complete lack of objects down here¡ªit was just a bare dirt floor with stone walls.

    Kirishima could hear them now, the people. They were muttering very softly¡ªno, not muttering. Chanting. They were chanting very softly, using words Kirishima did not know. At the edge of the corner, Iwakiri crouched low and poked his head around the edge, just enough to get his eyes past the obstruction. Kirishima leaned over top of him, doing the same with her eyes.

    There were eleven people in the room. There were humans, nekos, and cats all present, unified only by a single piece of attire: all of them wore brightly colored pointy hats with wide brims. There were a handful of colors, but red and green were the most common. They were standing in a semicircle facing the opposite wall, from which light was emanating. A simple square shape had been carved into the wall, and it was this square that seemed to be the target of the group¡¯s murmuring.

    In unison, all the members of the group lifted a hand or a paw into the air. The glint of a colorful crystal could be seen held between fingers or strapped to a paw for every member, the colors of which matched their hats.

    That¡¯s enough.

    Kirishima grabbed Iwakiri¡¯s collar and dragged him back to the stairs. He did not resist, because doing so would have made a noise. They snuck out of the basement, closed the trapdoor, and left the warehouse.

    However, the moment they were outside, Iwakiri spoke. ¡°Why¡¯d we leave? They had no idea we were there.¡±

    ¡°We got enough information.¡±

    ¡°We could have gotten more.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need to take an unnecessary risk.¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t that big of a risk!¡±

    ¡°And Orville can do it with no risk at all. Come on, time to go.¡±

    Iwakiri glared at his sister. ¡°You need to stop trying to protect me.¡±

    You just can¡¯t see what you need. ¡°I¡¯m being perfectly reasonable and you know it.¡±

    ¡°No. No I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Then maybe there is something up with you and you do need protection. Or not to be out here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to sit around all day feeling sorry about myself.¡±

    At least you wouldn¡¯t be in danger then. Kirishima didn¡¯t say anything and simply started walking away.

    Iwakiri shoved his hands in his pockets and followed after her, muttering all the while.

    ~~~

    It was a quiet, beautiful morning outside ORHI headquarters. Coleus was gingerly trimming a few of the exterior bushes to prompt more flowers to grow, several nesting birds filled the air with their song upon waking, and there were just enough clouds in the sky to never cover the sun but still make it interesting to look up. Coleus hummed a tune to herself as she worked, only adding to the idyllic sense.

    Inside ORHI, however, it was a different story.

    Snarling. Growling. Gnashing of teeth. Metallic clanks. Rustling. Electronic noises.

    All coming from a dozen multicolored puffball creatures in a metal cage. They appeared to be nothing more than fuzz and mouth, and that mouth had hundreds of razor-sharp teeth. Each puffball¡¯s teeth were made out of a different kind of metal: gold, copper, iron, and some that were not readily identifiable. The type of metal used in the teeth appeared unrelated to the bright color of the fur.

    They were currently trying to gnaw their way out of the cage. If they were given an hour, they might succeed, but that was not going to happen.

    Amaris and Jenny were standing proud in front of the cage, smug grins on their faces. Jenny¡¯s clothes looked like they had gone through a meat grinder which, to be fair, they had, it¡¯s just that the meat underneath hadn¡¯t ground properly.

    Irene kept her distance behind the reception desk. ¡°Yeah. Those. Are certainly things.¡± Irene tilted her head to the side. ¡°Are they really magic, though?¡±

    ¡°They glitch when you poke them,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Watch.¡± She pulled an arrow out of her backpack and poked one of the puffballs with it. Immediately it dissociated into a bunch of multicolored squares with a bunch of beeping noises akin to a dying video game console. It reformed a moment later on top of another puffball, which tried to bite it, but the teeth slid right off the fur somehow. ¡°They also seem incapable of biting each other.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ huh.¡±

    At this point, Nina came in from one of the other rooms. ¡°Amaris! You¡¯re back! And¡­¡±

    ¡°Mission success!¡± Amaris gestured at the cage.

    ¡°Did any of them bite you?¡±

    ¡°No, Auntie, we were careful.¡±

    ¡°Did they do anything to your head?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ no?¡±

    ¡°Did they eat someone in front of you?¡±

    Amaris pointed at Jenny.

    ¡°Hey! I wasn¡¯t completely eaten!¡± Jenny crossed her arms and huffed.

    ¡°I think they got enough body mass to add up to a Jenny.¡±

    ¡°But they didn¡¯t get every part of me!¡±

    ¡°That must have been horrifying to watch¡­¡± Nina said.

    Amaris shook her head. ¡°Happens a lot to Jenny, seen it all before.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Amaris caught Nina staring at the scars on her lips. ¡°Auntie¡­ you can¡¯t stop these things from happening to me. I know how much you want to and I appreciate it, but nothing you do is gonna do anything.¡±

    Nina looked to the ground, ashamed.

    ¡°Hey, Auntie, it¡¯s okay¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, of course. I just¡­¡± She placed a hand on Amaris¡¯ shoulder. ¡°I saw it, Amaris. Now that I¡¯ve seen it¡­¡±

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s changed, Auntie.¡±

    ¡°How I think has changed.¡±

    Amaris considered this. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s right. I¡­ don¡¯t know what to do about that. I changed too.¡± Amaris rubbed the back of her arm and glanced to the side. ¡°After enough of it, I just¡­ gained strength.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s not happening to me, it¡¯s happening to you, and I have to watch, and I¡­¡±

    ¡°I have to watch it happen to everyone around me,¡± Amaris snapped. Then she sighed. ¡°Sorry, Auntie, that wasn¡¯t right. I¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°I really do have to watch it happen to everyone. People around me are in danger. Jenny gets traumatized. Coleus loses her family. Irene continually gets put in situations she really isn¡¯t suited for.¡±

    Nina put a hand over her mouth. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t realize¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Amaris said, scritching Pitch on the head as he slithered out of the backpack. ¡°You¡¯re not me, you don¡¯t have it stare you in the face all the time. You¡¯re you. And you just want to protect your niece.¡± Amaris smiled warmly. ¡°It really is good that you do, and by being around you¡¯re definitely helping. But you are at some point just going to have to accept that things are going to keep coming.¡±

    Nina had nothing to say to this. She gained a distant look, as though her gaze were looking past Amaris and to the ground below¡­ or even beyond that.

    ¡°We do need to lock these puffballs up, Auntie,¡± Amaris said. ¡°They are gonna break out eventually.¡±

    ¡°Right, right.¡± Nina sighed, moving to a chair up against the wall and sitting down. ¡°You do¡­ your job.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    ¡°...Amaris?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    Nina looked up at her. ¡°I don¡¯t think any of us knew what we were signing up for.¡±

    Amaris nodded solemnly. ¡°Neither did I.¡± With that, she and Jenny rolled the cart deeper into the headquarters to place them in a more permanent holding arrangement.

    ¡°How do you do it?¡± Nina asked Irene.

    ¡°Resignation and stress,¡± Irene said. ¡°Don¡¯t recommend it.¡±

    ¡°Does it get¡­ easier?¡±

    ¡°Yes and no?¡± Irene folded her hands together. ¡°Yes in that you start expecting all the nonsense and are able to laugh about it with everyone more. No in that the flavor of horror is different every week. So.¡± Irene shrugged. ¡°You¡¯d think by looking at Amaris, you eventually learn to stop worrying and get some confidence.¡±

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t happened with you?¡±

    ¡°I certainly worry less and have more confidence. But that¡¯s still all in very short supply¡­¡± Irene leaned forward on the desk and sighed. ¡°I suppose all you can count on is eventual acceptance.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not obligated to stay, though.¡±

    ¡°Neither are you, technically,¡± Irene said.

    ¡°She¡¯s my niece.¡±

    ¡°She made it very clear when she came back that you didn¡¯t have to stay with her, right?¡±

    Nina furrowed her brow. ¡°Yes, she did¡­¡±

    ¡°So there you go, you have an out, just like I do.¡± Irene locked her hands behind her back. ¡°We just¡­ don¡¯t want to take it.¡±

    Nina nodded slowly.

    ¡°Now as for where I find the mental fortitude to stick with that decision I have no idea but it¡¯s here and I¡¯m not complaining!¡±

    Nina chuckled. ¡°You have a strange strength about you Irene.¡±

    ¡°I know! It¡¯s so confusing!¡±

    The two of them laughed and continued to chat, eventually devolving into talking about nothing.

    Amaris and Jenny returned at this point.

    ¡°Anomalies secured!¡± Jenny said. ¡°And they only got off with two of my fingers!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking we should name them¡­¡± Amaris said, scratching her chin. ¡°Glitching puffballs¡­ glitchballs? Fluffsparks?¡±

    ¡°Fuzzy Garbage Disposal.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a description, not a name.¡±

    ¡°F.G.D.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not go the acronym route¡­¡±

    Jenny shrugged. ¡°Maybe pick one later. Anyway, now that we¡¯re done¡­ Irene, my papers, please!¡±

    Irene reached beneath her desk and pulled out a stack of papers. ¡°Here you go!¡±

    Jenny picked a few pages off the top and roughly rummaged through them. ¡°So, about our two major outstanding mysteries, the Mysterious Doors and the Crop Circles¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, you have been digging into it!¡± Amaris grinned. ¡°I was worried you¡¯d gotten distracted.¡±

    ¡°Pff, me, distracted?¡± Jenny chuckled. ¡°Never!¡±

    Amaris raised an eyebrow.

    Jenny awkwardly coughed. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve found a lot more of the mysterious doors, but there¡¯s not much progress in all that. Most of them only lead to unusual rooms, not to weird mazes like the one we had in the Arcade¡ªthough I did find one that took me to a red forest and then led me out on the other side of town. Was really strange. Regardless, they¡¯re everywhere. They generally appear after a place has been built, but there are a few cases where they popped into existence without a building, or manifesting a wall of their own in the middle of nowhere.¡±

    ¡°No patterns in where they lead?¡±

    Jenny shook her head. ¡°Some are single rooms. Some of the rooms physically exist and I can break into by smashing down walls. Some, however, don¡¯t seem to exist but can still be entered even if the other side of the wall doesn¡¯t actually have anything on it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°I do often find monsters or other weird things near the doors, though not necessarily inside them.¡±

    ¡°They might attract them,¡± Amaris suggested. ¡°Of course, since I¡¯m involved, it¡¯s hard to test if there really is some kind of weirdness attraction involved, or if I¡¯m just making things conveniently line up for you. Or inconveniently line up.¡±

    Irene considered this. ¡°You keep mentioning wanting to do tests on things, Amaris. Wouldn¡¯t your curse ruin a lot of those?¡±

    ¡°Yep. Haven¡¯t figured a way around that yet, I¡¯m totally a massive data corrupter.¡±

    Jenny flipped to another page. ¡°Anyway, the crop circles. I¡¯ve only really started looking into them since our encounter with mister face-stealing memory-eating tree.¡±

    Nina shuddered at the memory.

    ¡°I have locations of about two-dozen, seemingly unrelated to each other. However, I have found that other things have been disintegrated in them. A few of the central circles had traces of ash in them. But I haven¡¯t been able to trigger them even by walking into them and shouting insults at the sun.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably not sun related as the tree monster was disintegrated during the night.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Right.¡± Jenny rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Ehe¡­¡±

    Amaris took the page out of Jenny¡¯s hands, examining the map. ¡°They really do seem to be placed randomly¡­ I was hoping for a pattern.¡±

    ¡°Just as much of a lack of pattern as with the doors.¡±

    ¡°Are they related?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Even though they were both part of our arcade adventure, they didn¡¯t seem to¡­ mesh, if you get what I¡¯m saying?¡±

    ¡°...Makes sense.¡±

    The doors to ORHI slid open, allowing Iwakiri and Kirishima to scramble in.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got something on the crystals,¡± Iwakiri said.

    ¡°Ooooh, mystery three!¡± Amaris rubbed her hands together. ¡°What do you have?¡±

    Kirishima relayed the events of the prior night to her.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m kind of surprised you didn¡¯t stay longer.¡±

    Kirishima glanced at Iwakiri. ¡°We had all we needed, there was no requirement to take more risk when Orville could go in later.¡±

    ¡°I think it was the right call, once we have information we should send in one of them. Since it¡¯s stealth, we¡¯ll be using Orville. ¡­When he shows up. Whenever that¡¯ll be.¡±

    Iwakiri frowned. ¡°Really? The right call? But¡­¡±

    ¡°Learning restraint is a good step on your two¡¯s progress. Keep it up!¡±

    Iwakiri looked down at the ground and kicked at nothing. Kirishima, meanwhile, actually smiled. She quickly forced her face back into a neutral position, but Amaris had seen it and there was no denying it.

    Amaris winked at her.

    Kirishima hissed back.

    Such was their dynamic.

    ~~~

    Jenny leaned on the railing atop one of Nuk¡¯s taller water towers, looking down over the city. She could see several of the crop circles from here, but she had already compared their locations with the ones on her map¡ªshe was just sitting up here now, taking in the view.

    It wasn¡¯t often she let herself slow down like this. To just¡­ sit and look out at the everything. The office buildings, the streets, the fields, the mountains, the wreckage of the Strider¡­

    She wasn¡¯t a particularly poetic sort so she wasn¡¯t one to put the feeling she had into words, but she was certainly feeling something looking at it all. She felt¡­ lifted up, as though she were higher than even the water tower.

    Of course, that feeling dissipated as she heard the sound of someone climbing up the ladder behind her. She didn¡¯t take her gaze away from the scenery, though.

    ¡°Really hard to carry a pizza box up here¡­¡± Scarlet said, breathing heavily. She handed Jenny the pizza box, which she accepted and started eating from, still without adjusting her gaze.

    ¡°You look thoughtful,¡± Scarlet said, leaning on the railing next to Jenny.

    ¡°Surprisingly, no,¡± Jenny said. ¡°My head was empty.¡±

    ¡°A good place to be, sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It was.¡± Jenny sighed. ¡°What have you found?¡±

    Scarlet pulled out a folder from inside her suit. ¡°Our inventory of the crop circles is complete, and no place aside from Yeshalo has them¡ªat least not in the same design. A few have cropped up, likely from teenagers wanting to play a joke. The big thing I¡¯ve been able to show is that the crop circles are new.¡±

    ¡°When the Strider showed up?¡±

    ¡°No, actually, they only started showing up a month or so afterward. It could still be something from the Strider, but if it is, it didn¡¯t start acting immediately.¡±

    Jenny took a bite of the pizza. ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve found many more of the mysterious doors, but no new information on them. I have found some evidence that they don¡¯t always take the form of doors, a few places have staircases or windows that just show up, but they are significantly less common. There appears to be no rhyme or reason to what kinds of doors show up, and several have even appeared with designs that don¡¯t match any known doors in Yeshalo. One was made out of solid bone.¡±

    ¡°Geez.¡±

    ¡°I also found another one of your invisible eyeball bats. I found a lab to dissect it covertly.¡±

    ¡°Are they dangerous?¡±

    ¡°Evidentially not, they really are just flying eyeballs. Their wings are essentially big leaves they use to absorb energy from the sun, and their invisibility is mediated by a bizarre pink-white organ. They appear to just be some kind of weird animal.¡±

    ¡°Weird. Do they taste good?¡±

    ¡°Why on earth would I eat the flesh of some random creature?¡±

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Jenny glanced at her and raised an eyebrow.

    Scarlet simply grinned at her and gave a thumbs up while tilting her other hand side to side. Tasted delicious but wouldn¡¯t recommend.

    Always gotta have that plausible deniability, don¡¯t you Scarlet? Jenny rolled her eyes. ¡°Thanks for the info.¡±

    ¡°Got anything else for me to look into?¡±

    ¡°Anything on the colored crystals?¡±

    ¡°Nothing yet.¡±

    ¡°The Kiris found some weird society that meets with pointed hats that is apparently involved. Orville should be investigating now.¡±

    Scarlet scratched her chin. ¡°Pointed hats? Like the kind worn when you want to dress up like a stereotypical fairy tale witch?¡±

    ¡°Apparently.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not aware of any society that does that seriously, but I suppose there could be fronts in place. I¡¯ll look into it.¡±

    ¡°It may not be necessary.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t trust Orville for everything.¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± Jenny frowned. ¡°You know he could show up at any moment and find us in these meetings.¡±

    ¡°Yes. What exactly is he going to do about it?¡±

    ¡°Tell the others. Make it really awkward.¡±

    Scarlet folded her arms. ¡°If Amaris hasn¡¯t figured out you¡¯re getting your info from me already, she will soon. She¡¯s very clever.¡±

    Jenny sighed. ¡°She probably knows, and probably isn¡¯t asking too many questions for my sake and everyone¡¯s sake and¡­ bleh, why does it have to be this way?¡±

    Scarlet folded her hands behind her back. ¡°...Because I¡¯m selfish and Amaris isn¡¯t. I think that¡¯s ultimately what this boils down to.¡±

    ¡°...Amazing how you can still find ways to be honest in the middle of all this.¡± Jenny turned her gaze to Scarlet and grinned. ¡°And you¡¯re wrong. You¡¯re not completely selfish. Wouldn¡¯t be helping me otherwise.¡±

    ¡°I suppose not.¡± For once in her life, Scarlet looked awkward, shuffling her feet. ¡°Look, Jenny¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh please don¡¯t go on one of your double-talking attempts to appeal to my emotions to make yourself feel better, we¡¯ve done that enough already.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ well no, that wasn¡¯t it. My niece has invited me to some kind of live-action role-playing thing, and it honestly sounds right up your alley. Might be fun?¡±

    Jenny stared at her blankly.

    ¡°Okay, okay, ideas for fun from Scarlet not welcome, got it.¡± She put her hands up in surrender. ¡°See you when I have more information for you, then.¡±

    ¡°...When¡¯s the thing happening?¡±

    Scarlet visibly lit up. ¡°Three weeks. I have no clue what¡¯s actually going on there, I just told her I¡¯d show up.¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

    ¡°I hope you think well!¡±

    Jenny snorted. ¡°That never happens. I¡¯m Jenny.¡±

    ¡°I dunno, now that you¡¯ve got a mystery and a job, you sure seem to think about that a lot! You might even be the one to solve the crop circle mystery!¡±

    ¡°Nah.¡± Jenny shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll just get everything in front of Amaris so she can figure it out.¡±

    ¡°You could do better if you applied your brain a bit more. Just something to consider.¡± With that, Scarlet started climbing down the ladder once more.

    After she was long gone, Jenny found herself staring out at the scenery once again.

    She closed her eyes and frowned. ¡°What have you gotten yourself into, Jenny¡­?¡±

    ~~~

    Orville¡¯s quest was, as usual, espionage. He traced Kirishima¡¯s memories back to the moment they found the strange people with pointed hats. He chose the tallest one in blue robes and shifted into his memories. He was a neko holding a blue crystal, pointing it at the square carved into the wall. He was chanting something, but it was in a language Orville couldn¡¯t understand.

    Odd, I don¡¯t encounter those very often¡­

    Orville moved back through time, winding everything back to the start of the meeting. Every member of this secret society had arrived at the warehouse at exactly the same time, though when they arrived they were not in their robes, but completely ordinary clothes. Granted, the quality of the robes changed significantly: there were nekos in barely more than rags, cats wearing nothing, humans in casual clothing, and even a few in proper suits. There appeared to be no dividing lines of race or class here. They spoke to each other only in the strange language, and they did so in hushed tones.

    They entered the basement and removed a stone from one of the walls, revealing a hidden compartment where they hid their robes and a variety of colored crystals. However, Orville noted that some of them had brought crystals with them. Once they put on their colored robes and pointed hats they simply talked for a while, casually. They were underground so they didn¡¯t feel the need to be hushed. Sometimes they would laugh. Perhaps they were telling each other stories of what had happened in their lives?

    Despite this, they were intensely paranoid of being seen. Orville figured this out because the memories reacted to his presence readily, freaking out whenever he happened to be in someone¡¯s gaze. Such was the problem of his existence, he had to appear somewhere in the memory. Trying to go back multiple times wouldn¡¯t help as his presence was technically overwriting the base memory, so if he missed something important he missed it.

    Though at this point he doubted he was missing much of anything, as he couldn¡¯t understand anything they were saying. After they finished chatting, they all turned to the square carving and pointed their crystals at it, making the crystals glow. They started chanting.

    Despite some of them having purple crystals like the Kiris, none of them were using it to create specific kinds of light. They were just making the crystals glow, no matter what color they were, and chanting.

    Orville spread through the chanting and eventually found where it ended, about an hour later, where they returned to talking. But instead of just normal chats, they let their crystals take center stage. One of the human women in purple robes projected an image using purple crystals onto the wall, and she started showing others how to do it. A male cat showed everyone how to take a red crystal and create a blue flame. Then a neko drew a knife and for a moment Orville thought there would be drama, but instead she made a small cut in her hand, and showed everyone how to use the green crystals to heal it.

    Each color has its own effect¡­ I suppose we probably could have just asked Vayvaresi about that, but that¡¯s still something. As he continued jumping through memories observing the group sharing crystal techniques, he began to wonder. They¡¯re being extremely secretive¡­ I wonder why?

    Their meeting wrapped up, they all took their robes off and left, going their separate ways.

    Orville spent the next several hours discovering that all of them were, essentially, completely normal people. Outside of the meeting, they never used their mysterious language and while some of them had crystals, he only saw them used in private places or, in one case, a neko burning a violent attacker to a crisp out of necessity. After that the neko was absolutely terrified of anything occurring, as though using a crystal in public was a death sentence¡­ but nothing happened to him, and he eventually calmed down.

    He went further and further back in memories, finding that there were previous meetings, though given the fact that they occurred in the unknown language, they all told him roughly the same things. He did start to get indications that there were other cells, as occasionally there would be a guest member. However, he didn¡¯t investigate that at the moment, for his primary curiosity was to find an initiation ritual. Everyone had to be taught the language and told what was up at some point, right?

    He was eventually able to trace a female cat¡¯s experience all the way back to the day she found a necklace made out of the green crystals in her attic. She wore them proudly for a day, but was approached in an alleyway that night by an unreasonably tall human woman in yellow robes and pointed hat. It was the only time Orville had ever seen someone in their robes outside of a super secret meeting place.

    He watched as the woman pulled out a yellow crystal. ¡°I can show you what the necklace you wear means. But you have to let me in.¡±

    ¡°W-why would I do that?¡± the cat stammered.

    ¡°You are in danger. The crystals have great power.¡± She demonstrated by making her yellow one glow. ¡°Yours is much the same.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I just found it¡­¡±

    ¡°As most of us do. It has power. You could use it. But¡­ it also draws attention.¡±

    The cat furrowed her brow. ¡°What¡­ do you want to do?¡¯

    ¡°I want to show you what it is. All you have to do is accept the touch of this crystal.¡±

    ¡°And if¡­ I refuse?¡±

    ¡°I will let you go. And those who hunt may or may not find you instead.¡±

    ¡°O¡­ Okay. Let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s try this.¡±

    And then the yellow crystal flashed brightly. Both the woman¡¯s and the cat¡¯s eyes became yellow. Immediately afterward, the cat started talking in the strange language. Orville watched for some time, discovering that the events were once again inscrutable to him.

    And then everything went completely yellow for Orville.

    It was like he was standing in an expanse of only a single blank color.

    Nothing had triggered this, as far as he knew. He hadn¡¯t tried to jump memories. He was just watching one play out and then¡­ blank nothing.

    He tried jumping back into the memory he was just in¡­ but found that it had been replaced with yellow as well. Jumping out of the memory was just fine, and he could go to the future of the cat woman¡¯s memories, but that moment in the middle¡­ there was nothing but the yellow.

    Orville scratched his chin. That¡¯s never happened before¡­ I¡¯m not being blocked, it¡¯s like the memories have been replaced¡­

    He tried jumping back to one of the other meetings he had seen earlier. But it too was replaced with yellow.

    It didn¡¯t matter whose memories he jumped to. Any memory where a meeting was actually taking place was entirely wiped with the yellow.

    They must have noticed me in their memories¡­ and the yellow crystal can probably mess with them. Orville crossed his arms in the expanse of yellow, looking at it defiantly. They don¡¯t want me poking around anymore. Unfortunately for them, I have a lot of information.

    He returned to the near-present memories and started investigating all of the meeting places he had located before.

    All of them had burned down in the last few hours, or were in the process of burning down.

    Orville jumped to a memory of someone walking in a park and sat down on a bench. They¡¯re very thorough. VERY thorough¡­ but surely they¡¯ll still have their crystals?

    He jumped to the neko who had used his red crystal in self-defense. In the closest-to-present memory he could, he twisted things such that the neko thought he was being attacked by Orville. But no crystal came out, and in fact there was no crystal on him.

    ¡°Where is the crystal?¡± Orville asked.

    The neko was not at all used to talking to Orville, and not to mention his memories had just jumped from being attacked to talking to a man in a calm suit. ¡°Wh¡­ what crystal?¡±

    Everything¡¯s been wiped clean.

    Orville left his memories and found a bench to sit on.

    They really don¡¯t want us to know. Unfortunately, it¡¯s in our business to know¡­ better get back and tell everyone. Vayvaresi may be able to tell us what to expect with those crystals.

    ~~~

    Amaris let out a very large yawn and closed her book. She was currently sitting on her bed, with only her lamp providing any light. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough for tonight¡­¡± she muttered to herself. She placed the book on the lamp¡ªAncient Legends of Yeshalo¡ªand checked the foot of her bed. Vayvaresi was curled up on top of a cushion there, sleeping soundly. Pitch was in his enclosure, sleeping soundly as well.

    Amaris turned off the lamp and laid down, fixing her gaze out the window. The moon was near the horizon, casting several rooftops in silhouette. She spied a humanoid figure standing on a roof, punching the sky. Jenny, no doubt, actually on patrol tonight, for once.

    Amaris idly wondered what strange thing she¡¯d find tonight. Nothing? Nah, that didn¡¯t feel right, tonight just felt strange. Maybe zombie cats? The queen invisible eyeball of doom? Strider ghosts? Those pointed hat people? Honestly, that would be kind of boring and predictable, it was what they were currently focusing on.

    But still, if Jenny caught one of them, that would solve a lot of problems¡­

    Amaris let out another yawn and closed her eyes. She took a moment to realize how easy it was for her to relax these days. A monster could charge through her bedroom window at any moment and try to eat her, and that threat didn¡¯t particularly bother her. She was home. This was her bed. And she wanted to sleep.

    Sleep¡­

    ¡­

    ¡­Out the window, Jenny put her hands on her hips and gave the moon a big grin, as though challenging it to come down and fight her.

    A dart punctured her neck.

    ¡°Wha¡ª¡± she didn¡¯t even finish her word before her eyes rolled into the back of her head. She flopped forward head over heels until she reached the edge of the roof, then she fell on top of a metal dumpster. As it was not open, the landing was extremely hard and loud and rang out through the entire neighborhood.

    The noise reached Vayvaresi¡¯s ears. She lazily opened an eye and glanced out the window. She saw nothing, sensed nothing. She let out a huge yawn, licking her jowls. She stood up and walked in a circle, laying down and twisting her tails around herself once more.

    A few minutes later, a soft orange glow appeared around the window¡¯s lock and very quietly undid it. The glow reappeared at the edge of the window, sliding it up almost soundlessly, making only a slight crack where the air could come in. A blowgun floated into the air, glowing the same orange as everything else.

    Vayvaresi¡¯s ears twitched. Then there was a dart in her neck, and her ears stopped twitching.

    The blowgun turned to Amaris¡¯ form. A dart launched.

    Amaris jumped out of bed, throwing her blankets over the path of the dart. She landed on top of the blankets. Her crossbow was in her hand, pointed directly out the crack in the window where the blowgun was.

    It wasn¡¯t there.

    It was floating behind her head, surrounded in an orange glow.

    The dart pricked her in the back of the neck.

    That¡¯s cheating¡­ she flopped forward, her face pressing into the window. With everyone in the room taken care of, the necessity for silence was over. A dark figure opened the window the rest of the way and, with some effort, pulled Amaris out.

    The figure was gone within minutes.

    ~~~

    ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t follow her!?¡± Amaris¡¯ Dad shouted. To everyone else, it looked like he was shouting at a random clock on the wall, but everyone present also knew better.

    Orville nervously adjusted his suit. ¡°She didn¡¯t see her attacker, and she either hasn¡¯t awakened yet or something else is blocking me.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ then, I don¡¯t know, follow them the old-fashioned way!¡±

    ¡°Coleus is on that,¡± Irene said, wringing her hands. ¡°She¡¯ll call if she finds anything.¡±

    A walkie-talkie buzzed on a nearby table. ¡°Coleus here, checking in.¡±

    Amaris¡¯ Mom ran to the walkie-talkie and frantically put it to her ear. ¡°What did you find?¡±

    ¡°I found Jenny,¡± Coleus said. ¡°Just as drugged as Vayvaresi. Her face made an im-press-ion on a dumpster.¡± There was a slapping sound from the other end of the line. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s not waking up anytime soon.¡±

    ¡°Keep looking.¡±

    ¡°Will do!¡±

    Amaris¡¯ Mom set the walkie-talkie down and sat back down in a chair. She immediately pulled out a sketchbook and started carving geometric shapes into it with a tiny knife.

    ¡°We need to find her,¡± Amaris¡¯ Dad said. ¡°We¡­ we have to find her.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, but how?¡± Irene stammered. ¡°Coleus is doing what she can, we just¡­¡±

    ¡°Have to wait?¡±

    ¡°U-um¡­ w-well¡­ unless y-you can think of something else¡­¡±

    ¡°We can come up with ideas. We can make a game plan. The cops may not be trustworthy but surely we can use them to our advantage¡­¡±

    ¡°That would look bad,¡± Amaris¡¯ Mom said without looking up from her sketchbook. ¡°Amaris is the one who is supposed to deal with things. Making a public show would just ruin her credibility.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s in danger!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s always in danger, Dmitri!¡± Amaris¡¯ Mom threw down her sketchbook, embedding the knife in the floor. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if she¡¯s here, at school, or kidnapped in some sack, she¡¯s always in danger! We¡¯re always in danger!¡±

    ¡°Anna¡­ we can¡¯t just¡­¡±

    ¡°We are going to have to get used to this, Dmitri. We are not the ones who can go out and save her. She has other people for that, and she is usually going to be the one going to save others.¡±

    ¡°This¡­ this is different, she¡¯s been targeted¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s been targeted every time, Dmitri.¡±

    Dmitri gained a dull, blank expression in his eyes. He sat down, putting his head in his hands.

    Orville cleared his throat. ¡°You support her very well from the background, Mr. Kelvin. You got us the ORHI office with your skills and influence. This is simply¡­ not your domain.¡±

    ¡°...I thought I was a patient person,¡± Amaris¡¯ Dad said, shaking.

    ¡°I d-don¡¯t think anyone could be patient at a time like this¡­¡± Irene said. ¡°B-but we all have to sit here until Coleus finds something.¡±

    Amaris¡¯ Mom carefully picked up the sketchbook and the knife from the ground and returned to her seat, continuing her work. Her motions were slightly less aggressive than before.

    Irene continued wringing her hands.

    Orville sat down next to her. ¡°You¡¯re even worse than them.¡±

    ¡°This is how I am¡­¡± Irene laughed nervously. ¡°All the time¡­ always¡­¡±

    ¡°...There has to be a better way¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, there is, I-I know it. I j-just can¡¯t.¡± Irene started scratching at her arm. ¡°I don¡¯t know any other way¡­¡±

    ¡°You have the strength in you. I¡¯ve seen it.¡±

    ¡°Th-those moments of s-surprise courage are the most s-stressful I have¡­¡± Irene wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. ¡°It¡­ it f-feels like my stomach is eating me from the inside out¡­¡±

    ¡°...I wish there was some way I could help you¡­¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t making a wish h-how you get cursed?¡±

    Orville fell silent, staring blankly at the ground.

    ¡°...Th-thanks for the thought, though.¡± She closed her eyes. ¡°Just gonna keep¡­ imagining every w-way this could go wrong in excruciating detail.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine, Irene. The curse won¡¯t let it end.¡±

    ¡°There are a l-lot of scenarios that don¡¯t kill her that are maybe even w-worse¡­¡±

    The room fell into silence.

    It was true. They could only wait.

    ~~~

    Amaris woke up in a very comfortable bed that wasn¡¯t hers. She wasn¡¯t restrained in any way, so she could jump up into a defensive posture. Her head reeled from the drugs in her system, but by sheer force of will she remained standing on top of the bed, hands outstretched to meet whatever was going to face her.

    She was in a basement of some sort, the room lit only by a single lightbulb. Standing at the foot of her bed were at least a dozen people in brightly colored robes and pointed hats, staring right at her. Some faces were angry, others were confused, and still others were¡­ afraid? Of her? They clearly had the numbers, why would they be afraid¡­?

    Amaris quickly took in the room she was in. The bed clearly didn¡¯t belong, as the room was entirely devoid of any other pieces of furniture. The only things she noted were the door¡ªwhich was behind all the people in pointed hats¡ªand the carving of a square in the wall.

    The boring option. Though I suppose Jenny didn¡¯t just catch one in the middle of the night¡­

    Amaris quickly ran through her options, though that took a minute because the chemicals were still running through her brain, severely impacting her focus and critical thinking. At least she was aware of it. There were too many people here for the violent option, and she also didn¡¯t like her odds of jumping over their heads and running out the door. It was taking all her focus just to stand in a proper defensive posture, doing something complicated would likely result in failure, and as far as she knew there were more behind the door. However, she was awake, and hopefully Orville was looking for her at this point. So she just needed to stay aware and awake.

    She didn¡¯t lower her fists. ¡°What do you want with me?¡± She asked.

    A cat in green called in an unknown language through the door. Immediately, it opened. Amaris tried to see as much through the door as she could, but the person coming in was so tall she could only make out that there was more basement back there. The new individual was a human woman in yellow, most likely the one Orville had encountered in the memory before he had been locked out.

    However, he had not mentioned her eyes. They were a brilliant golden color. Amaris¡­ felt calm, looking at them.

    Naturally, this made Amaris¡¯ suspect mental tricks were at play, so she turned her mental paranoia into overdrive.

    ¡°Are you going to answer my question?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°We want to know who you are,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°Amaris Kelvin, but you know that, so what do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Who you are as a person. Who are you, at the bottom of it all?¡±

    Amaris¡¯ thoughts immediately turned to her curse. ¡°I a¡ª¡±

    As she was speaking, the woman suddenly flashed a bright yellow color. Amaris felt something prod at her mind.

    She clenched her jaw, shaking her head. She expected the poke to turn into a spike, an illusion, or some other thing intended to tear her mind apart. Instead, the poke simply¡­ went away.

    The woman took a step back from Amaris. ¡°Your mental fortitude is impressive.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t push very hard.¡±

    The woman pulled part of her robe to the side, revealing a yellow crystal in her hand. ¡°The art of the yellow crystals cannot be done on unwilling targets.¡±

    Amaris nodded slowly. ¡°But you can get people into a state of suggestibility and surprise, sometimes getting through anyway. I see.¡±

    ¡°A remarkable mind as well.¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to butter me up?¡±

    ¡°I am trying to put you at ease.¡±

    ¡°I noticed that I felt more relaxed when you walked in. I¡¯m not falling for whatever emotional game you¡¯re playing.¡±

    Some of the others in the room backed away from Amaris.

    ¡°...They¡¯re afraid of me,¡± Amaris stated. ¡°I¡¯d like to know why.¡±

    ¡°Multiple reasons. Some of them are afraid of what you might do to them. Others are afraid that they might have to kill you.¡±

    Amaris nodded slowly. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°You would expose us.¡±

    ¡°ORHI already knows about you.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve kept your dream ghost at bay well enough, but your organization is an active threat to our way of life.¡±

    ¡°Which is?¡±

    The woman folded her hands together and gave Amaris a smile.

    ¡°Right, you never say it aloud. You¡¯ve probably said more to me than you ever would without that weird language of yours already.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    ¡°Well. In order to tell you if I¡¯m a threat or not, I¡¯d have to know if you¡¯re a threat or not. And right now kidnapping a girl doesn¡¯t make you look very good.¡±

    ¡°We are aware. Which was why I was hoping to forge a soul connection, to erase all doubt.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you.¡±

    ¡°I will endeavor to convince you then.¡±

    ¡°Unlikely.¡± Amaris narrowed her eyes. ¡°You can clearly suppress memories with it. My mind could be cleaned or, worse, replaced with something new.¡±

    ¡°Does your memory ghost not do that already?¡±

    ¡°He tries his best.¡±

    ¡°He does not succeed. Many memories of my people were quite scrambled.¡±

    ¡°They were paranoid, it made it difficult for him to observe.¡±

    ¡°Is it really paranoia?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There is no reason for your little magic society to stay hidden anymore, the Strider came in, everyone knows about magic now. I even use your crystals in my work, for crying out loud!¡±

    ¡°You do not know the history.¡± The woman held out the yellow crystal. ¡°But I could show it to you. I saw your memory ghost in my friend¡¯s memories. I know you know of the initiation. It would be much the same, I could share the secret with you, and you could determine whether to keep it or not.¡±

    ¡°Or you brainwashed her.¡±

    ¡°The other options are unpleasant for everyone involved. You stay locked down here for eternity while we carefully round up every other member of your group. We start killing people, which we really don¡¯t want to do. Or¡­¡± She frowned. ¡°I apologize, but it is likely that torture and pain could be used to force a connection, with time.¡±

    ¡°You think you can break down my mind?¡±

    ¡°I do not like the chances, unfortunately. You have experienced too much already, it seems.¡± The woman sighed. ¡°I¡­ Amaris, I do not wish to torment you, I sense that you would be a great boon to us, and that you are not the¡­ threat. But I cannot be sure. Lives are on the line, and we are afraid. What can I do to get you to trust us?¡±

    Amaris stared right at her. ¡°Lots of things that you wouldn¡¯t be willing to do, like simply letting me go. So¡­ let me think.¡± Amaris frowned, crossing her arms. ¡°Something you could do with just words and actions in this room¡­ something¡­¡± Amaris¡¯ gaze drifted down to the yellow crystal in the woman¡¯s hand. ¡°...Anyone can use that, right?¡±

    The woman fell silent.

    ¡°I get it, your magic rocks are your secret, but anyone can use it, I think Orville and our research can confirm that much. And the one with the rock does the controlling, so¡­¡± Amaris held out a hand. ¡°Give me the crystal, tell me how to use it, and I will forge this soul-connection of yours. It will be in my control. Bare your mind to me, not the other way around.¡±

    Everyone in the room gasped, except the woman in yellow herself. ¡°You would not be able to perform any advanced techniques without training.¡±

    ¡°Less risk to you. I think.¡±

    ¡°Decidedly so.¡±

    ¡°So if you really just want to know who I am¡­ let me tell you.¡±

    The woman paused. ¡°One of our creeds is not to teach anything before membership is certain.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to break something to get through to me and you know it.¡±

    ¡°You are correct¡­¡± She glanced to the others and started speaking in their strange language. There were a few responses, cycling through basically every emotion on the spectrum.

    ¡°...It has been decided,¡± the woman said. With that, she placed the yellow crystal in Amaris¡¯ hand. ¡°The simplest yellow spell is to simply form a temporary soul bond between two individuals. Simply focus your will into the crystal and think about connecting to me. The method of connection is largely irrelevant, the crystal will respond either way. The connection is always two-way, but you will have more control and can direct the way things go.¡±

    Amaris nodded. She held the crystal in her hand and focused.

    Something in her clicked immediately. The crystal flared brilliantly.

    She felt the connection form. She could see past the woman¡¯s interior and feel her emotions. There was a lot of fear, of stress, and of¡­ pain? But there was also hope, and a sense of relief. Then¡­ anticipation. For Amaris¡¯ answer.

    So Amaris gave her answer. Her curse. The foes she¡¯d faced. The friends she¡¯d made. The struggles she¡¯d fought through. The places she¡¯d been. Her goal to use what she was to help everyone. These thoughts manifested as images laced with emotion and sensation, thrown at the woman in quick succession. Amaris found herself sharing more than she¡¯d initially intended, but it was not as though the woman forced her to. She shared her fears, her thoughts on faith, her worry about the friends and family that surrounded her, and those nights she shouted at the sky hoping her ¡®why¡¯ would reach Dia and get an actual answer, though one never came.

    But, in the end, she knew ¡®why¡¯ better than most. She had seen suffering produce greatness firsthand. In her and everything around her.

    That did not make those nights any less painful¡­ staring out at the corpse of the Strider¡­ where the memories of Toad came flooding back¡­ nightmares where all her friends turned on her¡­

    Suddenly, Amaris felt a¡­ hug? It was not really a hug, the sensation was not physical, but purely an emotional one. The woman was holding Amaris close, sharing her pain, sharing her memories. Amaris could see some of the woman¡¯s as well. Making peace through understanding brought with the yellow crystals. Watching that peace be shattered by powers beyond her control. Craters in the ground. Mysterious loss of her own students to targeted tragedy¡ªthose students she was allowed to remember, anyway. Much of her memory was a jumbled mess, and it was not her doing, but something outside. Something that screamed in the back of her mind, always reminding her that their enemy did not stay remembered so long as they were looking at it.

    Amaris replied to this by showing the notebook pages with the sketches of the broken ¡°angel¡± core they¡¯d found.

    The woman¡¯s emotional state reacted in shock, then elation. They did not have that, they did not have any of that. They knew very little about their enemy, they had never known there was a core, and they had never known they could be defeated. Amaris was thanked profusely, with sorrow turned to delight.

    Then regret seeped in.

    The woman saw Amaris for who she was, and what she could offer. Taking this route had been expensive, and elsewhere a group had been lost to the enemy while they were distracted. Had they done this earlier¡­ something might have been done. Perhaps they could have been saved.

    Amaris calmed her. Lives were on the line. For all they had known, Amaris was working with the ¡°angel¡± beings, not against them. It was not unreasonable.

    The woman responded by inviting Amaris to know.

    There was no brainwashing as part of initiation. All that would happen was that Amaris would be given knowledge. Nothing more. Nothing less. Even if the woman wanted to do more, Amaris was in charge of the nature of the connection. She was even a natural, this was a far smoother connection than any novice had ever established before.

    Amaris supposed she was just interesting.

    And as the woman now trusted her, she now trusted the woman. All she asked for first¡­ was a name.

    Faith.

    Amaris accepted Faith¡¯s metaphorical hand.

    Then the knowledge exploded into her mind, and she understood.

    The fires of the Red.

    The force of the Orange.

    The spirit of the Yellow.

    The life of the Green.

    The time of the Blue.

    The light of the Purple.

    The connection of the pink¡­ no, Magenta.

    All together, the magic of the world, shifting together into a brilliant shining square.

    Amaris blinked.

    ¡°Welcome to the Society of Pointed Hats,¡± Faith said in a language Amaris could now completely understand with ease. ¡°What speaks to you?¡±

    ¡°...I seek to bridge the gaps between the normal and the strange, the mundane and the interesting,¡± Amaris said, giving her a soft smile. ¡°Yellow, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Shall you renounce your previous path and take this one?¡±

    Amaris shook her head. ¡°I am still an Aware. I will not join in worship.¡±

    ¡°Then let it be so.¡± The woman bowed her head. ¡°You are nonetheless one of us.¡±

    ¡°Really awkward that Orville found a worshipping group, huh?¡±

    ¡°Quite.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± one of the cats called. ¡°We are not crazy!¡±

    ¡°Your chanting makes you look like cultists,¡± Amaris pointed out.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t cultists!¡±

    Faith held up a hand. ¡°That is not an argument to have now, Amaris is a fresh initiate into the society. We are not bound together by our beliefs but by our magic and a need to protect one another. In Amaris, we have found a most powerful ally¡­ but also a weakness.¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°I am cursed to be interesting. You all are going to be thrown into this mess with me if you let me in.¡±

    ¡°We let all in, it is one of our creeds.¡±

    ¡°I want to make it clear that you don¡¯t have to. I¡¯ve seen what I need to see, you are no threat to us or to the people of Yeshalo. You just want to live without fear of your magic getting you killed. I already strive to build that world.¡±

    ¡°It will be discussed. But you have seen my heart as I have seen yours, Amaris. Do you think we will take your offer?¡±

    ¡°I do not. Which means I have gained a powerful ally this day as well.¡±

    ¡°Most excellent.¡±

    ¡°Just, uh, I know there¡¯s probably some more initiation stuff I need to go through that wasn¡¯t conveyed to me, but my parents are probably worried sick so I¡¯m going to go tell them I¡¯m okay.¡±

    ¡°You are one of us now. You are free, and we will no longer hide from you.¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°In that case¡­ I¡¯ll be back. I¡¯ve got lots of questions.¡±

    ¡°And we can finally give you answers.¡±

    ~~~

    When Amaris arrived completely unharmed on the doorstep of her house and walked in without any fanfare, her parents could only stare at her in shock.

    ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± she said, putting her hands on her hips and grinning.

    ¡°Amaris!¡± her parents and Irene shouted, jumping up and pulling her into a tight hug. She didn¡¯t complain, though it was hard to breathe.

    ¡°Did they do anything to you?¡± Irene asked. ¡°Did you do anything to them?¡±

    ¡°We have new allies,¡± Amaris said, brushing her hair back. ¡°To put it simply, they¡¯re a group of wizards who band together in secret because they¡¯re hunted, apparently by those memory ¡®angel¡¯ things that attacked us at the restaurant. They were afraid we would either give them up to them inadvertently or were actually working for them as we ¡®handle¡¯ weird things. Orville¡¯s abilities made them even more nervous.¡±

    ¡°Then why¡¯d they kidnap you?¡± her Dad asked.

    ¡°They have a way to know the true soul of a person, they tried to force me into a connection. It didn¡¯t work, I was too strong. But¡­ I turned the tables on them and managed the connection myself.¡± She gave everyone a smug grin. ¡°I am now their newest member and I am going to be studying Yellow magic, the magic of souls and connections.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­. Going to be a wizard too?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± her Mom said, beaming.

    ¡°You could as well, apparently everyone can do it. I could bring you to¡­ well, our leader. I know her name, I¡¯m just not going to say it, secrecy is kind of important for the sake of protection, and I don¡¯t want to overextend their trust. But you could totally become a wizard. If¡­ okay so I don¡¯t recommend it since using the crystals makes you a target for some reason, but maybe once we figure it out it¡¯d work out.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s so many questions we have¡­¡± her Dad said. ¡°But, right now¡­ I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re home safe.¡±

    ¡°I am too!¡± Amaris beamed. ¡°Though, I admit, my time was probably a lot less stressful than yours, and I was actually being kidnapped.¡±

    At this point, Vayvaresi lazily strolled down the stairs, yawning. ¡°That¡­ was the best sleep I¡¯ve had in months¡­ wow¡­¡± She examined the scene before her. ¡°...Did I miss something?¡±

 XXIV - Stormbringer, Part 1

    EPISODE XXIV

    Stormbringer, Part 1

    Outside, the rain was pouring. Although it was the middle of the day, the world was dark; oppressed by a sky of thick, rolling clouds. The deluge had been going on for about an hour at this point, making impromptu rivers in the road gutters across the city of Nuk.

    Amaris pulled back the curtains and glanced outside. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should try to make it back through that.¡±

    Vayvaresi nodded in agreement. ¡°Even in a car, that might be problematic.¡±

    The two of them turned back to the house¡¯s current guest, none other than Faith of the Society of Pointed Hats. Except she wasn¡¯t in her yellow robes or hat, but a rather gaudy pink dress with jarringly bright neon lines all over it and what appeared to be stickers at seemingly random locations. She had ribbons in her hair, tying it up into a pigtail design.

    To put it mildly, she did not look at all like the calm and collected leader of an underground wizard society. No one could tell what she did look like. Her day job was that of a seamstress, so she made all the clothes she wore and ensured they were high quality, but her sense of fashion was a bit questionable.

    Not that Amaris could tell.

    Faith finished examining the weather outside. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s worsening as well¡­ yes, it appears I will have to stay longer than anticipated.¡± She turned to Amaris¡¯ parents. ¡°I assume that is no issue?¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Amaris¡¯ mom said, shaking her head.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Amaris¡¯ dad began.

    Amaris¡¯ mom elbowed her husband, cutting him off.

    ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± Faith assured her. ¡°The grudge is entirely understandable.¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t need to be feeding it.¡±

    ¡°Bottling it up isn¡¯t great either.¡±

    Amaris¡¯ dad coughed. ¡°I¡¯m standing right here.¡±

    Faith nodded. ¡°Yes, I should be addressing you. Please do not fear voicing your displeasure with my presence, I wish to know.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± he shuffled awkwardly. ¡°I may not be a fan, but you don¡¯t deserve to be out there in the rain. And¡­ you are an ally. I would be a fool to run you out.¡±

    ¡°But you want to.¡±

    He didn¡¯t answer.

    ¡°I essentially orchestrated the kidnapping of your daughter, it¡¯s fine to be hung up on that.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ not fine.¡± He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s understandable, but we all know why you did it, and we all know that everything¡¯s resolved now.¡±

    ¡°I do not expect you to change your mind so quickly. You shouldn¡¯t demand change of yourself so quickly, either.¡±

    ¡°Yeeeesh¡­¡± Amaris¡¯ dad rubbed the back of his head. ¡°You certainly know how to cut deep¡­¡±

    Faith gave him a warm smile. ¡°Getting to the heart of the matter is very important when lives are on the line.¡±

    Amaris piped up. ¡°Knowing when not to is good as well.¡±

    ¡°I do not think this is one of those times.¡±

    ¡°I get the impression you don¡¯t think any times are those times.¡±

    ¡°Possibly¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyway¡­¡± Amaris closed the curtains. ¡°Since you¡¯re stuck here¡­¡± she quickly switched into the secret language. ¡°Shall we do some more training?¡±

    Faith nodded, responding in kind. ¡°You are already competent at the simplest application of Yellow; the two-way willing connection to communicate. However, there are other techniques. Unlike languages, these cannot just be taught, as to use Yellow maximally you need to adapt to the mind you are engaging with. Everyone is different on a fundamental level¡­¡±

    Amaris listened intently, a smile on her face. Vayvaresi decided it was time to take a nap, coiling up on a chair and closing her eyes. Amaris¡¯ parents watched her and Faith talk for a while, but once they realized they were going to be talking in secret for a while, they dispersed to work on their various mathematical projects.

    Amaris¡¯ focus did not waver.

    It would be nice to have a simple, rainy day for once.

    And, luckily for her, she would get it.

    Unfortunately for everyone else¡­

    ~~~

    Emma and Rin sat on a bench under a glass bus stop shelter. Emma was staring straight up at the complex pattern of raindrops on the roof. Rin, meanwhile, was staring down the street, looking for any sign of the bus arriving. A few cars drove by, but the street lights revealed no large vehicles coming.

    Rin glanced at her watch. ¡°The bus is officially ten minutes late.¡±

    Emma shrugged. ¡°Oh well, guess we just get to sit here and enjoy nature!¡±

    ¡°Emma, we¡¯re going to have plenty of time to do that on the big school camp.¡±

    ¡°Why not both?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s so wet!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re protected.¡±

    Rin¡¯s ears twitched. ¡°My ears can feel the humidity.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ anything we try to do about it will involve going out in the rain, so¡­¡±

    Rin groaned. ¡°All we wanted to do was go get ice cream. That was it. Now we¡¯re trapped under a rickety glass shell with no sign of a bus!¡±

    Lightning struck nearby. Rin¡¯s tail shot straight up and every hair on it stood on end. She hissed at the sky.

    ¡°It¡¯s just thunder.¡±

    ¡°Do you forget how much better my ears are than yours?¡± Rin ran her hand over her ears, petting them to relieve the stress.

    ¡°Um¡­ well, uh, yes, actually, sorry.¡± Emma looked down at the ground.

    Rin sighed. ¡°Well, at least it means you aren¡¯t constantly thinking about me being a neko. That¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Rin, are you trying to encourage me?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ maybe?¡±

    Emma giggled. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you softening up.¡±

    ¡°Softening up?¡± Rin gawked. ¡°I¡¯ve been getting combat experience in!¡±

    ¡°And all of it¡¯s softening you up.¡± Emma looked at her hands. ¡°And it¡¯s making me harder¡­ Amaris really is right, having things happen to you changes you.¡±

    Rin gained a faraway look in her eyes. ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah it does.¡±

    ¡°Rin?¡±

    ¡°Not always for the better though¡­¡± Rin shook her head.

    Emma frowned, opened her mouth, and then shut it, thinking. For a minute, there was only the sound of a rainy deluge.

    Then she looked Rin right in the eyes. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t talk much about what happened before you came to our school. It¡­ it was bad, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°My family wasn¡¯t always rich beyond belief,¡± Rin said. ¡°I don¡¯t have very¡­ clear memories of back then. But every time I think about it¡­¡± Rin pressed her hands together to stop them from shaking. ¡°Monsters are different from people, Emma. People can be so much worse.¡±

    Emma put a hand on her friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s okay. That¡¯s behind you now.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± Rin looked into the sky. ¡°I still have hat¡ª¡±

    Suddenly, several bolts of lightning struck around them all at once. The power went out across the city a moment later, including all the street lights.

    Rin was standing rigidly straight and her tail was fully extended. ¡°Okay. That¡¯s it. The bus isn¡¯t coming.¡±

    Emma tilted her head. ¡°What do we do then?¡±

    ¡°We walk out of here before the storm gets worse.¡± Rin shuddered just thinking about it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose we¡¯ll be getting ice cream¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°Wait, you shouldn¡¯t walk back to the Dregs in this!¡±

    ¡°Well, where else am I going to go? Your house isn¡¯t safe.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ Amaris¡¯ house is close-ish. We could go there. Maybe she¡¯ll even be there and we can hang out!¡±

    Rin pulled a hood over her head, flattening her ears. ¡°We should get moving. The storm really does look like it¡¯s getting worse.¡±

    Another bolt of lightning struck, illuminating for a split second the now-dark city. With no other sources of illumination, the two girls set out into the darkness, hoping their coats could handle all the rain they were facing.

    ~~~

    That day¡¯s gaming competition was Ludicrous Velocity Racer 4, and even though it was supposedly a ¡°casual¡± meet-up just to play and have fun, the competitive spirit of most players led to moments of deep intensity.

    The final match was between some thin, bony, toothpick of a man named Isaac and the eternally sunglasses-wearing Taylor. Both of their hands were frantically pressing buttons and flicking sticks in advanced techniques to get the absolute maximum amount of speed out of their cars. They drifted around corners so tightly that the game displayed the cars clipping through the inner wall, but no collisions were triggered.

    They knew the game well and against such a strong opponent, they needed to give it their all.

    As they came out of the final turn, they could see the finish line. Isaac was in front, but Taylor had come out of the turn at a higher speed, so it was anyone¡¯s game. Their cars approached each other, getting neck-in-neck. The audience held their collective breath.

    Then the power went out.

    Everyone let out an intense groan. Isaac fell back into his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling. Taylor threw her controller to the ground. ¡°Oh come on!¡±

    Nina turned on a flashlight. ¡°Well, that¡¯s certainly bad timing¡­¡±

    ¡°You think?¡± Taylor said, crossing her arms and grumbling incoherently.

    Isaac stood up and approached Taylor, extending his hand. ¡°Even so¡­ it was a good game, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    Taylor glanced up at his hand, barely illuminated by the reflections from Nina¡¯s flashlight. She grinned. ¡°Yeah, that was pretty sweet. Rematch?¡±

    ¡°Anytime. Well, anytime the power¡¯s on.¡±

    They shook hands.

    ¡°Geez, Taylor, your hands are like ice.¡±

    Taylor retracted her hand and laughed nervously. ¡°They''re just like that, y¡¯know?¡±

    Isaac didn¡¯t think anything of it and there wasn¡¯t enough illumination for him to notice Taylor quickly rubbing her hands together to generate warmth.

    At this point, Nina let out a whistle. ¡°It¡¯s a downpour out there. Entire city seems to be out, we¡¯re probably not getting power anytime soon. ¡­Looks like it¡¯s getting worse too.¡±

    Lorenzo, the cat whose house they were using, let out a sign. ¡°Everyone should start heading home then, wouldn¡¯t want an accident to happen on my account.¡±

    There was a chorus of disappointed sighs, but everyone started shuffling out.

    Taylor poked her head out of the door, noting the absolute deluge. ¡°Geez, we didn¡¯t notice anything while playing, did we?¡±

    Nina shook her head. ¡°Let me get the hood up on my car, I¡¯ll drive you home.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Fortunately, Nina¡¯s convertible was parked under an awning, so it wasn¡¯t soaking wet, though the interior was a bit damp. The light blue hood took some finagling, but it was eventually set up, making the convertible into a far more traditional car.

    ¡°It¡¯s so boring now,¡± Nina lamented.

    ¡°And not color-coordinated.¡± Taylor tilted her head. ¡°Why is the hood blue?¡±

    ¡°Had to replace it, was the color they had.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    The two climbed into the car and closed the doors. Nina took a moment to take stock of everything, while Taylor simply sat in the passenger seat.

    Slowly, Taylor removed her glasses. She pulled a little mirror up from the convertible dashboard and looked herself right in the eyes. Right in her empty, colorless eyes. White.

    Nina glanced at her. ¡°You good?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ think so?¡± Taylor frowned. ¡°Isaac didn¡¯t seem to think it was that weird, but¡­¡± She looked down at her hands. ¡°I¡¯m not warm, Nina. I¡¯m not¡­¡± She pulled up her shirt and looked at her abdomen, finding the lower part of her massive wound. It was not a proper scar, and it would never be, since her body didn¡¯t do that kind of healing anymore. It was just a slice across her flesh, a gap, a hole. No blood pouring out, no exposed organs, but it wasn¡¯t right. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still you. No madness, no cravings for brains¡­¡±

    Taylor chuckled. ¡°I wonder if actual zombies do.¡±

    ¡°Probably not, if they¡¯re real.¡±

    ¡°They probably are, somewhere.¡± Taylor sat back, staring at the dull hood above her. ¡°Knowing Amaris, we¡¯ll probably encounter them at some point.¡±

    Nina put her hands on the steering wheel and gripped it hard.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ are taking it all a lot better than I think I could.¡± Nina paused. ¡°Or am.¡±

    Taylor reached out to put a hand on Nina¡¯s shoulder, but stopped herself. She slowly retracted her hand and shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s a sense in which I wanted excitement and adventure my entire life, but I could only find it in games. That¡¯s not true of you¡­ I don¡¯t think you should expect everything to just go easily. Plus.¡± She smirked. ¡°I¡¯m young, we young people are better at having change thrown at us. Or so I hear.¡±

    ¡°Using my own words against me, are you?¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡±

    With a slight smile, Nina sat forward and turned the car¡¯s key. The engine shot to life and they pulled out onto the street. Since they had spent some time talking, they were among the last to leave. The windshield wipers had to work overtime and even then they were only marginally effective. The only other constant lights were those of other cars, and those weren¡¯t that common given the storm and the fact that Nina was avoiding the highway. However, lightning would strike somewhat regularly, illuminating Nuk in a purplish glow.

    Taylor put her sunglasses back on, so it was almost impossible for her to see much of anything other than the lightning. So she paid careful attention to it, watching where it struck, how it was striking, and the patterns it had¡­

    Something wasn¡¯t quite right. She¡¯d seen storms before, been in lots of them. This one was different. Lightning wasn¡¯t striking across the sky from cloud to cloud, but always from the cloud to the ground. Furthermore, she noticed a concentration of lightning in a single spot.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a normal storm,¡± Taylor said abruptly.

    Nina tensed considerably. ¡°...There won¡¯t be a way to call Amaris with the power out¡­¡±

    ¡°That area over there¡­¡± Taylor pointed. ¡°Has a lot more lightning strikes than anywhere else.¡±

    ¡°We could drive down to ORHI and¡­¡± Nina paused. ¡°Who am I kidding, that¡¯s a long drive, and the storm¡¯s getting worse, they might not be able to make it back here¡­¡± She grimaced.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to investigate it,¡± Taylor pointed out.

    ¡°You think we should, though.¡±

    Taylor frowned. ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m not sure. We¡¯re not employees, we aren¡¯t cursed¡­¡± Taylor paused. ¡°I don¡¯t think this is a curse, anyway. But¡­¡± She turned back to see two lightning strikes hit the same spot. ¡°We know there are strange things in the world. We could investigate and report. It would probably help Amaris.¡±

    Nina took in a sharp breath. ¡°Alright.¡± She turned the convertible to the right and carried them closer to the center of the lightning strikes.

    ~~~

    Jenny and Scarlet jumped into Scarlet¡¯s car, laughing and giggling to themselves so hard they couldn¡¯t say anything. They were both soaking wet but that didn¡¯t matter to them, they had just had a great time.

    ¡°Who knew this LARPing thing was so fun!?¡± Jenny said. ¡°I got to swing a sword! At normal people! And they liked it!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget the foam fireballs!¡± Scarlet chuckled. ¡°Oh, that was not what I was thinking was going to happen when little Allie described it to me at all. I should do a story on their culture! Absolutely fascinating!¡±

    ¡°Fireball!¡± Jenny shouted, throwing a foam ball into Scarlet¡¯s face.

    ¡°Oh no, I am burned!¡±

    With this, their laughter increased in intensity, but it rather quickly died off as a distant look came over Jenny and she started staring into the darkness brought on by the storm.

    ¡°You good?¡±

    ¡°...No,¡± Jenny said, crossing her arms. ¡°This¡­ isn¡¯t right.¡±

    Scarlet shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t see what¡¯s wrong with having fun.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s you.¡±

    ¡°Even if I did all those things you say I did¡­¡±

    Jenny rolled her eyes.

    ¡°...what exactly is wrong with enjoying yourself?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t feel right.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t it feel just right out there, amidst an army of young people swinging fake swords around?¡±

    A smirk crawled up Jenny¡¯s face. ¡°It was really fun. Just.¡± Jenny shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m asking you, it¡¯s not like I should trust your advice.¡±

    ¡°Now that¡¯s something we can mostly agree on.¡± Scarlet chuckled. ¡°Nobody should live like me but me.¡±

    Jenny grunted something noncommittal.

    Scarlet opted not to continue the conversation and just start driving through the storm. She squinted as she pulled onto one of the main roads. ¡°Geez, can¡¯t see anything in this¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll get lucky and be hit by a car,¡± Jenny offered.

    ¡°Have you ever been in a car wreck?¡±

    ¡°Yes! They¡¯re like rollercoasters. For me. Not for you. I¡¯m thinking you break a rib¡­ your neck¡­ maybe the pelvis¡­¡±

    ¡°You can dream.¡±

    ¡°Oh, rest assured, I am.¡±

    Scarlet opened her mouth to respond, but had to quickly swerve out of the way of another car barreling out of a side road. Arcs of electricity popped off the car as it ran into a nearby building, sending glass and bricks flying.

    Scarlet immediately pulled over. Both her and Jenny ran to the newly wrecked car. Scarlet had to stop short as an arc of electricity emerged from the car and struck the ground in front of her. Jenny, however, pushed forward, caring not for burned flesh. She encased her gloves in rocks with a spell, using them to dent the car¡¯s metal frame and force the door open.

    Inside was the corpse of a man, sparking with electricity. It was a recent corpse too, but that was to be expected as the car had still been running. All the lights and dials inside the car were freaking out, flashing on and off, telling her nothing.

    Jenny sighed, returning to Scarlet. ¡°He¡¯s dead. Car¡¯s also freaking out.¡±

    ¡°Strange¡­¡± Scarlet frowned. ¡°Even if he had just been struck by lightning, this isn¡¯t normal.¡± She looked up at the sky. ¡°Which means the storm isn¡¯t normal.¡±

    Jenny nodded. ¡°I should tell everyone.¡±

    ¡°Phones aren¡¯t going to work in a power outage.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Uh.¡± Jenny scratched her head. ¡°Guess we drive there?¡±

    They heard the sound of a crash followed by an explosion somewhere to their left, but they couldn¡¯t pinpoint exactly where.

    ¡°Something tells me we don¡¯t want to drive anymore.¡± Scarlet went to the trunk of her car and pulled out a large red umbrella, spreading it over herself and Jenny. It only provided minimal protection, so she pulled out a raincoat for herself. ¡°Don¡¯t have one for you, sorry.¡±

    ¡°Psh, it¡¯s just rain. Or lightning. Annoying but not bad.¡± Jenny¡¯s smirk turned into a frown. ¡°Walking all the way to ORHI will take all day in this weather. So¡­ guess I have to do something.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any idea how to do something about a mystic storm?¡±

    ¡°Not a clue!¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s lucky you¡¯re with me. Because I have an idea.¡± Scarlet smirked. ¡°When you¡¯re as prolific a reporter as I am, you learn things. Such as the location of secret government weather monitoring stations.¡±

    ¡°We have a secret government weather monitoring station!?¡±

    ¡°Well, the weather station is public, the government lab attached to it isn¡¯t. But it¡¯s close by and it might be able to tell us more. Up for breaking into a secure facility?¡±

    Jenny grinned and let out an ominous cackle, lighting her left hand with purple electricity. ¡°They won¡¯t know what hit them.¡±

    Her electricity arced through the wet air and struck her in the face.

    ¡°Ow.¡±

    ~~~

    Coleus and Irene were both out, in the middle of the storm, staking out one of the crop circles from a distance. They had not expected there to be a storm when they started watching it last night, but the storm wasn¡¯t causing them much of an issue because Coleus had grown a large umbrella-like tree over them. The trunk even helped support the rickety abandoned warehouse, so they didn¡¯t have to worry about it collapsing under them.

    Lightning struck the center of the crop circle. Irene visibly jumped, despite this being far from the first time it had happened. ¡°I. Hate. Lightning.¡±

    Coleus kept a pair of binoculars affixed to her face. She adjusted the focus. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if the lightning¡¯s doing anything¡­ but it¡¯s certainly striking the crop circle more often than it should.¡± She frowned. ¡°My eyes keep getting reset, it¡¯s so bark over there.¡±

    ¡°I should have let you take one of the Kiris,¡± Irene groaned. ¡°I should have stayed behind the desk¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been locked behind that desk too much, I had to get you out.¡± Coleus frowned. ¡°Though, to be fair, I did expect it to be rather boring. Sit here, watch a crop circle, maybe it¡¯ll disintegrate something while we¡¯re watching it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well, that¡¯s not what¡¯s happening! Freaky storm, lightning apparently likes it¡­¡±

    ¡°It could just mean there¡¯s metal under the circle, or something con-duck-tive. Though it doesn¡¯t appear to be heating things up as much as it should¡­ no fire.¡±

    ¡°The sky is dropping an ocean on us.¡±

    ¡°That will put out the fire once it starts, but won¡¯t stop it from corning.¡± Coleus clicked her tongue and chuckled. ¡°All this tells me is that the crop circle is not normal but we already knew that, it¡¯s the entire reason we¡¯re here.¡±

    Lightning struck the center of the crop circle again, blinding Coleus momentarily. She strained her eyes as much as she could, but saw¡­ nothing. When her eyes fully readjusted it was just a normal crop circle again.

    ¡°The storm keeps getting worse¡­¡± Irene said, rubbing one of her arms. ¡°You sure your tree can take it?¡±

    ¡°If it starts getting strained, I¡¯ll make it stronger,¡± Coleus said. ¡°I¡¯ve also made sure it has a conductive coating so it can shunt any extra charge into the ground.¡± She smirked. ¡°Becoming the great plant engineer of the Strider taught me quite a few things. I may not have as much power as before, but I can be quite clever with it now. One might even say ex-pear-ienced.¡± She generated a pear from the tree, dropping it into her outstretched hand.

    Irene opened her mouth to say something but shut it quickly.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°What is it, Irene?¡±

    ¡°N-nothing¡­¡±

    ¡°Irene¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s rude and inconsiderate.¡±

    ¡°About the Strider, right?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡±

    Coleus put her binoculars down and sighed. ¡°I am doing much better, if that¡¯s what this is about.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s n-not. I j-just¡­¡± Irene wrapped her arms around herself. ¡°I just, since it happened¡­ I can¡¯t help but think about something like it happening again. ORHI being destroyed. All our work being for nothing.¡±

    ¡°But it wasn¡¯t for nothing!¡± Coleus gestured at the tree. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been able to make this kind of tree without all my practice in the Strider. The Strider got Amaris home, and my efforts were instrumental in founding ORHI. And think of how much we¡¯ve learned! And grown! You didn¡¯t know me when Amaris first met me, but I was rather self-conscious. Deathly terrified that Amaris wouldn¡¯t like me. Now look at me! A free leaf, on her own!¡± She paused, looking down at Irene. ¡°It¡­ is hard. But even if everything blows up, it won¡¯t have been for nothing.¡±

    Irene stared at her with wide eyes.

    ¡°Also, my puns are getting butter.¡±

    Irene groaned. ¡°They aren¡¯t¡­¡±

    Coleus chuckled. She put her binoculars back to her eyes and stared at the crop circle.

    And then several dozen lightning bolts struck the crop circle all at once. A massive beam of light shot up into the sky.

    When the light cleared, Coleus could suddenly see something. There were about a dozen figures, shaped like¡­ cartoony five-pointed stars?

    ¡°...Uh-oh,¡± Coleus said.

    ~~~

    The storm increased to such a level that Emma and Rin started to find it difficult to move. The wind speeds weren¡¯t that high, but there was now a decently thick coating of water on the ground, splashing around their boots with every step. They were both soaking wet despite their coats, but at the very least they weren¡¯t getting too cold.

    There was lightning every few seconds now, but the two of them were far more concerned with just making it to Amaris¡¯ house. They had stopped talking a while ago, holding their arms around their chests, trying to gain some semblance of comfort. Rin¡¯s makeup had already been completely washed away, the only sign of its presence being a few stains on the collar of her shirt.

    It was also dark. So dark that they generally had no idea where they were, but every now and then they would come to a street sign, and it would tell them they were on the right track.

    Just two more blocks to go, Emma thought, squinting at the street sign that the lightning had illuminated just a moment ago. On a sunny day, I wouldn¡¯t even consider that long¡­ it¡¯s about how long Amaris usually walks from school. She frowned. Or am I even using ¡°block¡± right¡­? It¡¯s every section of the city split up into a square of main roads, right? Normally she would fuel this kind of curiosity, maybe ask Amaris or Rin about it, but the overpowering nature of the storm caused her to leave it behind. Nature demanded attention, and attention she would give it.

    They left the street sign behind, once again entering into a realm of unknowns. How far were they along? Was that a house Emma recognized? How much further to the next street corner?

    All difficult to answer. The rain obscured so much with how heavily it was falling, and lightning illumination was never long enough to get a really good picture of what was around them. There were also no cars out and about near the suburbs, which was somewhat sensible given the weather. Although they hadn¡¯t seen a single one for¡­ Emma checked her watch. They¡¯d been at this for almost an hour, and they¡¯d only seen cars near the bus stop.

    For the first time, Emma got a sense that something was wrong with this storm. Not that she said or tried to do anything about it¡ªshe was already barely able to deal with the storm as it was and had no way to contact anyone. If it was weird, Amaris was probably dealing with it somewhere. She needed to focus on making it to their destination. Which, curiously, was Amaris¡¯ house, so maybe they would get roped into the mess there¡­

    Rin¡¯s ears alerted and she whirled to look behind herself. ¡°I just heard a door open.¡±

    Emma looked at her with disbelief. ¡°How are you not deaf from the thunder?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the quest¡ª¡± Before Rin could finish her thought, lightning struck a building nearby, illuminating the nearby area quite well. On a brick wall behind them, there was a door that definitely hadn¡¯t been there when they passed it. The door was made of pale wood that was actively getting wet; it had not yet soaked through, which should have been impossible. The door itself almost seemed to be moving of its own accord, opening wider and wider without any regard for the storm¡¯s desires.

    They heard a sound like a kitten meowing and a goose honking at the same time.

    Something was thrown out of the doorframe, but without any illumination neither of them could see it, but the sound of it hitting the ground was like a dog¡¯s squeaky toy. However, the two girls could see the next thing that emerged from the doorway. It was made out of hundreds of narrow eyes that flowed around each other like a liquid, each pupil surrounded by a glowing magenta iris. Some of the eyes locked on the two girls, but made no move toward them¡ªthe creature went after whatever it had just thrown out of the door.

    An intense beam of rainbow energy game from the other entity, complete with a cheesy sparkle effect. This beam seemed to blast a hole through the creature with eyes for a moment, but in truth, the creature had simply flowed like a liquid to make a hole for the beam to pass through. The beam instead struck the brick wall, reducing a significant chunk of it to dust and ash.

    The beam also revealed, in full, the yellow star-shaped creature Emma and Rin recognized from Amaris¡¯ notebooks.

    A star alien.

    The creature of eyes jumped at the star alien. While the star itself made cute and adorable noises as it was attacked, the sound of flesh being ripped apart was anything but. Fortunately, no lightning was able to fully illuminate the scene, saving the girls from the sheer brutality.

    Even in a severely injured and dying state, the star still fought back. It directed its beam at the ground, shooting its body into the air, sailing over the two girls. Emma felt something land on her face¡ªit felt tingly. Was it star alien blood? The rain was washing it away real quickly, whatever it was.

    Rin suddenly grabbed Emma by the shoulder and pulled her down. This was a good instinct, because the eye creature jumped straight over them to pursue the star alien, skewering it through the center. The adorably cute noises from the star alien ended abruptly.

    Rin dragged Emma away from the creature.

    The creature, done with its original prey, turned to them. It jumped.

    Rin let out a rather nasty swear and instead of running through the storm, ran into the open doorway. She slammed it shut behind her.

    They heard the creature slam into the door, but it held.

    The two girls started running deeper into the structure they had found themselves. It didn¡¯t look like anything that belonged on the inside of a brick wall, that was for sure. The structure was made almost entirely of metal walkways, the kinds one would find in a factory that looked down on dangerous manufacturing machines below. Here, though, there were no machines, simply more walkways, both above and below.

    As they ran, they looked around at all the walkways.

    Around a dozen of them had star aliens on them. Dismembered. Dripping pink fluid onto the mist below that obscured the ground from view¡ªif there even was ground here to begin with.

    Emma realized it was bright in here, but she couldn¡¯t see any lights.

    ¡°What is¡­?¡±

    ¡°Questions later, running now!¡± Rin said, dragging her along the walkway. They had no choices on where to go, so they had to come across half a star¡¯s corpse, somehow embedded into the guard rail. The eyes were empty, and there was no visible mouth on the mangled piece of fuzz. Pink juices dripped from the edges, occasionally sparkling with some kind of unknown energy. There were bits dangling out, oozing other fluids¡­

    Emma couldn¡¯t take it. She had to stop and hurl over the edge of the guard rail.

    ¡°Emma, come on!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I just¡­¡±

    Rin picked her up and tried to run with her, but only made it a few steps before stumbling. ¡°Emma!¡±

    Emma was finding it difficult to stand. ¡°I¡­¡±

    The beast of eyes finally tore the soft wooden door off its hinges. Lightning struck behind it, casting a shadow into the metallic space. It charged at them.

    Emma¡¯s adrenaline had already kicked in, but it kicked in again, pushing her to run forward even though she felt like her entire body was about to crumble. She and Rin made it to a crossroads in the walkways and sharply turned left. The creature sailed past them far too quickly, continuing along its original path.

    The creature did not stop its pursuit. It simply turned around and ran at them again.

    Rin and Emma saw a door in front of them, one made out of a strange combination of metal and marble. But it was too far for them to reach, and they knew it. The beast would be upon them before they arrived.

    But then the door opened, revealing a squad of five star aliens. They let out a war cry akin to a squeaky frog and jumped into the air, shooting beams over the two girls and at the eye creature.

    The eye beast immediately turned its attention from the girls and onto the stars. It snaked through the air, piercing one in the chest. In turn, the star aliens also ignored the girls, jumping from walkway to walkway in an attempt to fight the eye creature.

    Emma and Rin wasted no time. They ran to the now-open marble-metal door. They slammed it shut behind them.

    They were now in some kind of large hallway, made out of a material that was both metallic and rubbery, but had a slight fuzz to it. It was also the same yellow as the star aliens.

    There was no sign of any star aliens currently present. The marble-metal door looked decidedly out of place in the long hallway.

    ¡°...This is one of their ships¡­¡± Rin said.

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Emma gasped.

    ¡°We need to keep moving, Emma. Can¡­ can you do that?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ can¡­ try¡­¡± Emma said, the edges of her vision going blurry. ¡°Getting¡­ lightheaded¡­¡±

    ¡°Keep it together, Emma.¡± Rin, now that she had slightly more time, slung Emma¡¯s arm over her shoulders. ¡°We can make it through this.¡±

    ¡°R-right¡­ Thank you, Rin¡­¡±

    The two of them moved away from the metal-marble door at a quick pace, but nowhere near the breakneck speed they had just been going.

    The sounds of suffering behind the door quickly went out of earshot.

    Everything was now silent, save for the humming of the ship around them.

    ~~~

    Nina and Taylor drove along an abandoned road. Not a single other car was in sight, not that they could see very far, even with the wipers and the headlights. The only thing they could really see was the epicenter of the lightning strikes, which appeared to be happening directly to their left, in a large cornfield they were driving past.

    ¡°...Crop circle,¡± Taylor said.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°The crop circles Amaris has been investigating. They¡¯re inside these cornfields.¡± Taylor folded her arms. ¡°I¡¯m willing to bet that¡¯s where the lightning is striking.¡±

    ¡°...Well I can¡¯t just up and drive into a cornfield.¡±

    ¡°You could, but yes, it¡¯s probably a bad idea.¡± She adjusted her sunglasses. ¡°Do you think coats would be enough out in¡­ this?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d still get soaking wet, but¡­¡± Nina drummed her fingers.

    ¡°You seem¡­ uncertain.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not even sure what we¡¯re doing.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re investigating because it¡¯ll take forever to get to ORHI and we wouldn¡¯t even have any information.¡± She opened the car door and stepped out into the rain. ¡°Our goal is simple: get information. Figure out if anything nefarious is going on. If we can¡¯t deal with it, get the heck out of here.¡±

    ¡°...Right, yes, of course.¡± Nina sighed. ¡°I am too old for this.¡±

    Taylor chuckled. ¡°Oh no you aren¡¯t, you play in competitive video game tournaments.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m too old for that too.¡± With that, Nina shut off the car and stepped out herself. Already she felt like her coat wasn¡¯t enough, but what else were they going to do?

    She went to the trunk and pulled out some flashlights and survival supplies she kept in there in case of emergency. The knife seemed rather appealing right now. She gripped it tightly.

    ¡°Remember, if you can let a monster hit me instead of you, do,¡± Taylor said. ¡°I can¡¯t bleed out.¡±

    ¡°...Do you have, like, any fancy abilities now we can use¡­?¡±

    Taylor shook her head. ¡°Besides not dying, no, not really. I think I might be slightly stronger than before, but that may just be because my muscles don¡¯t cry out in agony when I strain them. I still feel pain. Dunno how Jenny can just roll with it.¡±

    ¡°Experience.¡±

    ¡°I guess.¡± Taylor turned on her flashlight. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    They turned to enter the cornfield. But before they even entered, they heard noises. Noises like loud squeaky toys, meowing cats, and cartoon spring sound effects.

    ¡°Kill the lights,¡± Nina said, shutting her flashlight off. Taylor did the same. They slowly moved behind the car, placing it between them and the cornfield.

    It did not take long for the sources of the sounds to emerge; several five-pointed star aliens, illuminated by the sheer number of nearby lightning strikes. They were talking to each other in that bizarre language of theirs, seemingly not caring in the slightest about the rain. One of them shot a rainbow laser into the ground, searing a new pothole into the street. The others all nodded at this.

    Then they all started disintegrating seemingly random locations. Bits of corn. Sidewalk. Dirt. Rocks. A lamp post that wasn¡¯t working.

    Taylor and Nina had no idea what they were doing. The two of them were also absolutely terrified, rooted to their hiding spot behind the car, praying that the star aliens wouldn¡¯t find them.

    One of them jumped on top of the car¡¯s roof with no warning. Nina¡¯s grip on the knife tightened.

    The star alien did not look down, but rather at the sky. It shot multiple beams into the air, seemingly at nothing. It let out a noise similar to a dog whimper crossed with a dolphin call. The others said something short in response.

    The star alien jumped off the car and joined up with the others, and they started marching down the road into the storm. The rain quickly hid them from view, even with all the lightning strikes.

    Taylor gasped, finally allowing herself to breathe. ¡°Th-that was close¡­¡±

    Nina was still gripping the knife, unmoving.

    ¡°Nina?¡± Taylor looked at her. ¡°Nina!¡±

    Nina wasn¡¯t moving.

    Taylor poked her in the shoulder.

    Nina let out a scream and slashed at Taylor.

    ¡°AGUH!¡± Taylor screamed, falling back.

    ¡°T-taylor!?¡± Nina stammered.

    ¡°That hurt! Agh!¡± She touched her fingers to her collarbone, which Nina had just exposed. She found no blood, which was to be expected, but still unnerving. ¡°This would be a serious problem if I wasn¡¯t undead, Nina!¡±

    ¡°S-sorry I¡­¡± NIna looked down at the knife. ¡°I¡­¡± She tossed it to the ground. ¡°I¡¯m no warrior¡­¡±

    ¡°No kidding,¡± Taylor grumbled, picking the knife up. ¡°...Sorry, that was wrong of me to say. I¡¯m not a warrior either.¡± She glanced at the blade. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even know how to use this. You grew up in the previous generations, you probably used a knife for more things than I did.¡±

    ¡°Not fighting.¡± Nina shook her head. ¡°Women¡­ never fought, back then.¡± She looked down at her hands, struck by how old they looked. ¡°...I don¡¯t think I can learn.¡±

    Taylor sighed. ¡°Well, good news is we don¡¯t have to. Let¡¯s book it to ORHI, tell them there¡¯s an alien invasion underway.¡±

    ¡°Is that really what¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s what it looks like, at least!¡±

    ¡°Then why isn¡¯t anything exploding? Where¡¯s the fighting? The attacks?¡±

    Taylor looked up at the storm clouds. ¡°...If I had to guess, I¡¯d say the storm is their attack. It¡¯s still getting stronger. It¡¯ll be enough to start destroying buildings eventually.¡±

    The two of them fell silent. Nina stood up and got into the car, turning on the engine and the headlights. Taylor entered just as Nina floored the gas and whipped the car around back the way they¡¯d come. She flicked on the turbo and they blasted down the road.

    ¡°I may not be able to fight¡­ but I know how to drive.¡± Nina grinned a grin that was a little too wide. ¡°Hold on!¡±

    ¡°Little late for that warning!¡± Taylor said.

    The car barreled down the abandoned street at ludicrous speeds, narrowly avoiding a stray lightning strike.

    ~~~

    Only a dozen or so star aliens had appeared in the crop circle next to Coleus and Irene. They had spread out. Coleus lost sight of several of them in the cornfield and darkness of the storm.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell what they¡¯re doing¡­¡± Coleus muttered, whipping her binoculars left and right, but only able to catch glimpses here and there of them. ¡°Why are they here?¡±

    ¡°D-don¡¯t know¡­¡± Irene muttered, fidgeting by weaving her fingers together. ¡°Can we do anything?¡±

    ¡°Star aliens are extremely dangerous, they have advanced technology and a rainbow disintegration beam.¡± Coleus frowned. ¡°I can probably take a few of them, but not a lot. And we don¡¯t know their language¡­¡± She snapped her fingers. ¡°Jenny, Jenny kind of half-remember knows.¡±

    ¡°How do you know this¡­?¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t actually read Amaris¡¯ notebooks, have you?¡± Coleus chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s an egg-cellent source of spectacu-star information! She¡¯s encountered these things before.¡±

    Irene blinked. ¡°You know I probably should¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a reason she wrote everything down, so everyone can learn from it.¡± Coleus nodded. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s finally paying off¡­ the book also contained information about the interior of one of their larger ships. There might be one in the sky right now. I could probably disable it from the inside¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, so we¡¯re going to board an alien ship now!?¡±

    Coleus shrugged. ¡°That would require knowing how to get up there. I do not. So, in-stem, we need to get Jenny!¡±

    Irene stared at her blankly.

    ¡°The bad pun was instead, Irene.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Irene smiled weakly. ¡°Well, that means we have to leave, which I¡¯m completely fine with!¡±

    Coleus nodded. ¡°To Headquarters!¡±

    The two of them jumped down from the abandoned warehouse. Coleus quickly grew a ring of leaves around Irene¡¯s neck, out of which sprung a giant leaf. ¡°There you go, an umbrelleaf!¡±

    ¡°Is that a pun or just its name?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Coleus winked.

    The two of them set off. Their goal was the parked Retrograde, which was a fair distance away, as they had been trying to observe discretely.

    This proved to be quite unfortunate for them.

    Suddenly, five star aliens emerged from the woodwork around them. They were now completely surrounded.

    Irene held out her hand, casting happiness upon them. ¡°Um¡­ c-can we talk about this?¡±

    ¡°I doubt it¡­¡± Coleus said, balling her hands into fists. ¡°But they aren¡¯t trying to vaporize us¡­¡±

    One of the star aliens stepped forward and pointed at Coleus.

    Coleus blinked. She pointed at herself and tilted her head in what she hoped was obvious confusion.

    The star alien nodded. Then it pointed back at the cornfield where the crop circle was.

    ¡°It wants me to follow them,¡± Coleus said, turning to Irene. ¡°Go to the Retrograde, tell everyone.¡±

    ¡°Coleus, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to have an argu-mint.¡± Coleus grinned. ¡°They don¡¯t want me dead, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep them happy for you.¡±

    ¡°Appreciated.¡± Coleus smiled at the lead star alien and approached him, indicating she would follow. The star alien nodded and started walking back to the crop circle.

    Irene attempted to stay put while the stars moved, but one of them shoved her forward. ¡°Um¡­ looks like I don¡¯t get to go, Coleus.¡±

    Coleus sighed. ¡°Well¡­ guess we¡¯re in this together then. Seen Orville lately?¡±

    ¡°Nope¡­¡± Irene shook her head.

    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate. Guess we¡¯ll just have to deal with this on our own.¡±

    ¡°Y-yay¡­¡± Irene took in a sharp breath. ¡°You can do this, Irene, just another death-defying situation, you¡¯re used to these¡­ Just keep them happy¡­¡± Irene gulped. ¡°They only wanted Coleus, you¡¯re expendable¡­¡±

    Coleus grimaced. ¡°I was hoping you wouldn¡¯t think of that¡­¡±

    ¡°Coleus, m-my mind is a worst-case-scenario machine, of course I¡¯d think of it.¡± She took a few large breaths to steady herself as they moved through the corn with the star aliens. ¡°What do you think they w-want?¡±

    Coleus shook her head. ¡°I dunno. They want me for something specifically¡­ maybe because I was in charge of the Strider? Or I¡¯m a free leaf dryad? I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t even speak our language!¡±

    ¡°Of course not, they¡¯re aliens.¡± Coleus paused. ¡°Actually. Wait. Amaris says the sky is fake, the stars aren¡¯t actually really there¡­ it¡¯s all darkness. Are they even really aliens?¡±

    They emerged in the central ring of the cornfield. Lightning had struck here dozens of times, but the moment they entered the lightning ceased. The stars led them to the center.

    Then the lightning started again.

    Everything in the crop circle vanished without a trace.

    ~~~

    Scarlet¡¯s umbrella turned out to be completely useless as the winds picked up, blowing the rain almost vertically at times. Simply walking forward in the storm was proving to be difficult. Jenny and Scarlet had to hold onto each other and step forward carefully to make any ground.

    Fortunately, they were almost at their destination. The weather station.

    Which currently had a car crashed through one of the walls.

    ¡°...That makes this a little easier,¡± Scarlet noted.

    The two of them crawled through the hole the car had made. Jenny briefly examined the car to find that the driver and the single passenger were both dead. There was no one inside the building, despite there being clear signs of recent occupation¡ªopen books, food set out at a couple of desks, and even a laptop that was complaining about low battery.

    ¡°They got up and left in a hurry,¡± Scarlet noted, examining the laptop. It just showed a simple weather forecast, with wind speeds continually increasing and lots of question mark icons.

    ¡°There were no cars in the parking lot,¡± Jenny observed.

    ¡°Which means they left in them.¡±

    ¡°After the car crashed through the wall?¡±

    ¡°Seems like it,¡± Scarlet said, taking a few pictures with her camera. ¡°At least this way I have an excuse for snooping around here. Could write a story on this.¡±

    ¡°But this is just the public weather station, right? Where¡¯s the entrance to the secret part?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the fun part!¡± Scarlet grinned. ¡°I don¡¯t know! We need to do some searching!¡±

    Jenny rolled her eyes. ¡°At least it¡¯s dry in here.¡±

    The two of them turned on flashlights and started searching the weather station. The only things that had power had batteries, so the full suite of instruments weren¡¯t functional. A few basic data points about the weather could still be gathered: things like humidity (maximum) wind speed (getting faster rapidly) and pressure (very low). None of those were particularly helpful or informative, and the few laptops that still had battery power didn¡¯t have the long-term data stored on them.

    Jenny helped herself to some of the snacks that had been left out. As she munched on a vanilla wafer, she started knocking on the walls, listening for the sound of secret rooms.

    ¡°Found it,¡± Scarlet said.

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    Scarlet pushed a large shelf filled with records out of the way, revealing a wall with a suspiciously door-shaped indent. Scarlet ran her fingers around the edge, trying to find some kind of latch or knob or something to open it. She found nothing.

    ¡°I could punch it open,¡± Jenny offered.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be best if no one can prove anyone was here¡­¡± Scarlet tapped her finger to her chin.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Jenny furrowed her brow. Then she lit up. ¡°I have an idea.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I punch though.¡±

    ¡°Jenny¡­¡±

    ¡°And then I tear the entire structure down after we¡¯re done, make it look like the building just collapsed from the stress of a car wreck and storm.¡±

    Scarlet lit up. ¡°That¡¯s an excellent idea! Clean up the evidence with more destruction!¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡± Jenny pulled her fist back and surrounded it in a vibrating white aura. ¡°So down with the door!¡±

    She punched forward, buckling the hidden door and tearing it off its hinges. It clattered down a staircase on the other side, coming to a rest at the bottom. Jenny and Scarlet descended into the darkness.

    At the bottom, there was a single, small room a large number of variably sized screens dotting the walls. All of them were on, no doubt hooked up to some kind of generator. They all showed the phrase Please Log In.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re here,¡± Scarlet said. ¡°The information is probably here¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you know the password?¡±

    ¡°Nope. However, government workers are often stupid.¡± Scarlet ran her fingers along the edges and back of the various screens.

    ¡°What are you looking for¡­?¡±

    ¡°Aha! Found it!¡± Scarlet turned her flashlight onto the bottom edge of one of the lower monitors, showing that a piece of paper had been taped to it with a sequence of letters and numbers on it. ¡°Since the government demands secure, complicated passwords, basically no one can remember what they are, and so they write them down somewhere they can access them. Thus¡­¡± Scarlet typed the password into the computer, and it was accepted. All the screens changed to display various programs all focused on the weather. The vast majority of them currently said ¡°offline,¡± but not all of them were.

    ¡°Geez, someone¡¯s getting fired.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Scarlet said.

    ¡°What would we have done if the workers here had been competent?¡±

    ¡°Ripped out the hard drive and broken into it by force. Which would have taken a lot longer, even if we could raid a good tech store.¡± Scarlet shrugged. ¡°But I was hoping something like this would be here.¡±

    ¡°Ooooh, a gamble? You?¡±

    ¡°I have to be good at gambling in my line of work.¡±

    ¡°Which one?¡±

    Scarlet just smiled knowingly, turning back to the computer. Her fingers flew across the keys, pulling up a weather forecast.

    The computer seemed fairly certain that the storm would keep increasing in intensity until all measurement devices were maxed out.

    ¡°That¡¯s not good, right?¡± Jenny asked.

    ¡°At that point, the storm starts tearing buildings apart,¡± Scarlet said, whistling. She pulled up previous forecasts, showing that none of them had even predicted a large storm until it had started forming earlier that day. ¡°Yep, this is unnatural.¡±

    ¡°You think this would have concerned them.¡±

    ¡°I think it did,¡± Scarlet said, pointing at one of the other screens that currently said ¡°HIGH ALERT.¡± ¡°The government probably knows. But I know there were no reports on a doom storm before the power went out, despite us clearly knowing about it here.¡± She investigated a little further, clicking on the ¡°HIGH ALERT¡± program to get details. ¡°Hmm¡­ yes, messages were dispatched to the President¡¯s Office directly. It appears the ¡®standby¡¯ order was given in response. The group here asked about the StormFlyer¡­ and then I think communications were cut.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ cut?¡± Jenny frowned.

    ¡°Yes, the government would still have generator-driven communicators that don¡¯t care about the power grid. The fact that no messages were sent after this¡­¡± Scarlet frowned. ¡°I¡¯m starting to suspect this storm is an attack of some kind.¡±

    ¡°Well, if it¡¯s an attack, I might be able to punch it.¡±

    ¡°If we can find where you need to punch¡­¡± Scarlet moved back to a larger screen, one of the ones that said ¡°offline.¡± She dismissed the message and went back into the radar telemetry history.

    She wasn¡¯t expecting to find much.

    Instead, she found a truly massive five-pointed star shape in the telemetry history.

    ¡°...Huh,¡± Scarlet said.

    Jenny furrowed her brow. ¡°That shape¡­¡± Jenny clapped her hands together. ¡°Aha! The star aliens!¡±

    ¡°The what?¡±

    ¡°Yellow creatures that can shoot death lasers, Amaris and I ended up in one of their wrecked ships.¡± Jenny grinned. ¡°I could take it down from the inside!¡±

    ¡°How are you going to get up there, though?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ um¡­¡± She frowned. ¡°Well, we¡¯d need to fly in the storm and¡­ oooh! They mentioned a StormFlyer, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Probably some kind of secret government plane.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go there!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where it is.¡±

    Jenny blinked. ¡°And so your endless information network runs out.¡±

    ¡°I am just a reporter.¡± Scarlet turned to the screens. ¡°Although¡­ the information might be somewhere in here. Let¡¯s see just how many government secrets we can get out of this thing.¡±

    ~~~

    Coleus and Irene appeared in a large yellow corridor made out of a strange rubbery metal substance with a light fuzz clinging to the surface.

    ¡°Amaris¡¯ notebooks described this¡­¡± Coleus said, running her hand along one of the walls. ¡°This is it, all right.¡±

    The star-aliens they were with shoved them forward.

    Irene frowned. ¡°Were we just¡­ disintegrated?¡±

    Coleus shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the same. There¡¯s no ash around here, if they teleported when they burned things, their teleporters would have ash all over the place.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    As they walked, the hallway got larger and larger and larger. Soon, they were surrounded by dozens of star aliens, most of whom stared at Coleus and Irene as they were led by.

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to make them happy,¡± Irene said. ¡°Just the ones leading us along.¡±

    ¡°Pro-bean-ly a good idea.¡±

    Irene let out an amused snort. ¡°Th-thanks Coleus.¡±

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°For keeping up that smile.¡±

    ¡°I do my best!¡±

    In truth, Coleus was absolutely terrified on the inside. She was surrounded by dangerous creatures she couldn¡¯t talk to that probably wanted her for some nefarious purpose of some kind or other. She still had her wits about her¡ªif she lost those she knew she was probably a goner¡ªbut her stomach had twisted into so many knots she was beginning to feel like a spike was being driven through her. From what she understood, this was what Irene felt like on just about any adventure. She couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine what must be going on inside Irene right now.

    Irene, for her part, had reached what she considered ¡°maximum stress¡± the moment they were surrounded by the star aliens, so she was actually significantly calmer now than a few minutes ago. Not that she was calm by any means now, but she was used to this. Keep the panic under control. Focus on Coleus, not on our captors.

    As they moved through the ship, it became clear that these people had little taste for aesthetics. Everything was the same material, there were no decorative designs whatsoever. There were various unusual symbols floating in the air projected by unseen devices, displaying simple no-nonsense reports and visualizations. The fact that these visualizations were cute and all the sounds adorable was immensely offputting. Coleus¡¯ mind went to a mental image of drowning in a sea of mewing kittens. The sound of their star speech was oppressive.

    Coleus deduced that they were heading for the center of the ship, as the enclosures kept getting larger and larger, hosting more and more star aliens moving from place to place, on levels both above and below them. Eventually, they came to an utterly massive round door.

    One of the star aliens pressed his entire body into it. The door flashed blue and slid open, revealing a large central chamber that was roughly spherical in shape. Images of the outside hovered in front of the walls. Many of the screens showed views inside the storm of great lightning bolts being formed and sent to the ground. Some showed the situation on the ground with many car wrecks and damaged buildings, with a few stars engaging in battle with residents that were quickly disintegrated. An unusual number of the screens were looking at various kinds of doors for some reason.

    However, there were also views above the clouds. Other star-shaped ships flying in formation. One of them exploding for seemingly no reason. Weapons shooting at nothing. Cameras cutting out.

    Coleus did not have much time to wonder at the scenes, because there was something else in the room, sitting on a throne made of silver, the only large thing not made of the strange rubber-metal Coleus had seen since arriving. The throne was easily the size of a small apartment complex, and the occupant fit perfectly within the confines of the seat. He was a humanoid entity of pure darkness, with little flames wisping off of his joints. His head shifted like a black flame around six piercing yellow eyes, and he had a mouth filled with sharp, fanged teeth.

    ¡°Welcome, visitors, to the Stormbringer.¡± He spoke with a deep, multi-layered voice that gave Coleus an instant headache and made her want to puke. Irene gave into the temptation and lost it on the ground, collapsing to her knees shortly thereafter. ¡°You should consider yourselves lucky to get an audience with a High Lord of Eyda.¡±

    Coleus tried to say something, but was unable to. The presence of this creature was simply too much for her to take in.

    ¡°You have been brought here because you were the cause of the defeat of one of our sister installations, the Strider. I had predicted that, with you captured, the destruction of this nation would be simple.¡± The High Lord narrowed all six of his eyes. ¡°However, it seems as if this place has more defenses than encountered by the Strider. You have lived here, Coleus. You will tell me everything I want to know.¡±

    Coleus opened her mouth. She wanted to say ¡°I will never help you!¡± but all that came out was a squeak.

    ¡°Your defiance is meaningless, I can extract it from your mind by force.¡± The High Lord leaned forward, extending a clawed hand toward Coleus. A single finger was larger than she was.

    Irene held her hand out at the High Lord.

    The High Lord suddenly turned to stare right at Irene. ¡°An ancestry! Fascinating. Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I-I am¡­¡± Irene stuttered. ¡°I-Irene¡­¡± Her mouth was chattering so much she couldn¡¯t form proper words. At least it was better than what Coleus was managing. ¡°M-maybe don¡¯t k-kill us?¡±

    The High Lord laughed at this. ¡°How unlike me, being so amused at a time such as this¡­ That is what her ancestry does, is it not?¡± He turned his gaze back to Coleus. ¡°I bet it gets you out of a lot of tight spots. Rest assured, it will not help you here. Regardless of the outcome of this battle, you are now mine. This ship is not secretly a Glen. You will not be able to grow your way through this. And I will take what I need from you.¡±

    He extended a finger again.

    There was a loud crash.

    There was a hole in the ceiling. Through the hole flew a being of light and geometry that Coleus couldn¡¯t fully keep in her mind, but her mind thought it was roughly spherical in the center. It shifted impossibly and reflected light that was not there.

    ¡°Target acquired,¡± it said in a clearly synthetic voice.

    Coleus¡¯ eyes widened. A memory angel.

    To be continued¡­

 XXV - Stormbringer, Part 2

    EPISODE XXV

    Stormbringer, Part 2

    Rin and Emma were walking through a round corridor aboard the star aliens¡¯ ship. Rin guessed it was probably some kind of crawlspace for the star aliens, but since they were rather large, two girls could walk through it leisurely.

    Every now and then, they felt the ship shake.

    ¡°W-what do you think that is?¡± Emma asked.

    ¡°Dunno,¡± Rin said. ¡°This is an alien spaceship, for all we know tremors are normal.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ um¡­ I guess¡­¡±

    ¡°What we need to do is find a way off this thing.¡±

    ¡°W-well, Amaris got out¡­¡±

    ¡°By repurposing a broken missile she thought was an escape pod. I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll work for us.¡±

    ¡°Then what do we do?¡±

    Rin took in a sharp breath. ¡°I. Have no idea. I don¡¯t want to risk trying to go back through the door, the star aliens are all over that place, and there¡¯s the monster they¡¯re fighting.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ maybe we can find another door?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust those doors.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t either.¡± Emma wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. ¡°But the star aliens aren¡¯t just gonna let us go¡­¡± Emma sniffed. ¡°What are we going to do¡­?¡±

    ¡°Keep moving until we find something,¡± Rin said.

    ¡°Do¡­ do you really think we will?¡±

    Rin stopped walking. ¡°...Yeah. Of course we will.¡± She looked back at Emma and gave her a smile.

    Emma saw right through her lie and burst into tears.

    ¡°Emma! Emma, you need to calm down! Emma!¡± Rin grabbed Emma by the shoulders and shook her.

    ¡°W-we¡¯re gonna die¡­¡±

    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be interesting!¡±

    ¡°We aren¡¯t Amaris!¡±

    Rin paled.

    ¡°We¡¯re just two kids without any magic on an alien spaceship!¡± Emma shook her head back and forth rapidly and stuck her hands into her hair. ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do, they¡¯ll just disintegrate us, we¡¯ll never see our families again¡ª¡±

    Rin slapped Emma. The girl fell back and stared up at Rin in shock.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t get ahold of yourself we are going to die!¡± Rin shouted, a hiss coming from the back of her throat. Her tail twitched angrily.

    Emma just stared back at her.

    ¡°Emma, get up. We can¡¯t just stay here.¡±

    Slowly, Emma nodded. With very shaky legs, she stood up. She lifted her eyes to Rin¡¯s.

    Rin couldn¡¯t understand her expression. ¡°...Emma?¡±

    Emma smiled softly¡­ and then took off in a run back the way they had come.

    ¡°What in the¡­? Emma!¡± Rin sprinted after her. Emma was nowhere near fast enough to outrun Rin¡ªshe was easily tackled to the ground. ¡°What are you doing!?¡±

    ¡°L-let me go¡­¡± Emma whimpered, tears rolling down her face. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m putting you in danger¡­ I need to get away¡­¡±

    ¡°How stupid are you!?¡±

    ¡°Stupid enough to get you killed!¡±

    ¡°No, not like that! Agh, Emma, I swear, you¡¯re impossible!¡± Rin pulled Emma to her feet, forcing her to stand and look Rin in the eyes. ¡°Amaris is a danger to us, but we don¡¯t let her hide herself away. The same applies to you.¡±

    Emma blinked. ¡°Wh¡­¡±

    ¡°We are in this together, even if you are an absolute burden. Do you hear me?¡±

    Emma nodded slowly.

    ¡°Now, can we keep moving and try to get out of this place?¡± Without shouting and letting everyone know where we are?

    ¡°O-okay¡­¡±

    Rin made sure her hand was planted firmly on Emma¡¯s wrist as she walked forward. She didn¡¯t want to take any chances that Emma would have another freakout, not right now.

    Unfortunately, she forgot to look where she was walking and stepped on a loose panel. It gave way under her weight and the two of them fell down to another level, crashing into what appeared to be boxes but gave way like soft plushies.

    ¡°What is with these aliens and the weird cuteness?¡± Rin muttered, pulling herself out of the plush pile.

    ¡°I have nightmares like this¡­¡± Emma shivered.

    ¡°Yeah, well¡ªshh!¡± Rin grabbed Emma¡¯s hand and pressed a finger to her mouth. I just heard one of them talking.

    Rin slowly poked her head around a corner, looking at a large room filled with pipes, cables, and slowly rotating star-shaped constructs. There was a single star alien there, muttering in cute springy noises as it tapped one of its appendages to a hovering display. As it did so, the sounds of churning fluid in the pipes shifted.

    Some kind of control system¡­ Rin narrowed her eyes.

    A jarringly red downward-facing triangle appeared in the middle of the display the star alien was looking at. It spoke in the same language as the star aliens, but the voice was clearly synthetic, with buzzes and pops. The star alien nodded at whatever the triangle had said and moved to another pipe, smacking it with an appendage.

    Rin glanced back at Emma. Her eyes were open wide and she was absolutely terrified, but at least she wasn¡¯t trying to run or scream.

    Emma¡­ Rin shook her head. Who was she kidding? She was terrified as well, she had no idea what they were going to do, and if she had to bet she would say there was no way they made it out of this alive. Even if Emma wasn¡¯t here, Rin had no clue what to do. She just knew that if there was a chance¡­ she couldn¡¯t give in to it.

    Not that she wasn¡¯t in danger of doing so.

    She may have had more experience, but she was still just a kid, and she knew it.

    Time to do some growing up¡­ let¡¯s hope I get to see what comes of this.

    ~~~

    ¡°...I think I¡¯ve seen seven wrecked cars,¡± Taylor said. ¡°...That¡¯s a lot.¡±

    ¡°The storm is getting ridiculous,¡± Nina said, gripping the steering wheel extremely tightly. ¡°People dumb enough to be out here are dumb enough to crash.¡±

    ¡°That includes us.¡±

    Nina laughed nervously. ¡°I¡¯m well aware, but we have to get to ORHI somehow, don¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ be careful.¡±

    ¡°I am. And hey, at least now there are no other cars on the road! Nothing to crash into!¡±

    Taylor¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Nina¡­ none of the wrecked cars I saw were with another car. They crashed on their own.¡±

    ¡°Always one car¡­¡± Nina frowned. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound right¡­¡±

    Lightning struck a lamppost nearby, sending a thundering boom into their ears that deafened them temporarily. Nina¡¯s course did not deviate; she kept her eyes glued to the lines on the road, the one thing she could rely on. They were highly visible with nothing more than headlights illuminating them, as proper highway paint should be.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Nina said once she was sure Taylor¡¯s ears had recovered.

    Taylor nodded, still keeping her eyes peeled for anything and everything that might go wrong.

    Unfortunately, even excellent eyes couldn¡¯t do anything about a lightning strike.

    The bolt hit the car¡¯s top. As it was a convertible top it mostly wasn¡¯t metal, which meant the majority of the material immediately burnt to a crisp and became ash in the storm. The rain and weather was now able to enter the car, but that was the least of their worries. Electricity was now arcing from the various dials and instruments on the dash, jumping to other parts of the car, including Taylor and Nina.

    ¡°Augh!¡± Taylor cried out in pain as she was zapped. She was about to say something else when she realized Nina had slumped back into her chair. Arcs of electricity were still arcing to her.

    Taylor tore her seatbelt out of its lock with a strength she would not have been able to muster a few weeks ago, throwing her body over top of Nina¡¯s. This forced the electricity to arc into her first, which burnt her skin in complex forking patterns.

    Fortunately for her, she didn¡¯t need a functional nervous system anymore. Technically didn¡¯t even have one in the first palace.

    However, now she needed to keep the car from crashing while awkwardly splayed on top of Nina and being continually zapped by rogue charge. She howled in agony as she fumbled for the brake, managing to slam her foot down on it.

    The car didn¡¯t slow down. In fact, it was speeding up.

    Taylor started muttering to herself, but another arc made her cry out rather than complete her complaint. She gripped the steering wheel with one hand and twisted it to the side. Somehow, the steering still worked, and she was able to keep them from running off the road. Swerving side to side, her mind raced. How can I slow this car down!?

    Thunder struck nearby, illuminating the distant scene just enough. She recognized the silhouette of ORHI Headquarters. She knew there was a very large parking lot next to it that had basically no cars in it. She could try something there. If she could get there, taking a turn at this speed was going to be¡­ nightmarish.

    But it was the only option she could think of. Taking the road was not an option, that was too sharp of a turn. She twisted the wheel to the right, slamming into the curb and leaving the ground for a moment. A powerful surge of lightning left the bottom of her car and entered the ground.

    Pretty sure that violates physics¡­

    The car landed with a sickening crunch that pried the front bumper completely off. Taylor had idly hoped the engine would just break, but no, it kept working just fine. The grassy terrain slowed the car down considerably, but nowhere near enough.

    She left the grass and skidded into the parking lot.

    Okay, here we go¡­

    She started turning in a sharper and sharper arc. She knew how this worked from her many hours in racing games. Sure, this was far different, but a simple fact remained¡ªturning slowed you down. The tighter the turn, the slower you got. Trying to turn too sharply was a recipe for flipping a car over at high speed, but if she could force a slow down by turning tighter and tighter¡­

    Well, it certainly worked, but she eventually hit the minimum turn radius of the convertible, and it was still going pretty fast. Even now that she had a good grip on the wheel, Taylor didn¡¯t trust her ability to jump out with Nina like this. She needed to come to a stop.

    Lightning struck again. The ORHI building was right there.

    Taylor got a terrible idea.

    ¡°Here go¡ªAUGH!¡± She quickly hissed through the pain once again, allowing the car¡¯s turn radius to widen slightly. She approached the ORHI building from the left. Gritting her teeth, she adjusted the car¡¯s course to barely touch the edge of the building.

    The side mirror flew clean off. Sparks flew as metal scraped against the wall. The sheer amount of friction slowed the car down immensely¡ªTaylor almost flew out the front. But she kept her grip fast, making sure to keep the car¡¯s path steady as it was slowly forced to a stop as it shredded away.

    Eventually, something fundamental broke, and the car could no longer accelerate. It came to a stop.

    Taylor wasted no time. She kicked the driver¡¯s door open and dragged Nina out.

    ¡°What on earth are you doing!?¡± she heard Kirishima shout.

    ¡°Stay away from the car!¡± Taylor shouted. ¡°It¡¯s infected with lightning or something!¡±

    Kirishima¡¯s voice came back. ¡°Get inside! This way!¡±

    Taylor finally pinpointed the source of her voice, turning to see her in an open doorway on the building¡¯s side.

    ¡°Holy mother of¡­ Taylor, your eyes!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about my eyes!¡± Taylor shouted, running at Kirishima. ¡°Nina needs help!¡±

    ¡°Just get in!¡± Taylor ran into the door, finding herself in one of the building¡¯s side hallways. Kirishima and Iwakiri were both there, holding flashlights. They slammed one of the doors open for Taylor, revealing an abandoned office of some kind that no one was using.

    Taylor set Nina on the table.

    Iwakiri checked her pulse. ¡°Heart¡¯s not beating.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡± Taylor shouted.

    Kirishima took in a sharp breath. ¡°Stand back, Taylor!¡± She jumped on top of the table and cracked her knuckles, placing them firmly on NIna¡¯s chest. She pressed down hard. Taylor heard something snap. While she was doing this, Iwakiri leaned in and did mouth-to-mouth.

    The two of them had clearly done this before.

    Taylor could only hold her hands to her mouth and watch, wincing every time as Kirishima pressed down harder and harder.

    Please, not this, not after all this! I¡­ I¡¯d never be able to look Amaris in the eyes again¡­

    ¡°Come on!¡± Kirishima shouted. ¡°Nina, wake up! Wake¡ª¡±

    Nina suddenly took in a sharp breath of air, and then whimpered as her lungs pushed against her broken ribs.

    ¡°Just breathe, don¡¯t do anything else, breathe,¡± Kirishima said, pulling back from Nina. ¡°I know it hurts, it¡¯s gonna hurt for a while, but breathe.¡±

    Nina took extremely slow, shaky breaths¡ªbut take them she did, and reliably as well. ¡°Th-thank you¡­¡± she managed.

    Taylor finally forced herself to breathe calmly. She sat down on a nearby chair. ¡°Good¡­ that¡¯s¡­ good.¡±

    ¡°Now we need to look at you,¡± Kirishima said, turning to Taylor.

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Your eyes are glowing. It¡¯s dissipating, but when I first saw you it looked like you had headlights.¡±

    Taylor held her hand up to her eye, finding that she was somehow illuminating it. But she also found that there were crisscrossing patterns of burnt skin from all the lightning. She rolled up her sleeve, finding that the marks extended all the way up her arm.

    ¡°Your face is clean,¡± Iwakiri said.

    ¡°The electricity never struck there¡­¡± Taylor said, frowning. ¡°None of this¡­ is ever going to heal.¡± She lifted up her shirt to examine her midriff, finding that the marks of lightning extended through there as well, right across her central wound from the tree monster. ¡°...Richard¡­¡± She wrapped her arms around herself and started shivering.

    Iwakiri frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to worry about her injuries.¡±

    Kirishima frowned. ¡°Zombie or no, eventually her body will take enough of a beating that it can¡¯t function, right?¡±

    ¡°It already shouldn¡¯t function.¡±

    Kirishima crossed her arms. ¡°Now, I¡¯ve got an important question. Taylor, what on earth were you two doing out in this storm!?¡±

    ¡°We needed to get here!¡± Taylor¡¯s eyes widened as she remembered. ¡°Alien creatures are invading! They look like five-pointed yellow stars with faces!¡±

    Iwakiri¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I saw those in Amaris¡¯ notebooks. She¡¯s encountered them before.¡±

    ¡°What do we know about them?¡±

    That had been a new voice. The four of them slowly turned to see none other than General Mason standing in the doorway.

    ¡°...What are you doing here?¡± Kirishima asked, narrowing her eyes.

    ¡°Communication is being jammed and the government was acting mighty suspicious and paranoid before it did. They weren¡¯t telling me something.¡± General Mason narrowed his eyes. ¡°It sounds like you can. Being invaded, you say? Tell me everything you can.¡±

    Iwakiri glanced at his sister.

    Kirishima sighed. ¡°Amaris considers him a friend, she¡¯ll probably be mad if we don¡¯t cooperate. Plus, we¡¯re not in any situation to do much about an alien invasion, maybe he is.¡±

    Iwakiri nodded. ¡°In that case¡­ Amaris doesn¡¯t talk much about Star Buddy, but you can find the story in her notebooks¡­ I¡¯ll get them for you, she¡¯s diagrammed as much as she could remember.¡±

    ~~~

    As it turned out, the location of the StormFlyer was in the database, it just took forever for Scarlet to find it. It was housed at the nearby airport, in one of the hangars. They didn¡¯t know which one, but presumably it was going to be one with a lot of security.

    Then Jenny and Scarlet had to brave the storm walking to the airport. What should have taken maybe twenty minutes took well over an hour. The wind speeds were getting extreme and no umbrella stopped the nearly vertically moving rain anymore. Jenny eventually resorted to using wind punches to counteract the onslaught of air.

    This was making her quite exhausted. By the time they actually reached the airport, she was breathing heavily and had to lean against one of the airport¡¯s warehouses to catch her breath.

    ¡°Appreciate the storm cover,¡± Scarlet said.

    ¡°You¡­ are¡­ welcome¡­¡± Jenny gasped. ¡°Good gravy, if it gets much stronger¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we have to find the StormFlyer.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Yeah¡­¡± Jenny sucked in a breath. ¡°So, how are we sneaking in?¡±

    ¡°The storm¡¯s covering our approach, we just have to check every hangar.¡±

    Lightning struck the warehouse they were next to, but at this point, the rain was so thick they didn¡¯t see anything nearby except vague shadows.

    ¡°This is going to take a while,¡± Jenny sighed.

    ¡°Might as well get started.¡±

    They ran through the rain to the closest hangar. The doors were locked, but a quick punch from Jenny opened them right up. The first one just had normal airplanes in it. Ones that definitely couldn¡¯t fly in this weather.

    The same result awaited them at the next two hangars.

    The fourth hangar, however¡­

    It was almost completely destroyed. One of the walls had caved in, and numerous holes were bored into the parts that were still standing. Wet ash piled up in the interior, and there were blobs of metal that indicated parts of the structure had melted.

    Jenny stared for a moment. ¡°What happened here?¡±

    Scarlet crossed her arms. ¡°If I had to bet¡­ it was attacked. Deliberately.¡±

    ¡°Geez, maybe they knew about the StormFlyer?¡±

    Scarlet jumped over the lower part of the collapsed wall, looking inside. ¡°I think they were going after all the military planes.¡±

    Sure enough, there were dozens of military planes in the hangar. Some of them appeared to have escaped the onslaught, but most of them were broken beyond usefulness. Holes bored in wings, engines vaporized, and some were even partially melted. Those that hadn¡¯t been destroyed were now suffering from water damage and exposure to the elements. Not that any of them could be flown out with any reliability, as the hangar doors were buckled.

    ¡°Guess we don¡¯t have to sneak in, then,¡± Jenny observed.

    ¡°It may not even be operational¡­¡±

    They passed between rows and rows of damaged plane after plane, most of them identical. However, at the very back of the hangar, there was something else.

    A plane-sized gray box with a massive electric lock on it.

    ¡°...Well, that¡¯s probably it,¡± Jenny said. She held up a fist, charging it with electricity.

    ¡°Let¡¯s be more careful,¡± Scarlet observed. ¡°It could be trapped or attached to an alarm system.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way you know how to open it.¡±

    ¡°Well. No¡­¡±

    ¡°Then lock smashing time it is.¡± Jenny rammed her fist into the electric lock. It broke immediately, and red lights started flashing nearby while several extremely loud airhorns went off. Obviously, this was the alarm, but with power down and communications jammed, there was nowhere for the message to go beyond the hangar.

    Jenny smashed all of the lights and horns. It took a few minutes, but the hangar returned to¡­ well not silence, the storm outside was still banging the building like a metallic drum, but at least the noise was bearable.

    Scarlet rubbed her ears. ¡°The alarm probably isn¡¯t off.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not annoying me anymore.¡± With the lock removed, Jenny could pry open the massive box. Once she flipped one side open, the others followed suit.

    The plane on the inside was a sight to behold. It was bright blue with white zig-zag patterns winding around it. It was unusually bulky for a plane, most of its mass coming from armor plating that covered the entire craft. Instead of an easily-visible cockpit, there were only slitted windows near the top of the craft¡¯s nose. The wings and fins were thick, one might even say muscular. This was a craft designed to survive. Wind and lightning meant nothing to it.

    Jenny laid her gloved hand on it. ¡°Wow, aren¡¯t you a beauty¡­¡±

    Scarlet took in a deep breath. ¡°So. Here¡¯s the awkward part. I do in fact know how to fly a plane, but I¡¯m not great. You?¡±

    ¡°I remember flying at some point, I¡¯m sure I could figure it out.¡± Jenny grinned.

    ¡°Sure¡­¡± Scarlet shook her head. She reached her hand to the door and pulled.

    It was, of course, locked.

    ¡°...We can¡¯t just smash this door open, we need it to be structurally sound.¡± Scarlet tapped her foot on the ground. ¡°You have sleep spells. Lockpick spells?¡±

    Jenny shrugged. ¡°Never needed them. I always punched through locks.¡±

    ¡°Uh huh¡­¡± Scarlet pulled a bobby pin out of her pocket. ¡°A military-level plane lock will be difficult, but¡­¡± She leaned down to examine the lock. She put the bobby pin in¡­ and it immediately snapped due to some kind of interior mechanism.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that,¡± Scarlet noted, crossing her arms.

    ¡°What now?¡± Jenny asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking, I¡¯m thinking¡­¡±

    ¡°Thinking about what, trespassers?¡±

    Jenny and Scarlet whirled around to see General Mason standing there, an eyebrow raised.

    Scarlet recovered immediately. ¡°Why, General! Don¡¯t scare us like that! We were simply thinking about what this craft could be. As for why we¡¯re here, this warehouse clearly appears to be the result of an attack; worthy of investigation, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±

    ¡°I have zero patience with you and your wordsmithing,¡± General Mason grunted. ¡°I¡¯d just arrest you¡­ if Jenny wasn¡¯t also here.¡± He kneeled down. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    Jenny put her hands behind her back. ¡°Well, uh, heheh, you see¡­¡±

    ¡°Legally you are a child in Yeshalo, it¡¯d be hard for us to hold you to anything.¡±

    ¡°Oh. In that case¡­¡± Jenny pointed at the StormFlyer. ¡°We¡¯re trying to steal this so we can go fight some aliens.¡±

    Scarlet laughed. ¡°Oh my, what an imagination¡ª¡±

    ¡°Nah, she¡¯s tellin¡¯ the truth,¡± the General said. ¡°After all, that¡¯s the same reason I¡¯m here, minus the stealin¡¯ part. Since I¡¯m supposed to be here.¡± He pulled out a key and stuck it into the StormFlyer¡¯s lock. The door opened in two segments, one moving upward, the other moving downward and becoming a staircase. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time, let¡¯s get moving.¡±

    ¡°There are only two seats,¡± Jenny said.

    ¡°You¡¯re small enough to sit on Scarlet¡¯s lap. Neither of you are actually going to be helpful as copilots, might as well cram everything I can in here.¡± He walked up the stairs. ¡°Only reason we¡¯re not talking further is because I don¡¯t know how much time we have. We can talk in the air.¡±

    ¡°But how are we going to fly out with all the debris in the way?¡± Scarlet asked.

    ¡°Already cleared it with my storm tank.¡±

    ¡°Storm tank!?¡± Jenny gasped. ¡°So cool!¡±

    ¡°Just get in the plane already!¡±

    ~~~

    Rin and Emma had no idea what they were doing among the pipes in the ship besides moving and trying not to be spotted. It was fortunate that everything was designed for creatures far larger than themselves. Every single pipe was a prime hiding spot, and the star aliens never seemed to check behind them as was evidenced not only by their continued success but also by the copious amounts of dust and trash wherever they snuck in.

    Rin knelt down behind one of the pipes, picking up a rectangular container about the size of her head. It had a hole in the top for what was presumably a straw, and the interior had a sparkling pink liquid.

    ¡°...They drink juice boxes?¡± Emma asked.

    ¡°Apparently. Just another thing that makes them ¡®cute¡¯ little murderers.¡±

    ¡°Like you!¡± Emma slammed her hands over her mouth. ¡°Sorry, sorry! I didn¡¯t mean it like¡­¡±

    ¡°Believe it or not, I didn¡¯t take it that way.¡± Rin chuckled. ¡°Regardless¡­ if we end up not being able to get out, at least we won¡¯t starve.¡± Rin paused. ¡°Assuming we can actually eat what they eat.¡±

    ¡°I could try it.¡±

    ¡°Emma, it could be poison, we need to be more desperate.¡±

    ¡°I could try it for you¡­ y¡¯know, like a taster.¡±

    Rin stared blankly at her.

    ¡°All right, forget it.¡±

    They suddenly quieted down as they heard the voices of a few star aliens coming their way. They pressed their bodies into the pipe, waiting. Four star aliens entered the maze of pipes, one of them with some kind of tool pressed between two of its limbs. It began tapping the pipes with them, making them vibrate and pulse with a purplish color. The other star aliens made some comments and moved to another pipe, hitting it with the tool as well.

    They¡¯re coming this way, Rin realized. They didn¡¯t seem to be walking behind the pipes, so they weren¡¯t going to be seen. But their pipe was probably on the list of ones that needed testing¡­ and who knew what that would do?

    Rin carefully took a half step away from the pipe and gestured for Emma to do the same.

    The star aliens continued on their rounds through the pipes, tapping most of the ones they passed. One of them didn¡¯t flash purple, however, it became a bright red color. This prompted one of the star aliens to completely vaporize it with the rainbow beam, turning it to ash.

    Rin tensed. What am I going to do if it flashes red? She glanced at Emma. I can time my jump correctly to use the laser as a smokescreen, but her¡­? Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Rin had plenty of time to consider all the plans she couldn¡¯t implement because Emma was there. There were lots.

    Rin felt the resentment building inside of her. The annoyance. The rage. She tried to stuff it into a mental box but couldn¡¯t; too much was at stake. Which just made her guilt rise. This was Emma¡¯s fault, but this wasn¡¯t Emma¡¯s fault. Emma didn¡¯t choose to be here. There was no reason to be angry. She shouldn¡¯t be angry. She should be¡­

    ¡­afraid.

    Rin realized she was trembling. She looked to Emma with wide eyes. Emma put her hand in Rin¡¯s and gripped it tightly.

    The star aliens tested the pipe.

    Being so close to it temporarily deafened the two girls, but they could still see¡ªsee the purple flash.

    The star aliens moved on to test other pipes.

    Rin didn¡¯t let out the sigh of relief until she couldn¡¯t even hear the star aliens anymore. ¡°Okay, that was¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯m so stupid, I couldn¡¯t do anything¡­¡± Emma whimpered.

    ¡°Emma, stop it.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ right, right, not helping us survive.¡± Emma took in a sharp breath and slapped herself on the face a few times. ¡°Okay. We¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°What are we even doing, Rin? Moving through a ship, defying death at every turn¡­¡± She hugged herself tightly. ¡°We don¡¯t even have any idea how to leave¡­¡±

    Rin bit her lip. ¡°I¡­ I know. But¡­¡± Rin closed her eyes and crossed her arms. ¡°I think this is just Amaris¡¯ curse acting on us. She¡­ thinks everything happens for a reason. You do too, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Emma put her hand to her chest and nodded.

    ¡°Then¡­ I don¡¯t know, have faith that we¡¯re here for some reason?¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ here for¡­ some reason.¡± Emma frowned. ¡°But why me, then? If we need to do something, you should be able to do it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Emotional support?¡±

    Emma laughed bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m making this far more stressful on you¡­ I can tell.¡±

    Rin didn¡¯t deny it. Instead, she turned away. ¡°Let¡¯s just keep moving. Maybe we¡¯ll find something.¡± What am I even saying? Just platitudes¡­

    Emma wordlessly followed. They wormed their way through more and more dense pipes, finding areas so cramped and small most star aliens wouldn¡¯t be able to fit. Eventually, they came across a wider room with multiple hatches coming into it from five directions.

    There were a handful of star aliens here. There was a central pillar that projected various symbols and images in the air, many of the images displaying things happening outside. Most of the images focused on the storm and¡­ the crop circles, where lightning was regularly striking.

    Rin frowned. ¡°They¡¯ve got something to do with the storm¡­¡±

    One of the images showed a building collapse from wind strain. The star aliens started talking excitedly.

    Emma¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°They¡¯re¡­ destroying Nuk¡­¡±

    ¡°So even if we get out we¡¯re not safe.¡± Rin hissed at nothing. ¡°Great¡­¡±

    The red triangle suddenly appeared in place of the collapsed building. It said something to the star aliens with its synthetic voice. Suddenly the star aliens stopped talking as much and seemed to start scrambling faster.

    ¡°Something¡¯s going wrong,¡± Rin observed.

    ¡°Maybe we can take advantage of it,¡± Emma said.

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°This¡­ is some kind of control place. Center. Or something, I dunno, but we haven¡¯t seen many other places with a projecting pillar like this. I bet if we messed it up, we¡¯d do some real damage.¡±

    Rin stared at her. ¡°We. Are in. A spaceship. Even if we could mess it up, it¡¯d just crash with us in it.¡±

    ¡°...Maybe that¡¯s what we¡¯re here to do.¡±

    Rin stared blankly at her.

    ¡°We¡¯re here, unknown, in a place with a lot of important-looking pipes, on an alien ship trying to attack our home.¡± Emma locked her hands behind her back. ¡°I bet we could do some real damage.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re insane. Do you have a death wish?¡±

    ¡°Not really¡­ but at least this would be something useful.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to die in a ship crash!¡±

    ¡°Shhh!¡±

    Rin lowered her voice despite really not wanting to. ¡°You¡­ Emma, this is a terrible idea.¡±

    Emma gained a faraway look in her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think it is. We can do something.¡±

    ¡°At the cost of our own lives?¡±

    Emma looked at Rin with terror and wet eyes, but also a fire Rin hadn¡¯t seen in her before. ¡°Yes. At the cost of our lives.¡±

    Rin stared at her dumbly. Where is this coming from¡­?

    ~~~

    Flying in the StormFlyer was a lot less awesome than Jenny had been expecting. Primarily because the windows were tiny. General Mason had the only real good view of the outside world on a screen in front of him, which Jenny couldn¡¯t use as his seat was blocking it. So there was nothing to see, save for the occasional flash of light outside from lightning. Somewhat regularly, the lightning would strike the StormFlyer. The plane did not care about this was literally what it was designed to fly through, but the noise was always temporarily deafening, even with it being somewhat muffled.

    Meanwhile, Scarlet was finding another aspect of the journey far more annoying. Holding Jenny on her lap in a seat not designed for it while flying through a storm was decidedly uncomfortable. The air was pushed out of her lungs multiple times, and her entire torso was sore. Had Jenny not been essentially immune to pain she¡¯d probably have a similar level of annoyance with the ride, but it was not to be.

    ¡°So¡­¡± General Mason said. ¡°We¡¯ve stabilized. So I¡¯ll start with my explanation of what¡¯s going on.¡± His grip on the flight controls tightened. ¡°The storm alert came in this morning. But I was told to stand by. Which should never happen for a simple storm. Then every communications line I had was cut, scrambled by something my men couldn¡¯t figure out. I ordered some to drive out and figure out what was going on, but the storm plays haywire with technology. I had access to a specialty armored tank, so I took it out¡ªsince the government wasn¡¯t telling me much and I was extremely suspicious, I dropped by ORHI. Found out that there¡¯s an alien invasion underway, got a bunch of information about the star aliens.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jenny said. ¡°I¡¯ve been in one of their derelict craft. My plan is to use what I know to rip out the power source.¡±

    ¡°Good, ¡®cuz I don¡¯t trust my memory of Amaris¡¯ drawing that I only glanced at.¡± He paused. ¡°After I talked with your colleagues, I drove the tank all the way to the StormFlyer, and found you.¡±

    ¡°Good thing too, I don¡¯t think we had a way to open it,¡± Scarlet said.

    ¡°What I want to know is what you two are doing working together.¡±

    ¡°Alliance of opportunity,¡± Scarlet said. ¡°Just happened to be in the same place at the same time when we realized the storm was causing cars to crash in unnatural ways.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± General Mason said nothing further.

    ¡°We went to a weather station where I knew there were advanced weather systems. And¡­¡± Scarlet sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a way not to admit this¡ªI knew there was a government installation there as well, one that would have not only the weather data, but also potentially classified information. We found a star-shaped figure in the data, and found mention of the StormFlyer. Which, for some reason, was told not to fly. So we tracked it down.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± General Mason tapped his fingers against the flight controls. ¡°You aren¡¯t trustworthy, but that last detail there¡­ I believe that. What I don¡¯t understand is why we¡¯re all being told to stand down like nothing¡¯s wrong.¡±

    ¡°Maybe they want to use the big bomb?¡± Jenny asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to keep that a secret from us, in fact, we¡¯d need to be the ones to deploy the stupid thing. Something else is going on. The invasion may have infiltrators, the government might have been compromised already.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s a good thing you have us!¡± Jenny said with a grin.

    ¡°Good thing I have you, I only took Scarlet along because I didn¡¯t want to waste time.¡±

    ¡°Eh, sensible.¡± Jenny shrugged. ¡°Anyway¡­¡±

    ¡°Breaching the upper cloud layer,¡± General Mason said.

    Light streamed in through the tiny windows. The sun was out there, shining down upon them. The turbulent jostling of the plane ended abruptly, and they were completely free.

    Jenny tried to crane her neck to look at General Mason¡¯s screen. ¡°Can you see it?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s one big one and dozens of smaller ones,¡± General Mason reported. ¡°All star-shaped and¡­ hang on, that doesn¡¯t make much sense¡­ that one just exploded. But¡­ nothing attacked it.¡± General Mason narrowed his eyes. ¡°They appear to be ignoring us, though we aren¡¯t very close.¡± He paused. ¡°They¡¯re shooting at something¡­ nothing?¡±

    ¡°So they¡¯re fighting something,¡± Scarlet said. ¡°Something you can¡¯t see¡­¡±

    ¡°Or can¡¯t remember,¡± Jenny said, eyes widening. ¡°General, did Amaris tell you about the memory angel?¡±

    ¡°The what?¡±

    ¡°A creature that you can only remember while you¡¯re looking at it.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ describe it for me.¡±

    ¡°Oh geez, I can¡¯t even remember the thing right now, uh¡­ white, not fully there, geometry? Spherical center?¡±

    ¡°I see one.¡±

    ¡°You see one?¡±

    ¡°See one what?¡±

    Jenny facepalmed. ¡°You just saw a memory angel on your feed.¡±

    General Mason took in a sharp breath. ¡°That is going to be hard to deal with.¡±

    ¡°Let me guess,¡± Scarlet said. ¡°You saw an explosion just when Jenny said you saw one?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­?¡±

    ¡°So the star aliens are fighting the memory angels.¡±

    Jenny tapped her finger on her knee. ¡°Memory angels try to destroy all witnesses if the one we encountered is anything to go off of. They¡¯ll go after us if they win.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re winning,¡± General Mason said. ¡°The main ship has almost no damage except¡­ one very big hole in the center top.¡±

    Jenny leaned forward suddenly, pushing the air out of Scarlet again. ¡°There. Go there. If I could get in there¡­ rip open a panel¡­¡± Jenny rubbed her hands together. ¡°Might take the whole thing down.¡±

    ¡°This craft is not designed to land like this. We¡¯d have to eject. There are only two seats, and you two aren¡¯t strapped in correctly.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to be strapped in correctly,¡± Jenny said, starting to chuckle. ¡°Wind punch will serve me just fine as I pancake into the ground there.¡±

    ¡°Madness¡­¡± General Mason said.

    ¡°I note you didn¡¯t ask me about how I felt about this plan,¡± Scarlet observed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t care what you think.¡±

    ¡°...Fair.¡±

    ¡°You might want to make sure you¡¯re secured.¡±

    ¡°Right. Jenny, move a bit would y¡ª¡± Jenny accidentally elbowed her in the stomach. ¡°Not¡­ like¡­ that¡­¡±

    With much rearranging and awkward elbow placements, Scarlet did manage to tighten herself into the chair, leaving Jenny completely free, all but latched to the back of General Mason¡¯s seat. ¡°We¡¯re ready.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already been moving into position,¡± General Mason said. ¡°You had less than twenty seconds.¡±

    ¡°Oh. How much warning do we get before you push the button?¡±

    ¡°None, I¡¯m adapting to changing circumstances. Just hold on.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    A beep came from the front of the StormFlyer. ¡°What was that?¡± Jenny asked.

    ¡°Autopilot. This thing will try to land itself while we¡¯re gone. Get ready¡­ Ready¡­ NOW!¡±

    Jenny was flying through the air. The ejection sequence had been so fast she didn¡¯t even register that it had happened. Her grip on General Mason¡¯s seat was woefully inadequate.

    Nevertheless, she was where she wanted to be. In the sky, directly above the largest ship. Now that she could actually see it, it finally dawned on her that it was much larger than the one she and Amaris had explored. The small star-shaped ships were that size. This monstrous mothership¡­ was easily larger than several city blocks. It was, of course, bright yellow and had an aura about it that made it appear slightly fuzzy, though of course there was no real hair on it.

    Its weapons seemed to fire from midair around the craft, striking¡­ well, things Jenny couldn¡¯t remember after they blew up. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t have to worry about them. Judging from the locations of the explosions, they were being destroyed long before they arrived at the main ship. The small ships weren¡¯t as lucky¡ªoccasionally one of them suffered an explosion, promptly followed by the entire craft being consumed in a ball of rainbow light that left nothing but dust.

    Jenny glanced upward. She could see two black specks, probably General Mason and Scarlet in their seats. They hadn¡¯t released any parachutes. Were they going to try to follow her?

    They probably should. Trying to drift down through the storm below was simply a bad idea, even she knew that.

    Speaking of the storm¡­ Jenny looked down at it. From this high up it mostly appeared as a flat, endless sea of gray fluff. But there was one exception to this¡ªnear the main ship, it was swirling and rising up from the level of the rest of the clouds. Lightning struck far more often in the swirling tunnel of clouds.

    The big ship¡¯s making it, no doubt about that.

    With this, Jenny decided she was done waiting to fall. She angled her head downward and pressed her arms to her side, increasing her speed markedly. She empowered her fists with wind, flicking her wrists to ¡°punch¡± the air and release bursts of wind at specific angles. This allowed her to aim almost exactly for the edge of the ship¡¯s hole¡ªshe didn¡¯t want to go in just yet. She fell to the main ship¡¯s hull like a bullet, smacking it with enough force to dent it.

    It took her only a few seconds to regrow from the pulverized bits of flesh and bones. She stood up and walked to the edge of the massive hole.

    Six yellow eyes met her gaze the moment she looked down.

    ¡°Ah¡­ one of you.¡±

    Jenny didn¡¯t hesitate. The moment she saw the gargantuan creature of darkness in his chair, she lept into action. Her left fist became surrounded by an aura of light and she let out an intense shout.

    The High Lord backhanded her, slamming her into the ground with even more force than she¡¯d gained by falling into the ship¡¯s hull.

    ¡°J-jenny!?¡± Irene stammered. ¡°How did¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hey Irene¡­¡± Jenny muttered, reforming herself until she could stand and stare the High Lord in the face. She briefly registered the presence of Coleus, though the dryad appeared too scared to move. Jenny realized with some shock that her heart was racing a mile a minute. Why was she afraid? She had nothing to worry about.

    Jenny noted the presence of broken memory angel parts littered around, ranging from glass-like shards to impossibly shaped gears. It was impossible to look anywhere in the massive room without seeing them, so at least she didn¡¯t have to worry about her memory being continually scrubbed.

    The High Lord leaned in. Jenny was quickly coming to terms with the fact that even if she got a good hit off, she probably wouldn¡¯t even take out an eye on something this large.

    ¡°You could be problematic if you get in the way,¡± he said.

    ¡°You bet!¡± Jenny grinned. ¡°So how about w¡ª¡±

    Several tiny flashes of darkness flew through Jenny, carving holes in her fingers and the back of her neck.

    They didn¡¯t heal. She slumped to the ground, motionless.

    Irene could only stare at the body as the blood pooled around it. Coleus didn¡¯t even respond. She hadn¡¯t blinked the entire time.

    The High Lord held up his hand, and eleven pieces of black material floated between his fingers. A cage of darkness was sealed around them in the shape of a sphere of darkness. He promptly dropped the sphere onto the ground in front of Irene. ¡°There will be no savior for you.¡±

    Irene grimaced. ¡°W-what did you do to her?¡±

    ¡°The closest thing to death one of her kind can experience. Even if you somehow survive, good luck getting her out of that. Now¡­ we have other visitors.¡± He held out a hand, prompting a shout from Scarlet as she was dragged through the air into the central chamber. General Mason came next, gun at the ready; though he notably didn¡¯t even attempt to fire it.

    He knew when he was outclassed.

    ¡°What a pathetic little strike force,¡± the High Lord chuckled. ¡°The memory angels and the door entities are legitimate threats, but you? Two ordinary humans? Not even a hint of magic with you? What, were you placing all of your trust in the girl?¡±

    General Mason could only stare at the monstrosity in front of him, refusing to lower his gun.

    Scarlet, however, narrowed her eyes. Her legs shook, but she managed to speak. ¡°W-we were hoping to do this quickly. We did not anticipate¡­¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± the High Lord let out a deep laugh. ¡°Ah, I am having so much fun today! This ability of your friend¡¯s is quite delightful! And, in addition, I¡¯m finding an inordinate amount of people who can resist my presence!¡± He leaned in toward Scarlet. ¡°What is it about you that allows you to do anything other than cower?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Lies!¡± He held out a finger, pointing it at her head. ¡°Ooooh, but lies kept for a good reason! What evil, what darkness! You could have a place among us.¡±

    ¡°...If you can read my mind, you know why that won¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°Oh, in time I can remove that pesky ¡®I have to be the only one¡¯ mentality from you. Then you will be most suitable. Unlike happiness lady over there. She only resists me because she spends so much of her life at maximum fear already.¡±

    Scarlet turned to Irene and frowned. Scarlet sighed. ¡°Right, well, do you have a name, dark one?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Usually, I don¡¯t tell it to mortals, but I¡¯m feeling charitable. For obvious reasons. Ah, I¡¯ve not felt this good on a conquest in thousands of years, I really must thank you, Irene.¡±

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re welcome¡­?¡± Irene managed.

    ¡°Yes! Regardless, my name? My name is Orvind. And before you ask, I am here to completely wipe Yeshalo off the map, fulfilling the purpose I have as a High Lord of Eyda.¡±

    Scarlet adjusted her suit nervously. ¡°Well, Orvind¡­ is there any room for negotiation here? Perhaps we can offer¡­¡±

    ¡°Your entire mind was open to me, slayer. You know nothing of any real value. I already have the knowledge of the memory angels from the dryad as well as her techniques for slaying the Strider. You know no more about the doors than she does.¡±

    ¡°You want to know about the doors?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They are appearing on my ships and depositing many creatures that are proving quite difficult to dispatch.¡±

    ¡°So they can appear actively¡­¡±

    ¡°Oho! Gathering information from me while you¡¯re here? Excuse me, do you expect to be able to use this information? Even if you¡¯re not dead at the end of this, everything down there will be. What use will information give you?¡±

    ¡°Absolute destruction wouldn¡¯t be very interesting, now would it?¡±

    ¡°Placing your trust in one of our curses? Fascinating!¡±

    Scarlet shrugged. ¡°You seem to be confident, you shouldn¡¯t be worried. And you seem to be in a talking mood¡­ so why don¡¯t you gloat a bit? Tell me about your plans, try to sway me to your side naturally.¡± Scarlet smirked. ¡°You know you want to.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s amusing how you think you¡¯re pulling me into a trap.¡±

    ¡°If your invasion fails, I am.¡±

    ¡°The more you talk, the more I like you.¡± He chuckled.

    ¡°Thought so. In that case, I have a question.¡± Scarlet put her hands behind her back. ¡°How exactly are you making the storm?¡±

    ¡°Something your happiness friend there will be very familiar with.¡± Orvind reached into a compartment on his throne and took out a perfectly smooth black cube that glinted unnaturally in the light.

    Scarlet had only seen this sort of thing in Amaris¡¯ sketchbook. ¡°...I take it not all of them grant you the power of happiness?¡±

    ¡°No. The cubes of ancestry can do anything variable. The first spirited to touch them initializes them with a wish. This very ship houses a spirited within it, and it wished for dominion over storms. This is now the Storm Cube, and its power is being channeled through our fleet. In time, the land beneath us will be glassed to a crisp from all the lightning.¡±

    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Scarlet scratched her chin. ¡°Second question. Why did you bother sealing Jenny?¡±

    ¡°...Good question. I won¡¯t be answering this one.¡±

    Scarlet grinned. ¡°She¡¯s special in some way. Something that could actually mess this up.¡±

    ¡°No point in hiding that, I suppose. But in the state she is in now, there is nothing she can do.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°Look, there,¡± Emma said, pointing over the top of a horizontal pipe with some difficulty. ¡°That pipe is making a lot more noise than the others, and I¡¯ve seen it on a lot of the diagrams. It must be important.¡±

    Geez, when did you become that observant? ¡°I¡¯ve seen it too.¡±

    ¡°So. We need to destroy it. You have your knives, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± I¡¯ve even got some magic crystals, not that I can use them for anything beyond sharpness.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking¡­ you throw them to disable it.¡± Emma frowned. ¡°Am I overestimating what you can do?¡±

    Rin froze.

    ¡°Rin?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah, I¡¯m not sure I could do that¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Emma frowned. ¡°Then we¡¯ll just have to figure out another way.¡±

    ¡°Or¡­ and hear me out¡­ we could try to escape.¡±

    ¡°Any idea how to do that?¡±

    ¡°Maybe we can find out how they get to the ground.¡±

    Emma frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡±

    ¡°Emma, we can escape.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be running away though?¡± Emma clenched her fists. ¡°Amaris would try to stop them if she thought she had a way.¡±

    ¡°Amaris¡¯ curse keeps her alive.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t always know that.¡±

    Rin took in a sharp breath. ¡°Do you even think you have a way?¡±

    ¡°If we can¡¯t destroy that pipe, we can destroy a console or something, there¡¯s lots of things here that look important. Maybe we can use one of these tools¡­ I¡¯ve seen some of them release a laser, maybe we could take one¡­¡±

    Rin stared at her.

    ¡°Come on Rin, I¡¯m not the best at figuring out how to do these things. You¡¯re the one with the tactical brain. You know how to take things down.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ really are set on this.¡±

    Emma tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Yes¡­? I thought¡­¡±

    ¡°Emma.¡± Rin said, unusually softly.

    Emma gave Rin her full attention.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die,¡± Rin whispered.

    Emma¡¯s face remained level for a second. Then she looked to the ground, hanging her head low. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m so sorry, Rin. I didn¡¯t realize¡­¡± Without warning, she suddenly hugged Rin tight, tears streaming down her face. ¡°I sh-shouldn¡¯t have ever asked you t-to do this¡­ L-let¡¯s try to find a way out.¡±

    Rin¡¯s grip on her tightened. ¡°You¡­ you sure?¡±

    Emma nodded. ¡°Lead the way.¡±

    Rin flicked her tail, refusing to let her go. ¡°Right¡­ I¡­¡± Rin closed her eyes and clenched her fists. ¡°Emma, I¡­ I¡¯ve been lying. I¡­ don¡¯t think we have a way off. I was¡­ just trying to talk you out of it.¡± Tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t help us.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ then I guess¡­ we live like rats in this ship until something comes up.¡± Emma shuddered.

    ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t ask you to abandon hope.¡±

    ¡°You can ask,¡± Emma said. ¡°I¡­ I may want to go home. But if I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Why are you¡­ like this?¡± Rin took a step back from the embrace. ¡°Why are you so¡­ so good?¡±

    Emma shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ I want so, so badly to be useful. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s selfish. I feel so weak. This¡­¡± She gestured at the pipe she was talking about destroying. ¡°I thought it was something I could do. But it¡¯s not. And I also thought it was something you could do.¡± She wiped her eyes. ¡°But it¡¯s not.¡±

    ¡°...You¡¯re not weak,¡± Rin said. ¡°...Okay, you are in some ways. But¡­ you could stare death in the face.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m more scared than you are.¡±

    ¡°...I don¡¯t think you are.¡±

    Silence fell over the two of them.

    ¡°...What now?¡± Emma asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Rin said. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡±

    The two of them heard the sound of a wooden door creaking open somewhere nearby.

    They locked eyes with each other.

    A door.

    The door might take them out.

    They heard a horrific, feminine scream followed quickly by sounds of the star aliens firing off rainbow lasers. Something exploded, detaching a pipe from the ceiling and crushing the star alien that was at the nearby console. Red smoke started wafting out of the pipe¡¯s opening in the ceiling.

    Rin and Emma both remained hidden. Emma kept her hand tightly gripping Rin¡¯s sleeve, while Rin¡¯s eyes and ears were flicking and darting all over the place, trying to get the best picture of what was going on. The star aliens were fighting some streaming entity down the hall to the left. The door was that way as well, but the sounds of the fight were getting closer.

    The entire left wall exploded, sending shrapnel flying all over. The pipe Emma and Rin were hiding behind started blowing steam out of the newly acquired holes. Multiple star alien lasers fired, boring holes into the walls.

    They paled in comparison to the monstrosity they were fighting. It was a woman¡¯s head, except it was larger than both Emma and Rin combined. The eyes were sewn shut, and what should have been hair were long snakes made not out of scales, but skinless raw meat, almost like hamburger. The head¡¯s skin was green and covered in a liquid that shifted to form the shapes of screaming, agonized mouths. If these mouths were making noise, it was impossible to tell, for the head itself was screaming. With every shriek, Rin and Emma felt needles drive into their skulls.

    It was nothing compared to what the star aliens were experiencing. When the face pointed at them and screamed, they exploded like a balloon. The head dodged all beams that were aimed at it, and it retaliated in turn. While it was fighting directly, its snake hair was lashing out not at star aliens, but at the structure of the ship around it, tearing pipes apart, ruining consoles, and exposing alien wiring underneath. Red lights started flashing everywhere as it wreaked havoc.

    Rin watched as it dodged another laser and let it bore into the wall. Her eyes widened. It¡¯s using their own attacks to damage the ship!

    Then the digital red triangle manifested in the air. It flashed, and a lightning bolt ran through the area, electrocuting star aliens and the floating head, burning everything to an absolute crisp. The battle was over in an instant.

    The red triangle vanished.

    Slowly, Rin stood up, taking stock of the surroundings. There was no fight anymore. All star aliens present had either exploded or been disintegrated by lightning. The floating head was a skull in a pile of ash. The red lights were still flashing everywhere.

    ¡°Why are we alive¡­?¡± Emma asked. ¡°That¡­ disintegrated everything¡­¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t want to damage the infrastructure here,¡± Rin said. ¡°...Worth more than the lives of the star aliens¡­¡± She frowned, turning to look at the largest hole in the wall the screaming head had cut through.

    It wasn¡¯t a pipe in there. It was some kind of glowing circular ball, connected by some very thick wires to the rest of the ship.

    Her breath caught in her throat.

    ¡°I can see the door!¡± Emma said, pointing through the destroyed wall. ¡°It¡¯s a little far away, but I think we can make it.¡±

    Emma was right. There was a wooden door, hanging open. The other side showed some kind of white expanse with trees growing upside-down.

    There might have been a way back to Nuk in there.

    ¡°Emma¡­¡± Rin said, holding up one of her knives, the one augmented with Magenta crystals. Anti-magic.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Rin pointed the knife at the exposed core in the wall. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ very important.¡±

    ¡°I figured, but¡­¡± Emma looked her in the eyes. ¡°You sure? The door is¡­ right there.¡±

    ¡°But so¡¯s this.¡± Rin realized her hand was trembling. ¡°I¡­ I think you were right, Emma. You were here for a reason.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°To convince me to do this.¡± She threw her knife at the orb.

    She made an attempt to run away. To get to the door. But she knew it was a long shot.

    She was right.

    Everything exploded.

    ~~~

    Orvind held the black cube in front of Scarlet¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re thinking about how you can try to touch this and use the power against me.¡±

    ¡°You can read minds,¡± Scarlet said. ¡°The guessing game isn¡¯t exactly fair.¡±

    ¡°No, no it¡¯s not!¡± Orvind guffawed. ¡°However, I do have to try to read your mind. I¡¯m not right now. Just guessing. It¡¯s quite fun.¡±

    ¡°Question. How livid do you think you will be if Irene stops using her ability?¡±

    ¡°S-scarlet!¡± Irene stammered.

    ¡°Probably a lot, but not because she¡¯s messing with my mind, but because she would dare stop.¡± Orvind leaned in to Irene. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare release this unless I tell you to. Understood?¡¯

    ¡°C-crystal clear!¡± Irene stammered with a nervous laugh.

    Scarlet jumped at the cube. Orvind quickly moved it out of her grasp. ¡°Oooh, feisty! What did you think you were going to do with that power? Fight me? Don¡¯t make me laugh.¡±

    ¡°It was worth a shot.¡±

    ¡°I can simply make myself immune to lightning and wind. Nothing in this cube could harm me. Even the intelligence in this ship could do nothing to me! It is simply useful for this siege!¡± He laughed. ¡°I can sit back and enjoy things. Even though the doors are quite annoying, it is able to catch every last one of them. Nothing will get past us! No¡ª¡±

    There was a distant explosion somewhere beneath them. Red lights started flashing around the room. A few moments later there were much larger explosions that rocked the entire ship.

    ¡°Report!¡± Orvind shouted.

    The report he received was another, even larger explosion that tilted the room at a steep angle. He lost his grip on the cube. All the lights went out at once, leaving only the sunlight streaming in through the hole in what was once the ceiling.

    Orvind vanished in a puff of darkness.

    The ship was suddenly in freefall. Scarlet, Irene, Coleus, and General Mason started floating into the air.

    Scarlet¡¯s eyes had never left the cube. There it was. Floating. Only a few meters away.

    She opened her arms and spread out the flaps of her coat, using it as makeshift paddles to swim through the air. It was slow, but at least it was better than trying to push against the air with just her hands. The cube, making no motions of its own, grew ever steadily closer.

    Almost got it¡­ images of what she could do with such a power flashed through her mind. There was the immediate benefit of not dying, to be sure, but there were so many others. Using the cover of storms for plausible deniability. Electrocuting people until their nervous system fried. Perhaps she could even expand her activities to include monstrous, powerful creatures if she got good enough¡­

    Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a black sphere drift past.

    She froze.

    Jenny.

    The black sphere was moving toward the hole in the hull. It would drift out¡­ and end up who knew where. They would probably never be able to find it, and Jenny would be trapped in there.

    Scarlet glanced back at the black cube.

    It was so close¡­

    Scarlet let out a nasty swear and diverted her course toward Jenny¡¯s prison. This was going to be harder, the sphere had far more motion to it. Scarlet was also no skydiver, all she could do was pretend like the air was water and that her coat was enough. The best she could do was the butterfly, and even that barely gave her enough forward motion.

    She grabbed onto the sphere with both hands as she drifted out of the ship¡¯s interior.

    It was utter chaos outside. Small ships were vanishing left and right, retreating into the sky with flashes of rainbow light. The storm clouds below were parting, revealing patches of city beneath. Then there were the sparks of darkness coming from elsewhere in the giant mothership¡­

    What is Orvind doing¡­?

    ¡°G-got it!¡± Irene shouted as she placed her gloved hands on the black cube. She touched her forehead to one of the faces. Nothing happened. ¡°I-I¡¯m not getting any storm powers!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably because you already have one!¡± Scarlet shouted back. At this point, she was drifting away from them and there was nothing she could do about that.

    Irene glanced at Scarlet and, for a moment, clearly considered throwing the cube at her. She quickly reevaluated this idea and turned her gaze back to Coleus and General Mason.

    As expected, Scarlet thought. She¡¯d never give it to me. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t ask.

    ¡°C-coleus!¡± Irene shouted. ¡°Heads up! This hurt a lot when I did it!¡±

    Coleus was still unable to give much of a response, but at least she was able to turn her head toward Irene, which was more than General Mason was doing.

    Irene threw the cube. Since she was in freefall, she went flying backward toward Scarlet while the cube sailed toward Coleus.

    It smacked Coleus right in the face. The cube reacted immediately. White lines appeared on the faces, dividing its squares into smaller and smaller squares, until the cube appeared completely white. It remained floating in the air, pulsing the fabric of space around it.

    Coleus¡¯ eyes finally focused on the cube.

    Then she screamed.

    ~~~

    Rin opened her eyes.

    She was falling.

    One of her arms was also badly burnt and there was a strange soreness in her chest.

    Not that any of that really mattered. She was falling. No parachute, no nothing. She¡¯d hit the ground and splatter.

    Lazily, she looked up. The ship was above her. An entire fifth of it was simply gone, and numerous holes were leaking vast quantities of smoke. Occasionally, a black spike would erupt from the ship, dealing more damage.

    Rin understood very little about what she was looking at, but it nonetheless brought a smile to her face.

    I did that.

    The ship continued to explode and disintegrate.

    I wonder if Emma¡¯s around¡­ I don¡¯t see her. Rin sighed. Why am I even looking? Not like I can do anything. She was more on board with this than I was¡­

    Why did I do it?

    What changed¡­?

    She pulled out one of her throwing knives with her functional hand and examined how it glinted in the sunlight.

    Opportunity¡­? Or¡­ or did I just know¡­?

    She looked up at the sky, past the ship and all the smoke clouds.

    I suppose I should probably get things squared away¡­ She bit her lip. I¡­ I still don¡¯t want to die. I want there to be¡­ something after this. I know I¡¯ve been kind of rotten and terrible and¡­ I don¡¯t deserve any of this. But, please¡­ can I¡­ have something for it all?

    A feeling of warmth began to fill her body, steadying her spirit.

    Thank you¡­

    Then the sky was blotted out by darkness with six angled eyes.

    ¡°So¡­ you are the cause of all this.¡±

    Rin couldn¡¯t move. Had she not been calm previously, she might have passed out simply from being overloaded with fear.

    ¡°A little opportunistic neko girl¡­ it wasn¡¯t the memory angels, it wasn¡¯t the doors monster, it wasn¡¯t even a traitor, or stupidity. It was you. In the right place at the right time¡­¡± He laughed. ¡°That usually means The Enemy is at work, but I see no hint of her involvement here.¡± He reached out a finger and pointed it at her head. ¡°One of our own curses. Absolutely beautiful. I wonder, how far can it grow?¡±

    Rin could only stare in disbelief.

    The monster pointed a finger in midair and created a black sheet of paper with yellow words written on it. ¡°This is a message for little Amaris. I¡¯m sure that, with her curse, she¡¯ll find it in the midst of your splattered remains. Quite interesting, wouldn¡¯t you say? Of course, you can¡¯t say anything right now. It¡¯s a miracle that you can even stay conscious.¡± He suddenly narrowed his eyes. ¡°Miracle¡­ hmm.¡± He drifted back from Rin, crossing his massive arms behind his back. ¡°Rest easy, little one. The message you will deliver will take a weight off your friend¡¯s back. We won¡¯t be back. At least, not until her curse grows far, far larger. One with potential as large as this¡­ must be allowed to ripen. Let us see to what heights it will grow.¡±

    Then he was gone.

    No more black spikes emerged from the ship.

    Rin couldn¡¯t stop staring at the place he had been.

    She fell, her mind blank, breathing as hard as she could manage.

    ¡°Rin!¡±

    Something came to her ears. Something distant¡­

    ¡°RIN!¡±

    Emma barreled into Rin from the side, grabbing her and holding her tight.

    ¡°Rin! What did that thing do to you!?¡±

    Rin blinked a few times, her mind suddenly coming back to her. ¡°E-emma?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Rin! You¡¯re all right!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Emma, we¡¯re falling to our deaths.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Emma blinked. ¡°Oh. That¡­ I¡­ forgot about that when I saw the monster. But he let me find you!¡±

    ¡°Gee, now we can die together,¡± Rin deadpanned.

    ¡°...Wouldn¡¯t it be better, that way?¡± Emma asked.

    Rin looked away. ¡°...Yeah.¡±

    Emma tightened her grip on her.

    ¡°...Thank you,¡± Rin said.

    ¡°What for?¡±

    ¡°For talking me into saving everyone. ¡­We really were here for a reason.¡±

    After that, the two of them fell silent and just held onto each other as they approached the ground.

    They had done what they needed to do.

    However, there were still others¡­ who needed to do what they were here for.

    They heard thunder above them.

    They looked up.

    Coleus was diving right at them, with sparks of green lightning flowing out of her eyes. A massive cyclone of dark clouds appeared in her wake, though there was no lightning within.

    Coleus held out her hands and grabbed Emma and Rin. The impact threw the three of them inside of Coleus¡¯ cyclone. While the exterior was a raging swirl of high-speed winds¡­ the interior was calm and tranquil. Irene, General Mason, and Scarlet were there, floating in the wind.

    ¡°Gotcha!¡± Coleus said. ¡°Boy, it¡¯s a good thing Orvind went to you, we¡¯d have never known you were here otherwise. How fortu-nut!¡±

    Rin and Emma stared blankly at her for a few seconds. Then they burst into tears and threw their arms around her, bawling their eyes out on her shoulder.

    ¡°Um¡­ it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s gonna be okay, you two. I¡¯ve got you.¡± Coleus gripped both of them tightly. ¡°I¡¯ve got you.¡±

    ~~~

    Amaris glanced out the window. The sky was clear.

    ¡°Huh. That storm certainly ended quickly¡­¡± Amaris tilted her head. ¡°Odd.¡±

    Faith walked up to the window. ¡°Such a storm does not vanish that quickly¡­¡±

    A deep rumble ran through through the ground, making Amaris¡¯ parents lose their footing. A few dishes fell out of the cabinet and shattered on the ground.

    ¡°Earthquake?¡± Amaris wondered aloud. ¡°No¡­ that didn¡¯t feel right. Something¡­ something hit. Or exploded or¡­¡± She looked up at the clear sky. ¡°Did¡­ did something interesting happen without me?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be there for all of them,¡± Vayvaresi said.

    ¡°I¡­ true. Still.¡± She turned to her Dad. ¡°Dad, can we drive to ORHI since the phone lines are down?¡±

    ¡°Let me just make sure the car¡¯s okay¡­¡± he said.

 XXVI - Bloody Taunts

    EPISODE XXVI

    Bloody Taunts

    Coleus gasped and fell to her knees.

    ¡°Coleus!¡± Amaris called, running to support her. ¡°You good?¡±

    ¡°I just¡­ can¡¯t do it without a Glen¡­¡± Coleus said, shaking her head and standing back up.

    They were in one of ORHI¡¯s basements, with the black sphere that contained Jenny set on top of a table. The rest of ORHI was present: Kiris, Irene, Orville, and Vayvaresi.

    ¡°Is she¡­ stuck, then?¡± Iwakiri asked.

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Amaris narrowed her eyes. ¡°However, there is one other thing we know is at least somewhat effective against these shadow demons.¡± She pulled a magenta crystal made with two alternating parts, a larger version of her anti-magic arrowheads, courtesy of the Society of Pointed Hats. She didn¡¯t know how to use the magic within properly, but it was sharp at the front, which should have been sufficient. ¡°Though this might let out any nasty traps if there are any.¡±

    ¡°It is a rather noxious concoction,¡± Vayvaresi admitted. ¡°The darkness I smell¡­ truly horrendous.¡±

    Irene shuffled closer to the door.

    Amaris took in a sharp breath. ¡°Okay¡­ here we go.¡± She touched the Magenta crystal to the black sphere. She poked it.

    The sphere popped like a balloon, releasing ten objects made out of mysterious black material and a half-formed neck. Immediately after being released, the neck started growing outward. The bones grew the fastest, but the flesh followed close behind, as though it were filling out an invisible person-shaped mold. A thin black top and bottom regenerated with the flesh, and as the hands reached out the red gloves wrapped around them.

    ¡°...That was disgusting,¡± Kirishima observed.

    Jenny put one of her hands on her hip and used the other to flick her hair back. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m back!¡±

    ¡°Oh, Jenny!¡± Coleus quickly pulled her into a hug. ¡°I was actually worried about you, that guy knew exactly what to do to you, I thought he might have¡­ for a second¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey, it¡¯ll take more than big dark and ugly to take me down!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still concerning that he knew exactly how to take you out,¡± Vayvaresi said.

    ¡°He probably fought me before some time long, long ago that I¡¯ve forgotten,¡± Jenny said, waving a dismissive hand. ¡°Guess he figured out I regenerate from the black things. Which I only rediscovered recently so what a coincidence, huh?¡± She chuckled. ¡°But since you¡¯re all here and not haggard beyond belief, we probably won, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡± Coleus said. ¡°You can even go see the wreck of the mothership!¡±

    ¡°Now there¡¯s two destroyed giant structures on the horizon¡­¡± Iwakiri said, shaking his head. ¡°Nuk is slowly becoming surrounded by death¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go check it out,¡± Jenny said, removing herself from Coleus¡¯ embrace. ¡°Who knows what kinds of things we can loot from it?¡±

    Amaris put her hand out in front of the door, fixing Jenny with an intense glare.

    ¡°Um¡­ What¡¯s this about?¡±

    ¡°Take three guesses. The first two don¡¯t count.¡±

    Jenny took in a sharp breath. ¡°Um. Well. See. Mason helped us steal the StormFlyer so it wasn¡¯t really stealing! That should satisfy the government, right?¡± She chuckled nervously.

    ¡°Jenny!¡±

    ¡°Whaaaaat?¡±

    ¡°You know what I want.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, no, I don¡¯t think I do.¡± Suddenly, Jenny¡¯s face flashed deathly serious. ¡°And you don¡¯t know what you want.¡±

    Amaris¡¯ face twisted into a deep scowl. ¡°I want the truth. Always.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? Do you?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Well then have it! I¡¯ve been working with Scarlet closely for months! Almost all the information I get you comes from her! ORHI relies on her intel! Happy?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Then why did you have t¡ª¡±

    ¡°Because the truth is more important than my happiness and peace of mind you freaking idiot!¡±

    Coleus gasped. Jenny took a step back. ¡°Amaris¡­¡± Then Jenny¡¯s expression clouded. ¡°There¡¯s no need to act surprised, Amaris. You had to have known this already.¡±

    ¡°I had no proof. I wanted to trust you not to lie to me. It¡­¡± Amaris clenched her hands into fists. ¡°You lied to me, you lied to all of us, and to boot, lied about working with a serial killer!¡±

    ¡°Which is exactly why I had to lie! None of you would have accepted this! You obviously still don¡¯t and now you¡¯re going to shoot yourselves in the foot, refuse any and all information from her, and people are going to die!¡±

    ¡°She kills people already Jenny!¡±

    ¡°She kills less if she¡¯s occupied with other things and if we use her information we save more than she would have killed otherwise!¡±

    ¡°Since when do you care about the mathematics of lives!?¡±

    ¡°Since when I had to think about how I would justify this to you if this ever happened!¡±

    ¡°Well, then how did you justify it to yourself!?¡±

    Jenny opened her mouth, but fell silent. A haunted, blank look came across her features.

    ¡°Jenny¡­?¡± Irene said.

    ¡°...I don¡¯t need justification,¡± Jenny muttered, looking at the ground, a slouch slowly forming in her back. ¡°I do what I want. I¡¯m Jenny. I¡­¡± Suddenly the fire came back to her eyes and she pointed a finger at Amaris. ¡°You¡¯re being a hypocrite!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Amaris blinked, shocked by the turnaround.

    ¡°I¡¯m working with someone nasty? Give me a break, so are you! Look behind you at the Kiris! They still want to be murderers, they just can¡¯t!¡±

    Kirishima growled. ¡°Why you little punk¡­¡±

    Iwakiri grabbed his sister¡¯s shoulder. ¡°This isn¡¯t our argument.¡±

    ¡°She dragged us into it!¡±

    Amaris narrowed her eyes. ¡°There is a very clear difference between them and Scarlet, Jenny. Two, actually. First, they aren¡¯t still doing it. Second, they¡¯re changing. Scarlet is active and unapologetically unchanging.¡±

    ¡°...I-I¡¯m not so sure about the second one,¡± Irene stammered.

    ¡°Ugh, Irene, please don¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°She saved Jenny, sacrificing her own power. She didn¡¯t have to.¡±

    Jenny blinked. ¡°She what?¡±

    Irene wrung her wrists. ¡°Scarlet could have taken the storm cube¡­ but she went for you instead, so you wouldn¡¯t be lost.¡±

    Jenny was completely silent.

    Amaris furrowed her brow, looking at the ground. ¡°...She¡¯s still¡­¡±

    Tears started falling down Jenny¡¯s face.

    ¡°J-Jenny?¡± Amaris stammered.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know!¡± Jenny fell to the ground and pulled her knees to her chest. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m crying, okay? I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know.¡± She started shivering. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    Amaris kneeled down and placed her hand on Jenny¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Hey, hey¡­ Jenny. We may be arguing but you¡¯re still safe here¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid!¡± Jenny shouted back. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I am but it¡¯s not afraid!¡±

    ¡°Then tell us what you¡¯re thinking, maybe¡­¡±

    ¡°You can help? You just spent the last few minutes shouting at me!¡±

    ¡°Something¡¯s clearly wrong, I just want to help you, Jenny¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want to see her use you.¡±

    Jenny¡¯s shaking slowly stopped. ¡°...Yes. She is using me. But I¡¯m also using her.¡± She looked Amaris right in the eyes. ¡°We have fun, the two of us. She helps out a lot and¡­¡±

    ¡°Jenny¡­¡±

    ¡°...She¡¯s just¡­¡± Jenny shook her head and then looked up to Amaris, tears in her eyes. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t help it, Amaris. I like her, she¡¯s fun, she knows me, she¡­ the way she faces the world¡­¡± She started choking on her words. ¡°Why do I like evil, Amaris? Why? Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. It¡­¡±

    ¡°Am I evil?¡±

    ¡°No. Jenny, you are a hero.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m only a hero because I¡¯m around y-you. I¡¯m not consistent. Consistency is for losers. I-I¡¯m ever-changing, ever-shifting¡­ I¡¯m whatever Jenny wants to be at any moment.¡± She hung her head. ¡°And right now I want things¡­ that I can¡¯t have at the same time.¡±

    Amaris pulled her into a hug. ¡°You can still have us, Jenny.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to make me stop seeing her though¡­¡±

    ¡°...I want to,¡± Amaris admitted. ¡°But Jenny, how am I going to do that? Threaten to cut ties with you? Throw you out? I would¡­ I would never do that.¡±

    ¡°But what if¡­ what if I become like her? What if I¡¯m a monster?¡±

    ¡°Then I lock you up in here and keep you from leaving.¡±

    Jenny let out a bitter laugh. ¡°...I¡¯ll hold you to that. If I ever go the bad way, lock me up. Take out my fingers and neck, seal me in a bottle. You know how to do it, now.¡±

    ¡°...The best way to avoid that is to stop letting her influence you.¡±

    Jenny looked at the ground. ¡°...I don¡¯t think I can do that. I wasn¡¯t able to refuse her back when I wanted to. Or part of me wanted to. Or¡­¡± Jenny closed her eyes tightly and put her hands to her head. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on in here¡­¡±

    ¡°...I think you need to talk to Antonio.¡±

    ¡°Therapy?¡± Jenny let out a laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, there¡¯s no way he could deal with me.¡±

    ¡°He dealt with me.¡±

    Jenny continued staring at the ground. She nodded slowly. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll try it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ but¡­ what about the information?¡±

    ¡°Jenny¡­¡± Amaris sighed. ¡°You¡­ are right, her information is useful, and if you were acting just as a spy to grab information and maybe find a way to catch her, that would be one thing. But¡­ Jenny, it¡¯s hurting you. Making you lie to your friends. She¡¯s using you.¡±

    ¡°...It¡¯s¡­ not quite that,¡± Jenny said. ¡°She really does like me, you know. It¡¯s not fake.¡±

    Amaris closed her eyes. ¡°...I know. That kind of makes it worse. I remember you breaking down that day.¡±

    Jenny nodded.

    ¡°I can¡¯t figure you out, and you can¡¯t figure you out¡­ yet. But maybe¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, therapy. I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll try.¡± Jenny took a deep breath and stood up, wiping her eyes. ¡°...I¡¯m still going to talk to Scarlet.¡±

    ¡°...Maybe one of us should come with you in the future,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°You don¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°To protect you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to force you to¡­¡± Jenny sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to deal with any of this¡­¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, you have to,¡± Vayvaresi said.

    ¡°Right.¡± Jenny swallowed hard. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m going to ask her first. I think she wants to get closer to the rest of you too, though. Do you want to give her what she wants?¡±

    Amaris frowned. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Me either.¡± Jenny took in a sharp breath. ¡°I¡­ am going to go sleep, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Bed¡¯s ready if you need it,¡± Coleus said.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I think I do.¡± Slowly, and with more weakness in her step than any of them had ever seen her have before, she moved out of the room.

    Kirishima was the first to speak after she was gone. ¡°This is messed up on a level I can¡¯t even begin to describe.¡±

    Amaris absent-mindedly scritched Pitch¡¯s head. ¡°...But it sure is interesting.¡±

    Orville sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not blaming myself, Orville. I¡¯m just¡­ coming to terms with the fact that this sort of thing is on the list of horrors the curse can bring about.¡± Amaris shuddered. ¡°One of your best friends can get far too attached to someone evil. And there¡¯s nothing any of you can do about it¡­ not even her.¡±

    Silence fell over the room once more.

    ~~~

    President Alvaro Castillero¡¯s office was extremely large and bright. Behind the tremendous hunk of mahogany wood that was the President¡¯s desk, there was an utterly massive window of ornate glass. Seeing the outside was almost impossible, given all the twists and turns in the glass itself. Said twists were clearly artistic in some form, but the meaning of the shapes and symbols eluded General Mason. The primary effect of the window, then, was to surround the fuzzy figure of the President in light, casting a shadow over whoever was in his office. It made it hard for General Mason to read his face.

    There were two other people in the room. The Vice President, a pink-haired human with wrinkles on her face and glasses that always seemed to reflect in just the perfect way to prevent her eyes from being seen. General Mason knew her well, her name was Callie Young. There was also a big burly man in a black suit and round hat that General Mason didn¡¯t know, clearly some kind of security.

    ¡°You¡¯ve certainly taken some¡­ interesting actions, as of late, General,¡± President Castillero said.

    ¡°I will not deny it,¡± General Mason said.

    The President flicked his tail. ¡°Hmmmmm¡­ and yet, strictly speaking, you broke no regulations. You had the proper authority and clearance to make your own decisions once communications broke down. But because of this, you and a few other people definitely saw things you weren¡¯t supposed to.¡±

    The Vice President shook her head. ¡°Which is extremely awkward.¡±

    General Mason swallowed hard. ¡°So what happens now, then?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem, isn¡¯t it?¡± The President swiveled around in his chair as though he were looking out the window, though such a thing was impossible. ¡°You¡¯ve seen the Vanguard and the threat we face.¡±

    ¡°If I may, President?¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course. I do love to hear your side of things.¡±

    ¡°I find it¡­ baffling that we have an enemy the military isn¡¯t told about.¡±

    ¡°Some of you are told,¡± the President said, swiveling back toward General Mason. ¡°But the Vanguard generally makes it so very few need to know, given how automatic their defenses are. The recent invasion was¡­ a bit of an outlier.¡±

    ¡°So this sort of thing has happened before.¡±

    ¡°Obviously, the Strider was one of them. Any nation as large as we are will attract their attention. If we couldn¡¯t deal with them and keep the populace in the dark, we would never live in peace. This is how it has been for centuries.¡±

    General Mason furrowed his brow. ¡°...There is no hope of taking the fight to them?¡±

    The President laughed. ¡°Oh, how I wish we could send a counter-invasion! But anything you know of standard warfare from the history books at our borders is pointless. They essentially do not have a society, merely a chain of command. You saw only the fifth-highest rung on that chain.¡±

    The Vice President tensed. ¡°Alvaro, is it really a good idea¡­?¡±

    ¡°I have no intention of killing him, and it¡¯s becoming clear that he¡¯s trying to figure out how to solve this problem. So I have no choice but to promote him.¡±

    General Mason nodded.

    ¡°Figured that out, did you?¡±

    ¡°The other option was to kill me or lock me up, and you¡¯ve already said you find me useful.¡±

    ¡°I do indeed. A model soldier.¡± The President flicked his tail back and forth. ¡°You are going to be onboarded into the Vanguard program. While this is a promotion, it is also a punishment, for the amount of classified intel you will have access to and the demands on your time will be extreme. You will have to step into the shadows of society.¡±

    ¡°I am willing.¡±

    ¡°Good. And to be clear¡­ your friends in ORHI are to learn none of this.¡±

    ¡°Am I permitted to let them know I¡¯m alive?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, you¡¯re not vanishing.¡± The President laughed. ¡°But they aren¡¯t to know any of this.¡±

    ¡°I will warn you. They have knowledge of the Vanguard, had it before the events in the storm.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± The President tilted his head. ¡°Well well well¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°How?¡± The Vice President asked. ¡°The Vanguard wipes all memory and does everything in their power to eliminate all potential witnesses.¡±

    ¡°They have a broken chunk of one, apparently they shot it down.¡±

    ¡°Shot it down!?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details. I could ask, they aren¡¯t very tight-lipped about the things they¡¯ve found.¡±

    The Vice President shook her head. ¡°This is a gross breach of security¡­¡±

    ¡°I can say this, they were fighting for their lives against something that was trying to kill them.¡±

    The President chuckled. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not blaming them. But if they know too much¡­¡±

    ¡°Their entire point is to investigate magical and esoteric phenomena. They have found a lot in this City. Their activities will certainly uncover more.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ they certainly will.¡± The President tapped his paw on the desk. ¡°However, with the Strider¡¯s remnants present, they clearly provide a beneficial service. What a pickle! I can¡¯t just promote them and get them on board, that¡¯s definitely not going to work!¡±

    ¡°We could revoke their business license.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d stop nothing,¡± the President said. ¡°They¡¯d just have to move into the shadows. Plus, another similar business would probably crop up with some less reputable sorts who just want revenge on anything from the Strider. Oh, what are we going to do? How do we keep things secret when the secrets are now revealing themselves?¡± He chuckled.

    General Mason narrowed his eyes. ¡°You aren¡¯t worried¡­¡±

    The President flashed a big toothy grin. ¡°Oh, what gave it away?¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t trying to hide it.¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡±

    The Vice President adjusted her glasses. ¡°In truth, we have already been keeping some eyes on them. Not many, not enough to find out they had information on the Vanguard¡­ though that makes some sense, given how they play with memory.¡±

    ¡°Coleus is doing quite well at serving the city,¡± the President added.

    General Mason nodded. ¡°I agree. I just wonder what you are going to do when they find out too much.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, you really think they will?¡±

    ¡°Amaris¡¯ curse is not a joke.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true¡­¡± The President was silent for a moment. ¡°I suppose that depends on what her conclusion is when she finds the truth. Can she accept it?¡±

    ¡°That depends on what the truth is.¡±

    ¡°Which I suppose it¡¯s about time to show you then, isn¡¯t it?¡± The President nodded to the bodyguard. ¡°Show him to the Vanguard Project.¡±

    ~~~

    Amaris, Rin, and Emma sat at a table in the cafeteria.

    All of them were staring at the black piece of paper in the center of the table with yellow writing on it.

    The message was simple.

    Dear Amaris¡­ I am High Lord Orvind, servant of Eyda. We were here to annihilate your society for destroying our other installation, the Strider. You will be glad to know that our plans have been foiled, and we have no intention of returning any time soon.

    Though you will ask, why? Why not return? Why not send another installation?

    The answer is simple. We wish to see how far your curse can go. Without even being present, you brought several people to the perfect place at the perfect time to ruin absolutely everything. This is something that will clearly only grow with time.

    Who knows. Perhaps you are one of the rare few whose curse will grow to the point of drawing Eyda¡¯s attention. I hope I¡¯m there to see it.

    The three girls kept staring at the paper.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Emma said, taking in a sharp breath. ¡°At least we don¡¯t have to worry about them anymore?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t have to worry about them for now,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°Could change when she¡­ ¡®ripens¡¯ ¡° Rin said with a shudder.

    ¡°And¡­ and we have a name for the bad guy!¡± Emma said. ¡°Eyda! So¡­¡±

    ¡°If my curse comes from her, she could probably take it away,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Meaning¡­ if we do ever get to that point¡­ we can¡¯t just assume everything will work out, that the interesting will happen.¡± Amaris shook her head. ¡°But we kind of already knew that. Something had to be the source of the curses¡¯ power. Obviously, it¡¯s not impossible to remove one.¡± Amaris tapped her fingers on the table nervously. ¡°I¡¯m more concerned about why now.¡±

    ¡°Why what?¡± Rin asked.

    ¡°Why¡­ what¡¯s the point of these curses? Why do they want them to grow?¡±

    ¡°Evil,¡± Emma offered.

    ¡°I think it has to be more than that¡­¡± Amaris frowned. ¡°Both the Strider and the¡­ ¡®Stormbringer¡¯ I guess¡­ Both of them were city destroyers. Outside of Yeshalo we don¡¯t see many nations larger than a few cities, probably because of these ¡®installations.¡¯ Their purpose is to keep people from growing too large and united, it seems. So why are we being given freedom because of my curse?¡±

    ¡°How did Yeshalo survive in the first place?¡± Rin asked. ¡°And the neighboring countries, too.¡±

    ¡°Memory angels, probably,¡± Amaris said. ¡°They seem to have it out for the black demon things in particular.¡±

    ¡°But we had to save the day,¡± Emma said. ¡°The angels didn¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°There were also the doors,¡± Rin pointed out. ¡°They were appearing on the Stormbringer. I think it was an attack as well.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Amaris scratched her chin. ¡°The doors attacked by leading monsters in, according to you two. So¡­¡± Amaris sank back into her chair and sighed. ¡°All that really tells us is that the doors are related to whatever¡¯s managing all the darkness in Yeshalo. But we already knew that existed.¡±

    ¡°Well, now we know that the doors can act to defend Yeshalo,¡± Rin said.

    ¡°I guess¡­ or were the doors just defending themselves? And if the doors have some kind of mind or controller, why are they so random otherwise?¡±

    ¡°Maybe it just seems random.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Amaris frowned. ¡°We have a lot of new information, I feel like there¡¯s a big realization just around the corner¡­ but I don¡¯t know what.¡± She glanced at the clock. ¡°And it¡¯s time to go anyway.¡±

    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no rush,¡± Emma said.

    ¡°We said we¡¯d help you set up for drama club,¡± Rin said.

    ¡°Drama club¡­¡± Emma chuckled. ¡°Feels so strange, just a few days ago we were in the sky fighting aliens, and now it¡¯s¡­ school.¡± She looked down at the ground. ¡°Just school¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, Emma¡­ you good?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°I¡­ think so? I¡¯ve got a lot to think about, but I¡¯m alive, and I¡¯ve got both of my best friends here with me.¡± She beamed at them both. ¡°That¡¯s got to be worth something, right?¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°It¡¯s worth a lot.¡±

    The three of them got up and left the Cafeteria, wandering down the maze-like halls of the school, heading directly to one of the storage rooms that held the drama club costumes. Emma was the only one of them actually in the drama club, but Amaris and Rin were known to watch some of the performances. Today was just costuming, though, and Emma had drawn the short straw of setting it all up.

    ¡°Okay so we¡¯re going to need the fancy old-timey dresses and the spandex sci-fi suits,¡± Emma said as they entered the storage room, revealing a room filled with all sorts of costumes on hundreds of hangars. While there were a lot of costumes, most of them were old, and many were quite tattered.

    They put the costumes they needed into a pile.

    ¡°This is going to take more than one trip,¡± Rin said. ¡°And they expected you to do this yourself?¡±

    Emma shrugged. ¡°It would have just taken time.¡±

    ¡°Might as well get started.¡± Amaris took off her backpack so she could carry more, though she made sure Pitch was coiled around her arm. ¡°Here we go¡­¡±

    ¡°I could help with that.¡±

    The three of them looked to the open door to see a boy in a black hood. At first, Amaris tensed up¡­ but then she realized who it was. ¡°...Ralph? What are you doing in a hood?¡±

    ¡°Trying to get away from the people who follow me around.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Yeah, that makes sense.¡±

    ¡°W-what are you doing here though?¡± Emma stammered.

    Ralph grinned. ¡°You three are far cooler than them!¡±

    Emma swooned. Rin had to hold her up.

    Amaris nodded. ¡°That¡­ you know that also makes sense. Sure, we could use the help.¡±

    ¡°Hang on, we¡¯re just letting him?¡± Rin asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s Ralph.¡±

    ¡°I repeat my question.¡±

    Rin opted to glare at Ralph instead.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what I did¡­¡± Ralph said, tilting his head.

    ¡°You¡¯re mister popular and everyone loves you, that¡¯s what.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s no reason to resent him, Rin,¡± Amaris chided. ¡°Come on, Ralph, help us with these.¡±

    Between Amaris and Ralph¡¯s muscles, they were actually able to carry all of the costumes at once, though Ralph and Amaris were so overloaded it was hard to see them through the folds of fabric.

    ¡°S-so, uh, h-how¡¯s it been, Ralph?¡± Emma asked.

    ¡°Eh,¡± Ralph said. ¡°We won our last game. Got a trophy and everything.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t sound very¡­ excited.¡±

    ¡°I win a lot of those things. Basically all I do.¡±

    ¡°W-well¡­ we saved Yeshalo from a giant spaceship!¡±

    ¡°Emma!¡± Rin hissed.

    ¡°What? It¡¯s Ralph! We can tell him.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure about that!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not really a secret,¡± Amaris pointed out. ¡°People just aren¡¯t likely to believe us. Though, bragging about it might be a bit much.¡±

    Emma tripped over her own feet and almost fell. ¡°I-I¡¯m just saying we have cool stuff happen too!¡±

    ¡°Sounds way cooler than what happened to me,¡± Ralph said. ¡°I kind of miss the junk world, actually¡­ we were doing stuff there, remember Amaris? Keeping everyone under control, preparing for attacks, managing the danger¡­ you really were something.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Turns out they don¡¯t need me though, these two saved the day without me this time.¡±

    ¡°The m-magic of being in the right place at the right time!¡± Emma stammered.

    ¡°And you being insane,¡± Rin added.

    ¡°I¡­ well yes I kind of was¡­¡± She laughed nervously. ¡°But we still did it!¡±

    ¡°Wish I could go on adventures like that more often with you,¡± Ralph said.

    Emma started choking on her own breath. Amaris simply chuckled. ¡°Ralph, if you hang out with me, you won¡¯t be able to avoid it. I¡¯m cursed, it¡¯ll spread to you. You probably can¡¯t avoid it even if you tried at this point.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡±

    They made it to the drama club¡¯s room. Amaris pushed the door open.

    She stopped in her tracks.

    ¡°Amaris, what is¡­¡± Emma let out an ¡®eep¡¯ and dropped all her costumes on the ground.

    Ralph was the one who screamed at the sight.

    Blood was everywhere. Much of it was splattered around randomly, but some of it had clearly been used to draw straight lines that zigged and zagged all across the floor, walls, and ceiling. Some of it was still flowing, dripping from the ceiling. Hanging from a broken ceiling tile was the body of a cat, barely more than a kitten. One of their classmates, presumably, but the face was so mutilated Amaris couldn¡¯t tell who it was. The body was wrapped in barbed wire and had clearly been severed in multiple places, tied back together by the metal spikes.

    Written on the ceiling in ink, not in blood, were the words: That makes three. What will you do now, supposed defenders of Nuk? You¡¯ve now failed three times to do your job. How useless you are.

    Amaris clenched her hand into a fist.

    ¡°You¡¯re handling this surprisingly well,¡± Rin whispered to Emma.

    ¡°I think¡­ I¡¯m getting a little used to it.¡± She glanced at Ralph. ¡°Ralph?¡±

    Ralph broke out into a panicked run.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°There goes your big, strong man.¡±

    ¡°Rin! Now is not the time! Someone¡¯s dead!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Amaris, what¡¯s the plan?¡±

    ¡°Gather information,¡± Amaris said. ¡°This may look like it¡¯s directed at us, but it¡¯s not. We weren¡¯t aware of there being other victims. I think this is directed at the police. We need to confirm that.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Well. It just so happens that Jenny and I are going to see Scarlet soon¡­¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°So glad that you¡¯re finally willing to talk with me again,¡± Scarlet said as she poured a cup of tea and handed it to Amaris. Jenny had already gotten her cup of overly-sweetened coffee a moment before and was currently chugging it down.

    Amaris took the tea and took a sip. She didn¡¯t take her eyes off Scarlet. Her tie was yellow with green dots today.

    ¡°Such angry eyes¡­¡± Scarlet sat down behind her desk. Her office was rather small, all things considered, and the cramped feeling was intensified by all the books and loose papers she had stacked everywhere. It was a remarkably chaotic space for one such as her. ¡°Is the tea to your liking, at least?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ good.¡±

    ¡°Just good? As I recall, prior to our little falling out, this was not only your favorite blend, but the exact temperature you preferred. I spent quite a bit of time figuring out your preferences.¡±

    Amaris twitched. ¡°Fine. It¡¯s absolutely excellent, the taste and experience is merely marred because I¡¯m sitting in the same room as you.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like you have a mental block. It would not take much effort to remove it and be able to truly enjoy yourself. Of course¡­ that does depend on you wanting to.¡±

    Jenny slammed her mug down on the desk. ¡°Got any more?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely!¡± Scarlet poured her some more coffee. ¡°I always have yours on hand.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Jenny took another sip. ¡°Ah, so good¡­¡±

    ¡°Jenny¡­¡± Amaris warned.

    ¡°What? It¡¯s just coffee. Am I not supposed to like coffee?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem, the problem is that she¡¯s bribing you with it. And all the shrimp pizza, too. We talked about this.¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯m still going to like the coffee.¡±

    Amaris sighed, then turned to look at Scarlet. ¡°So. Looks like you¡¯re getting what you want. Talking to me again. I wonder if this is all part of your plan or whatever, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯m getting a straight answer out of you about that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Scarlet said, smile unwavering.

    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Amaris put her hand to the bridge of her nose. ¡°So, let me be clear. I don¡¯t like this. I don¡¯t like this at all. You¡¯re manipulating Jenny and you¡¯re manipulating us. This is in addition to your long list of secret crimes that you¡¯re going to pretend like you haven¡¯t done. My preferred course of action here is to never speak to you again and keep Jenny away from you. However, she doesn¡¯t want to do that. And I am forced to admit that not only have you been helpful, you are a good source of information.¡±

    ¡°Glad you¡¯ve come to your senses.¡±

    Amaris clenched her jaw. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d call this sensible¡­¡±

    ¡°You are merely making use of an ¡®enemy¡¯ you cannot defeat to defeat other enemies. It¡¯s logical and effective.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Amaris narrowed her eyes. Then she deflated and sunk back into her chair. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m done. Jenny, did you have anything?¡±

    Jenny nodded. She took in a sharp breath and set down her coffee. ¡°Hey, Scarlet?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to turn down any future things you want to do just for fun.¡±

    Scarlet¡¯s smile dropped. ¡°Why?¡¯

    ¡°...Look, it was fun, and I¡¯ve had a lot of great times. But¡­¡± Jenny glanced at Amaris. ¡°When I hang out with you, it hurts everyone else. I¡¯d¡­ rather not do that.¡±

    ¡°But where will you draw the line? You¡¯ve drunk the coffee, and that clearly hurt Amaris here.¡±

    Jenny shrugged. ¡°Dunno. I¡¯ll draw the line where it seems right. You¡¯re honestly a ton of fun, really. But there are things that matter more to me.¡±

    Scarlet stared at her for a moment. Then she put her hand to her eyes and started chuckling.

    ¡°Uh¡­ okay, where¡¯s the joke? I was being serious for once!¡±

    ¡°The absurdity of the situation just hit me,¡± Scarlet said. ¡°It¡¯s like we¡¯re two schoolchildren on the playground going through a breakup.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Jenny looked away from her. ¡°Y-yeah I guess it¡¯s kinda like that, but that¡¯s not¡­ funny.¡±

    ¡°Agree to disagree.¡± Scarlet folded her hands together. ¡°Of course, this means I just have to set up meetings at fun locations rather than my stuffy office here.¡±

    Amaris¡¯ eye twitched. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just leave her alone?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather her have fun than not, simple as that. You too, by the way. Wouldn¡¯t you rather be having this meeting at a carnival while we play silly games and eat terrible food?¡±

    ¡°...Well. Yes. But¡­¡±

    ¡°My point exactly.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re trying to condition us!¡±

    Scarlet smirked at her. ¡°Consider it the price for my information.¡±

    Jenny blinked. ¡°Hang on. How did¡­¡±

    ¡°She just took control of the negotiation you didn¡¯t realize was happening,¡± Amaris said with a sigh. ¡°You really are a selfish, manipulative piece of work, Scarlet.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m a great help and you know it. So. Today there¡¯s no price for information or assistance, despite the fact that I already gave a lot of free help out with the aliens. I¡¯m feeling generous.¡±

    Amaris looked down at the ground. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to do this, but I feel like I have to.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Amaris looked Scarlet right in the eyes. ¡°For helping Jenny instead of yourself up there.¡±

    Scarlet closed her eyes and nodded. ¡°...Your thanks means more to me than you can realize.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get the wrong idea.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t. I am fully aware of the entire situation. But my words stand.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve gotten lost¡­¡± Jenny said.

    ¡°Amaris is much better at subtext and inference than you are,¡± Scarlet pointed out. ¡°We can actually talk about secret things without saying anything.¡±

    ¡°We can do that too.¡±

    ¡°And how long did it take you to figure out how to do that?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Jenny rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Well¡­¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Scarlet turned back to Amaris. ¡°Now, what is it you wish to know?¡±

    Amaris crossed her arms. ¡°What do you know about the murderer that killed one of my fellow students?¡±

    ¡°Ah, well that¡¯s an interesting case. Surprised you haven¡¯t heard of it before now. To put it simply, somebody appears to think the police in Nuk are useless and can¡¯t do anything and has taken to taunting them. Only three murders have had the calling cards of taunting words written in blood, but I¡¯m aware of two others that happened prior. All five of them were young girls, three humans and two cats. If there were any neko murders before that we wouldn¡¯t know, those aren¡¯t reported as often.¡± Scarlet folded her arms. ¡°They¡¯re all mutilated heavily, though the last three have all been sewn back together with barbed wire and hung from the ceiling. The first two murders had no timing pattern, but these last three have always happened on Monday every week. No doubt our culprit will strike again next Monday, if the pattern holds. Which, considering how much this is intended to mock the police, unless something strange happens the murderer will want to be as predictable as possible just to prove how ineffective law enforcement is.¡±

    ¡°Bet this is giving you all sorts of ideas,¡± Jenny commented. Scarlet didn¡¯t respond to this.

    Amaris closed her eyes and thought for a moment. ¡°Any pattern in the murder locations?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re all in Nuk in places where children frequent, but other than that, no.¡±

    ¡°What evidence do the police have? Any ideas?¡±

    ¡°Now, I¡¯m not supposed to know this, but they have no hair, fingerprints, pawprints, or shoeprints at the scene. The murder weapon has not been found but forensic analysis suggests it¡¯s just a normal knife. They have no real suspects and no suspect profile. The bodies have been there at least an hour when they are discovered, and the police take even longer to arrive.¡±

    ¡°...Are the police actually ineffective?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Scarlet said. ¡°You know that personally.¡±

    Amaris frowned. ¡°They can¡¯t want this to go on, it makes them look bad. Even if there is some kind of shadowy secret¡­ they¡¯re supposed to look like they¡¯re protecting the people.¡±

    ¡°They are trying to bury the story, keep it from spreading. With this third murder, though, they are going to fail at that. They know this and are devoting a lot more resources than usual to trying to figure this out.¡±

    ¡°Which is exactly what the murderer wants.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. A showdown.¡± Scarlet folded her fingers together and grinned. Amaris shuddered involuntarily. ¡°This is not a killer trying to be safe, this is a killer who wants a show. He may even expect to be caught at the end of this all, going out with a bang, as it were. For some reason or other, he has a bone to pick with the police in particular. I haven¡¯t yet deduced if he is targeting young girls because of some psychotic pleasure or simply because it¡¯ll cause the most response, but I suspect it¡¯s one of the two. Perhaps both.¡±

    ¡°...Is there any indication magic is being used?¡±

    Scarlet frowned. ¡°Now there¡¯s a question¡­ there¡¯s no indication of anything in particular. However, this suspect is not leaving traces like most would and always seems to know where to strike. It could just be someone particularly clever and knowledgeable.¡±

    ¡°Or some kind of vengeful spirit.¡±

    Scarlet shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s so little information to go off of, it¡¯s impossible to tell.¡±

    Amaris sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve had Orville do some looking into it already, trying to find the last person who saw the victim. It was hours before we found the body. Nobody nearby at the time saw the murderer, otherwise, Orville would have been able to get into his memories and that would be that.¡± She clicked her tongue. ¡°If we could get into his memories this would be solved almost instantly. But nobody saw him and he evidently didn¡¯t stick around.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯ve already decided to investigate?¡±

    ¡°Look, the body was right in front of us.¡± Amaris frowned. ¡°Magic or no, we should at least try something. We¡¯ve got until Monday and we don¡¯t have any major jobs right now.¡±

    ¡°You certainly have a lot of advantages.¡±

    Amaris narrowed her eyes. ¡°And what if he turns out to be untouchable like, oh, I don¡¯t know, some psycho with red hair?¡±

    Scarlet folded her hands together and smirked. ¡°Two psychos don¡¯t mix, Amaris. You should know this by now.¡±

    ~~~

    ORHI began investigations in earnest. Orville tried all the murder locations for memories of the murderer, but found nothing. Every single murder was performed far from witnesses and nobody found the bodies for some time. The Kiris investigated the dregs and managed to uncover some scant stories about a neko victim, but aside from her identity and the nature of her being chopped into pieces, there was no real information. They thought they might have found another victim, but that just turned out to be Scarlet¡¯s activity.

    ¡°She waved to me in the memory of the murder,¡± Orville said, shivering. ¡°That woman¡­¡±

    ¡°And she¡¯s the source of all the information the police won¡¯t give us¡­¡± Irene sighed.

    Irene was standing behind the desk at ORHI headquarters. There had been a customer earlier that day; Jenny had gone out to deal with her were-rabbit problem. The Kiris were still out investigating and Amaris was at school, leaving only Irene and Coleus at headquarters.

    Coleus was sitting in a nearby chair reading a magazine about engineering and humming a tune; presumably whatever was playing through her headphones.

    Irene was struck by how tall Coleus had gotten. Ever since she¡¯d officially become a free leaf dryad, her body had started elongating and filling out. Not in the way a human¡¯s would¡ªher hips and upper torso actually got significantly narrower. Her leaf-dress had gained an entire other layer of leaves, and the leaves on her head had become significantly longer.

    ¡°Geez¡­ even puberty doesn¡¯t work that fast,¡± Irene said to herself.

    ¡°Putting down roots is a faster process, as I understand it.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t dryads all about being slow and deliberate?¡±

    ¡°If their biology demands otherwise, what are they going to do about it?¡±

    ¡°Right. Of course¡­¡± Irene rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Wait, weren¡¯t you telling me things about Scarlet?¡±

    ¡°Honestly I¡¯d rather not. I know I¡¯m keeping a general eye on her, but there are so many horrific things I find that I just can¡¯t deal with. And every time she sees me in her memories she¡¯s always so friendly. It¡¯s unnerving how genuine it is.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s gotta be something we can do¡­¡±

    ¡°Rin¡¯s idea is still available.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not hitmen,¡± Irene asserted.

    ¡°I agree, but that is a solution that would certainly work. With the Society of Pointed Hats, we probably have the means to be covert about it now¡­¡±

    Irene stared at him dumbfounded. ¡°Are you actually considering it¡­?¡±

    ¡°A bit. I¡­ can¡¯t stand all that suffering. That said¡­¡± Orville sighed. ¡°Her information is also saving a lot of people. Honestly, probably more than she¡¯s killing.¡±

    ¡°What a mess.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t get any argument from me¡­¡±

    The phone rang. Irene flipped it off the hook with far too much flamboyance. ¡°Hello! You¡¯ve reached Outer Reality Handling Incorporated, here to handle your supernatural needs! My name is Irene, how can I help you today?¡±

    ¡°Irene, it¡¯s Jenny.¡±

    ¡°Oh, how did the were-rabbits go?¡±

    ¡°Those? Those are dealt with, have the money already. I didn¡¯t call for that.¡±

    Irene sensed the seriousness in Jenny¡¯s voice. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Another murder,¡± Jenny said. ¡°And this one¡¯s mocking us.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ it¡¯s Wednesday¡­¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t care about that, apparently.¡±

    ~~~

    The scene was decidedly gruesome, but Amaris had expected that. It was a human girl this time, hanging from the ceiling of a broom closet tucked away in the back of a steam power plant. No doubt the noise of the machinery had drowned out any and all of the screams.

    The part that was surprising were the words splattered across the walls.

    So, the cultists at ORHI have taken notice, have they? Bet you thought I was going to be predictable and timely, huh? You¡¯re even worse than those stupid police. Well, great ¡®heroes,¡¯ what¡¯s your next move? Sic the memory ghost on me?

    ¡°We¡¯ve already done that¡­¡± Amaris clicked her tongue and frowned.

    At this point the police detective examining the scene noticed her. ¡°Hey, you can¡¯t be in he¡ª¡±

    Amaris flashed her business card. ¡°I¡¯m with ORHI. The message is for me, I have a right to be here. You can remove me if you want, but I suspect you want to question me.¡±

    The detective adjusted his hat and scratched his handlebar mustache. ¡°You could be his next target¡­¡±

    ¡°Possible, but I doubt it. He knows about our memory ghost, he¡¯ll know about my curse.¡±

    ¡°...Mind telling me what a ¡®memory ghost¡¯ is?¡±

    ¡°What we call our friend Orville, who only exists in memories. He¡¯s looking around right now, trying to find any memories with the killer in them. Though the killer¡¯s probably going to be even more careful now than he was before¡­¡±

    The detective narrowed his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s keeping you from just finding him?¡±

    ¡°Orville can¡¯t enter the memories of dead people. This murderer leaves no witnesses and we can never find anyone who remembers him leaving or entering the scenes. Doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t exist, just that we can¡¯t find them.¡± She crossed her arms and shook her head. ¡°What I want to know is how he figured out we were investigating him¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to know why you were investigating as well¡­¡±

    ¡°He hit my school. It became personal.¡±

    ¡°Kid, this is above your pay grade.¡±

    Amaris glared at him. Then she sighed. ¡°No use arguing¡­ you can¡¯t exactly stop us, so we¡¯ll keep looking into it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I could figure something out.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any way to arrest a memory ghost?¡±

    The detective stared at her.

    ¡°Thought not. Best save yourself the headache. Now¡­ I don¡¯t suppose you could tell me if you¡¯ve got any suspects, or are you still grasping at straws?¡±

    ¡°How did you¡­¡±

    Amaris grinned smugly. ¡°Believe it or not, it wasn¡¯t the memory ghost. I¡¯m not telling you what it was, our information network is quite extensive though.¡± Look at me, basically bragging about Scarlet. I might be getting too smug here¡­

    The detective sighed. ¡°We don¡¯t have any leads. Not any prints, not any hairs, nothing.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯ve not detected any magic either,¡± Amaris noted. ¡°Doesn¡¯t mean there isn¡¯t any, could just be weak magic. But it¡¯s peculiar.¡± She frowned. ¡°What kind of person would have a bone to pick with both the police and ORHI? That¡¯s what¡¯s bugging me.¡±

    ¡°Someone who just wants to toy with people. These sorts usually like a challenge, don¡¯t understand why they¡¯re picking a fight with you.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he thinks we¡¯re a bigger threat.¡±

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t make me laugh.¡±

    Amaris decided not to let out a snarky remark. ¡°All he has to do is think that way. If he uses magic or knows one of us personally¡­¡±

    Suddenly the detective was standing very close to her. His expression was suddenly a lot more menacing.

    I was trying not to be snarky! ¡°Um¡­ do you¡­ have a question for me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just thinking¡­ maybe he not just knows you, he¡¯s one of yours.¡±

    ¡°...What.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna need a list of all people in and associated with your little¡­ organization, missy.¡±

    Amaris blinked. ¡°Well, okay, I actually have all that information on me I can just give it to you.¡± She reached into her backpack and pulled out one of her notebooks, flipping to a page that had a list of everyone who had helped ORHI out. ¡°Lemme just copy this down¡­¡±

    The detective reached out and tore the page out of the notebook. ¡°Can¡¯t have you tampering with it.¡±

    Amaris¡¯ left eye twitched. ¡°Can I at least copy it while you¡¯re holding it or something so I still have a copy?¡±

    The detective rammed the page into his coat pocket. ¡°Now, you¡¯re going to tell me everything you¡¯ve done to find this guy.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even answer my question!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the detective here. You¡¯re just a kid. A kid who needs to learn how to give authority proper respect. You clearly don¡¯t know your place.¡±

    ¡°My desire to give you respect is dropping by the minute.¡±

    ¡°We could go to the station, missy. In handcuffs.¡±

    Amaris opened her mouth in preparation for a particularly nasty comment, but then she remembered. Remembered what they knew about Nuk, about the way things were set up, and the hints of conspiracy.

    This detective might not have been safe.

    For all she knew, he was the murderer and was trying to cover his tracks.

    Amaris took in a sharp breath and locked her hands behind her back. ¡°Fine then. Tell me what you want to know.¡±

    From that point on, she made sure to answer his questions clinically and without much in the way of emotion. She hid no details, though she only mentioned Scarlet as her ¡°anonymous source¡±. She made it as boring as possible. At first, this seemed to placate him, but as she kept talking, he got angry again.

    Amaris had no idea why. She was doing what he wanted, not even talking back. Maybe what he didn¡¯t like was the information he was receiving. There were a few options for this. Option one, he was the murderer, and he wasn¡¯t liking his chances of getting away with anything at this point. But that didn¡¯t make any sense, the murderer was clearly aware of Orville and wouldn¡¯t risk a conversation of any sort with anyone at ORHI related to the murder, Orville would try to track it. Option two, she was somehow delivering a blow to his pride just by talking. Was it that her information was ruining all his theories and suspects? Making him and the department look stupid? Option three, he just despised the idea of ORHI and the more he heard about it the more his blood boiled.

    How can I placate him without knowing for sure what¡¯s going on¡­?

    The detective fell silent.

    ¡°Um¡­ detective? Sir¡­?¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Amaris shut up. They stood there in silence for quite some time.

    He stamped his foot angrily on the ground, muttering something under his breath. Amaris clearly wasn¡¯t supposed to hear it, but she caught the jist of it anyway.

    He was looking for an excuse to arrest me, and it¡¯s not happening. Good thing I started cooperating, who knows why he wanted to do that¡­

    ¡°Your people are going to need to come down to the station tomorrow for interviews.¡±

    ¡°Does that include Orville?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Yes it does.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll send my other people with instructions on how to talk with him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure we can figure it out.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± I¡¯m still sending those instructions.

    ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me¡­¡±

    ¡°Detective!¡± an officer shouted.

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve found another body!¡±

    ¡°WHAT!?¡±

    Amaris put her hand to her forehead. ¡°Does this guy ever know when to stop?¡±

    ~~~

    Orville wasn¡¯t able to stay at the new murder scene.

    ¡°Still can¡¯t handle blood, huh?¡± Amaris asked him. She was hanging around a short distance from it so he could talk to her easily.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m just¡­ weak. Too weak¡­¡±

    ¡°You are getting stronger.¡±

    ¡°Still can¡¯t stay in places like that.¡± He adjusted his hat and nervously looked at the sun. ¡°Can you¡­ describe it for me so I know I¡¯m not just hallucinating?¡±

    ¡°Decapitated. No barbed wire, was clearly done in a hurry. Two possibilities: this isn¡¯t the same guy, which is what the stupid detective thinks since there¡¯s no wire and this murder was done in an alleyway without the usual careful precision. Other option: this is the same guy, he just had to kill someone since he figured you would be able to trace his memories. I think this, because this murder is far too close to the other one and the timing is far too similar.¡±

    Orville nodded. ¡°Poor fellow probably just walked down the alleyway at the wrong time¡­¡±

    ¡°Exactly. However, this means we can place the murderer somewhere in that alleyway near the murder. That alley has far more vantage points the murderer could be seen from. If you can find him and trace him¡­¡±

    ¡°Right, right, got it.¡±

    ¡°Try not to get lost in the memories, the detective wants you to give a report to the police station tomorrow with everyone.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s going to be¡­ a pain, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yep. But that¡¯s his problem.¡±

    ¡°And mine. It¡¯s not exactly easy to deal with people who can¡¯t deal with memory shifts¡­¡±

    Amaris shrugged. ¡°You may want to rifle through his memories later, I don¡¯t trust him. But right now the murderer takes priority.¡±

    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll come get you when I have something.¡±

    Orville set out into the memories. His method of searching was rather simple: explore the area in as close to a grid pattern through time and space as he could. Start with locations closest to the alley. There weren¡¯t many memories there, and none actually near the time and place of the opportune murder. But he had a lot of people walking on a nearby street at times both before and afterward. He made a mental catalog of all the people he could see from these vantage points. Each one was a suspect until he followed their memory to the time and place of the murder, exonerating them.

    This was a simple, if time-consuming, process.

    Most of the time was spent looking carefully through memories for people that were in shadow, or barely visible, or hiding in windows. He had to check in every memory just to be sure, since if a person didn¡¯t remember, even subconsciously, that there had been a person there, there would be no indication at all.

    He periodically jumped to the present to see how much time he had before he had to be at the police station. It wasn¡¯t until the evening that the time was set for Thursday after school was out. That gave him a whole day.

    Which he burned through rather quickly considering the diligence of his search.

    The web of memories he checked quickly surrounded the alleyway murder site. There were still plenty of holes in time where a murderer could slip through without being noticed, get to the power plant, and kill the girl. The girl in question wasn¡¯t traceable, the last memory Orville could find of her was her purposefully running away from her group because she got fed up with the bullies in it. The bullies proceeded to conspire to make sure the teachers didn¡¯t notice she was gone¡­

    Surely, the murderer had to have some way to see this. But he wasn¡¯t in any of their memories. Maybe he was using the security cameras. Or maybe¡­ maybe he was invisible?

    So many possibilities. But he still had to keep searching. Spread out through time, through space, cover every avenue he could find¡­

    It was midday when it happened.

    Not that he was sure what it was at first.

    He jumped into the memory of a figure he¡¯d seen standing in a window behind a curtain.

    He was a gari with purple plastic. His hair was unusually short for a member of his race. The room he was in was rather small, so Orville couldn¡¯t exactly appear in the memory discreetly. Thus, the memory of the gari noticed him immediately.

    And he pointed right out Orville and started screeching while doing a bizarre dance.

    ¡°What in the¡­?¡± Orville took a step back. ¡°Please calm down¡­¡±

    The man kept screeching and dancing.

    Orville jumped ahead in the man¡¯s mind, finding him in the hallway outside. Again, the man pointed, started screeching, and dancing.

    ¡°What is your problem? I¡¯m not scary! And this is a public apartment hallway, it¡¯s not weird that I¡¯m here!¡±

    The screaming and dancing continued.

    Orville tried jumping back in his memories, but the same thing happened. Going forward didn¡¯t help either.

    But forward did eventually place him in the alleyway. The gari was there, alone, but still started screaming at him.

    Orville¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at the screaming gari. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re trying to send a message to your present self¡­.¡± Immediately, he moved as far forward in the memories as he could.

    The gari was on the roof of a very familiar building at the moment.

    Amaris¡¯ school.

    The gari didn¡¯t scream this time when he saw Orville. He just grinned. ¡°Considering how many times I remember screaming, it sure took you a while to figure out what I was doing.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, this is an odd feeling, talking to you in a memory¡­¡± The gari locked his arms behind his back.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡±

    ¡°Oh, fine, I¡¯ll tell you. Ever since that guy saw me in the alleyway I figured it was somewhat likely you could trace me through a secondary memory somewhere. I¡¯ve been in the area for a while, waiting to see if you¡¯d track me down. I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, thinking I¡¯d gotten away with it!¡± He put a hand to his face and chuckled. ¡°But no, you were too diligent. It¡¯s really, really hard to combat you, you know that? I can¡¯t kill you, and you know who I am now so I can¡¯t escape. So I¡¯ve lost my little game.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re stalling.¡±

    ¡°Not true at all! Well, not because it helps me, but because the moment I let you in on my secret for being here, you¡¯ll stop talking to me! And, really, I want to enjoy the final confrontation a little more.¡± He pointed at his chest. ¡°My name is Iramik. I¡¯m from the Strider. Did you know I was a minor celebrity there? Celebrated as a great and devious killer. I got to write books, give autographs, have any woman I wanted¡­ but then the stupid plant started locking people up for all that, so I disguised myself and left.¡±

    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t want to hear your monologue¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have much of a choice, now do you?¡± Iramik smirked. ¡°Rest assured, while I¡¯m here talking to you, I¡¯m stuck as well. Also rest assured, there¡¯s not a timed bomb or anything. Though I suppose I could have a remote detonator. I don¡¯t, but there¡¯s not much you could do about that if I did, huh?¡± Iramik chuckled. ¡°By the way, if you leave, I don¡¯t tell you anything about what I¡¯m doing here.¡±

    ¡°You could be distracting me for someone else.¡±

    ¡°I work alone. Didn¡¯t always, had a great partner, but that plant of yours locked him up and he blew up with the Strider.¡± He shook his head. ¡°So I have at least a partial revenge motivation. Write that down, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll go great in your report later.¡±

    Orville just glared at him.

    ¡°Oh my my, you really aren¡¯t having a fun time here. Good. Now, where was I¡­? Oh, yes. I left the Strider. I learned everything I could about this place so I could continue my craft. I was exceedingly careful in every aspect of all my missions. No traces. Bare gauntlets and greaves don¡¯t leave identifiable prints, and they definitely don¡¯t know how to trace or even identify gari plastic yet. Kept my hair short so none of it would accidentally fall out. But then I realized something. The police here are freaking incompetent. I could mess up and they wouldn¡¯t find anything. They would overlook simple details. Sometimes not even figure out that there¡¯d been a murder. Which¡­ was when I decided to play the game. Torment them. I was so much better than them, they¡¯d never be able to do anything. And for three weeks, that worked amazingly.¡±

    ¡°And then we noticed.¡±

    ¡°Yes. You noticed.¡± Iramik put his hands on his hips and let out a huge laugh. ¡°And suddenly the challenge became a whole lot harder! But oh, was I up to it.¡±

    ¡°How did you figure out we were onto you?¡±

    ¡°The Internet.¡±

    ¡°...What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m serious. I keep track of all the posts about locations I¡¯ve done killing at. You lot have a stalker. Someone figured out you were investigating and posted about it. No idea who it is, but man, they¡¯re prolific, they¡¯ve got an entire site on bizarre phenomena and your group has a very major section in it.¡±

    Orville blinked.

    ¡°Had no idea did you? Let me guess, since you don¡¯t even have a website, none of you even have an online presence. Shame, you should make use of it more, it¡¯s an incredible tool.¡±

    ¡°We¡­ probably should start investigating it more.¡±

    ¡°Oh, quite. Regardless, it allowed me to know you were onto me, and then the game was really afoot. An actual challenge. You in particular, memory man. Luckily, I already knew how to be very careful. I got a little impatient of waiting for the true game, so I went out a little early. Also to mess with your heads. But, alas, for the first time, I got unlucky. I¡¯m betting your precious little leader¡¯s curse just twisted fate against me. She defeated me, not you.¡±

    ¡°She has little power over her curse.¡±

    ¡°I bet she tells herself that to make it easier to sleep at night.¡± Iramik chuckled. ¡°But it is her who won, not you. You just got lucky.¡±

    ¡°Fine, whatever floats your boat.¡±

    ¡°You seem bored. Fortunately, with this talk of your little leader, we finally get to the point why I¡¯m here! Since I knew you could possibly win, I wanted to make sure I could make you pay the price.¡± Iramik leaned in, a giant smirk crossing his face. ¡°Most of your group and related people are good in combat, lucky, or surrounded by people. But there¡¯s one who isn¡¯t, and she just so happens to be my preferred target.¡±

    Orville¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Emma!¡±

    ¡°Go warn her! It won¡¯t help.¡±

    Orville immediately left Iramik¡¯s memory.

    ¡°And so it begins¡­¡± Iramik cackled and took off into a breakneck sprint.

    There was no more need to be subtle. He¡¯d already been made.

    This would be so much fun.

    ~~~

    Emma was wrapping up her business on the toilet when Orville appeared to her.

    ¡°Orville!¡± Emma shouted. ¡°You can¡¯t jus¡ª¡±

    ¡°The killer is after you. I¡¯m going to get help.¡±

    Then he was gone.

    Emma was stunned into silence. She quickly stood up and put her pants back on.

    She was alone in the restroom, all the stalls were unoccupied except hers. She quickly opened the stall door, but didn¡¯t leave¡ªnow all the stalls looked identical from the entrance.

    Okay, now what? Emma¡¯s mind raced. I could try to leave the bathroom, find Amaris¡­ she and Rin are somewhere. I don¡¯t know where, but they¡¯re somewhere. I can¡¯t fight¡­ and there¡¯s not really a place to actually hide here.

    The entrance door suddenly creaked. She heard the clacking of plastic on ceramic tile.

    Wasn¡¯t time to run anyway¡­

    ¡°You know, I was expecting I would need to rush past your friends and take you out before they knew what was happening¡­ but you are all alone. What unfortunate timing for you.¡±

    Emma carefully climbed on top of the toilet, careful not to make a sound.

    ¡°Being quiet won¡¯t help you.¡± The clacking sound of his footsteps got closer. ¡°Your backpack has a little radio tracker. It¡¯s not very precise, but it knows you¡¯re in this room.¡±

    When did you put that on me?

    ¡°When did I put that on you?¡±

    Emma¡¯s entire body shivered.

    ¡°When you were in gym yesterday. I put one in all of your backpacks, just so I could keep track of everyone. You truly were a great set of foes. Have to make you pay something for finding me out. And that price¡­¡± He jumped forward, looking right into a stall. ¡°Is you!¡±

    Emma¡¯s backpack was there.

    She wasn¡¯t.

    She was on top of the stall¡¯s pseudo-wall. She jumped down and made a break for it.

    The gari wasted no time talking or mocking her. He broke into a full sprint after her. Fact of the matter was, his legs were much longer, and he was much faster. Emma never stood a chance in a test of speed. He grabbed her by her shirt collar and pulled her back, throwing her to the ground next to one of the sinks.

    ¡°I¡¯m amazed I underestimated you,¡± the gari said, narrowing his eyes. ¡°I suppose you probably have been getting used to this kind of thing¡­ can¡¯t risk you having any more tricks.¡± He pulled out a very long and sharp knife. He aimed right for her neck.

    She pulled out an anti-magic arrowhead and thrust it at him.

    He twisted his arm to the side, dodging the attack. The knife did not strike her neck, instead piercing a pipe under one of the sinks. Water sprayed out all over the two of them.

    Emma tried to make another break for it.

    The breaking pipe was not enough of a distraction. The gari used his other hand to grab her physically by the neck, pressing her to the ground. She gagged¡ªcompletely unable to breathe.

    The gari said nothing, he simply used his other hand to lift up the knife, aiming for her forehead this time.

    A small fist made contact with his face. He hadn¡¯t been expecting it at all, and he went flying clear across the bathroom, sliding along the wet floor until he hit the far wall.

    Ralph kept his hands balled up. ¡°Orville said I was the closest¡­ I almost wasn¡¯t close enough.¡±

    ¡°Oh Ralph¡­¡± Emma said with a sigh.

    ¡°You¡­ I wasn¡¯t tracking you¡­¡± the gari stood up.

    ¡°Finally, someone who doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m the greatest thing ever.¡± Ralph grinned. ¡°Been needing more of that, lately.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still just a kid, athlete or no.¡± He charged.

    Ralph set his feet wide and held his hands forward, preparing to intercept the knife strike.

    The gari didn¡¯t go for it. The knife was just a feint, he opted to kick Ralph in the chest instead, knocking the wind out of him in one fell swoop.

    ¡°Ralph!¡± Emma shouted. ¡°You leave him alone y¡ª¡±

    The gari was on her again. ¡°Gladly.¡± He didn¡¯t even try to pin her down, he just slashed at her. She tried to jump back, but the blade made contact, forming a large gash across her abdomen. She howled in pain.

    The gari was not satisfied. She was not dead. He lifted the knife and pushed forward.

    Someone grabbed his wrist.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I believe I have to stop your fun,¡± Scarlet said.

    ¡°The reporter!?¡± the gari said in utter disbelief. ¡°Why on earth¡­?¡±

    Scarlet twisted his wrist, forcing him to drop his knife, where she caught it with her free hand. She pressed it to his neck. ¡°I know how people like you think, figured you¡¯d try something like this.¡±

    ¡°You almost didn¡¯t make it here in time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how you found her so fast. But that doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡±

    ¡°So, what now?¡± the gari asked, smirking. ¡°Lock me up, get to write a story about how you were the great hero?¡±

    ¡°Oh, the second one, absolutely. That first one though¡­ afraid not. See, what I have here, is an opportunity.¡±

    Emma saw Scarlet¡¯s face change. Gone was the warm smile, the cordial demeanor. In its place was a thin smile and excited eyes.

    ¡°Afraid this city¡¯s not big enough for the both of us, friend. Can¡¯t stand competition.¡±

    Then she drove the knife into his neck. Blood sprayed all over Scarlet.

    The gari slumped to the ground.

    Scarlet licked her lips. ¡°And I don¡¯t even have to hide anything this time, what fun.¡± She clasped her hands together. ¡°Now, kids, you know the deal. This was all in self-defense, and if you say otherwise everyone will assume you were just panicking children.¡±

    Ralph passed out.

    ¡°Hmm, shame. I¡¯m sure you can keep him on a leash, right Emma?¡±

    Emma had her hand over her wound, applying pressure to it. ¡°You¡­ psycho¡­¡±

    ¡°And this psycho saved your life, a thank you would be appreciated.¡±

    Emma only whimpered in response.

    ~~~

    ¡°Emma!¡± Amaris shouted, running into the school nurse¡¯s office.

    Emma was lying on one of the beds. She slowly opened her eyes. ¡°Oh¡­ hey, Amaris¡­ Coleus around¡­?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s coming, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Good, this¡­¡± Her face contorted in pain. ¡°This kinda hurts¡­¡± Tears pushed themselves out of the corners of her closed eyes. ¡°This hurts a lot¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I couldn¡¯t protect you¡­¡±

    ¡°But I was protected.¡± Emma opened her eyes again and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m going to be fine.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I know that¡­ I just¡­¡± Amaris wiped her own eyes. ¡°This happened to you because you hang around me. You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re actually hurt.¡±

    ¡°Amaris¡­ it¡¯s okay¡­ we knew this would happen.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do if I lost any of you¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, you do.¡± Emma chuckled¡ªthen proceeded to cough. ¡°Okay, no laughing¡­ got it¡­¡± She let out a deep sigh. ¡°You know exactly what you¡¯d do. You¡¯d keep moving and doing your best.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m more worried about how I¡¯m being exploited as a weakness¡­¡±

    ¡°Emma, you aren¡¯t weak.¡±

    ¡°Not what I said¡­¡± Emma looked at the ceiling. ¡°I¡­ may be strong. But I can¡¯t fight, so people target me to hurt you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare suggest that you shouldn¡¯t hang around me.¡±

    ¡°My, that would be very¡­ uh¡­ hypocritical, right? That¡¯s the word?¡± She grinned. ¡°I ask you to hang around me, after all.¡±

    Amaris fell silent. ¡°...It shouldn¡¯t be this way. We shouldn¡¯t have to live like this. Knowing that we¡¯re going to hurt, that some of us are going to be¡­ taken away¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah. It is a curse, Amaris.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Amaris shook her head and sighed. ¡°But it still makes us stronger, grows us, yeah, yeah¡­ all the things I usually say.¡± She looked at the floor. ¡°There¡¯s a difference between knowing something to be true and living like it, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Emma said. ¡°Pretty sure the Keepers have been telling us that since we were tiny¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    At this moment Coleus rushed in and immediately laid her hands on Emma. As her healing aura entered the girl, she visibly relaxed. ¡°Okay so this wasn¡¯t as bad as I thought, she could have recovered without me¡­ Orville sure made it sound dramatic.¡±

    ¡°I did lose a lot of blood,¡± Emma said. ¡°Wow, Coleus, the pain is already gone¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not done healing yet, please stay still. No jumppong around.¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯m not even sure that qualifies as a pun,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°What matters is if it¡¯s a pun in your heart!¡± Coleus declared proudly. Then she took her hands off Emma and sat down in a nearby chair, breathing heavily. ¡°Okay¡­ you¡¯re good¡­¡±

    ¡°Looks like that took a lot out of you,¡± Emma said as she sat up.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ but a good night¡¯s sleep will do just fine¡­¡±

    Emma pulled her into a hug. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t meat-tion it!¡±

    ¡°And don¡¯t think you can avoid the hug either!¡± Emma pulled Amaris into it.

    Amaris chuckled. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have even tried.¡±

    Rin ran into the room with a panicked expression. She saw the group hug taking place. She performed a quick one-eighty and dashed out of the room.

    ¡°Hey! Rin! Rude!¡± Emma called after her. ¡°Get over here!¡± She broke out of the hug and made way for the door.

    She stopped short.

    Scarlet was standing right there.

    ¡°My, Coleus sure works wonders, doesn¡¯t she?¡± Scarlet said.

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Emma stammered. She took in a sharp breath. ¡°Scarlet?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Please don¡¯t try to make a scene here, it¡¯d make you look bad a¡ª¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Scarlet stared at her dumbly. ¡°...I apologize, I underestimated you.¡±

    Emma grinned, though her legs were shaking. ¡°W-well this is nothing compared to running around an alien spaceship.¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯m going to have to thank you as well,¡± Amaris said. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t been there¡­¡±

    Scarlet smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not in my best interests to remind you of this, but I will anyway. If I hadn¡¯t been around, your curse probably would have conspired to save her some other way. If it wanted her dead there wouldn¡¯t be anything I or anyone could do.¡±

    ¡°...Can it want anything?¡± Emma asked.

    ¡°The curse¡­ no,¡± Amaris said, shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯s not a person or an animal. But it was made¡­ I suppose it could want things the same way a book ¡®wants¡¯ to be read. Apparently it can ¡®ripen¡¯ too¡­¡± Amaris pressed her hands to her cheeks. ¡°No, stop it, we agreed to stop trying to overanalyze it and just use it.¡±

    Scarlet frowned. ¡°I believe knowing the finer details of how it works is greatly important.¡±

    ¡°But the more we know, the more it¡¯ll factor that knowledge into being ¡®interesting.¡¯ This can and will backfire.¡±

    ¡°But simply by experiencing it, you will know more.¡±

    Amaris frowned. ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t win, can¡¯t break even.¡± Emma shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m just hoping the most interesting result is for you to eventually win and conquer the curse.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know about that,¡± Amaris said. ¡°But I do think we can win against our current mysterious enemy.¡±

    ¡°Take down the conspiracy?¡± Emma held out her fist.

    Amaris bumped it. ¡°Take down the conspiracy.¡±

    The two of them left to find Rin, laughing all the way.

    Coleus walked up to Scarlet. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to feel about you.¡±

    Scarlet smirked. ¡°That¡¯s just how I like it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lie. You want to be loved and apricot-iated. You¡¯re just selfish as well.¡± Coleus looked her in the eyes. ¡°Consider using your skills for good. You could have your action and your friends.¡±

    ¡°That certainly sounds reasonable.¡±

    Coleus smirked. ¡°We¡¯ll either wear you down or defeat you.¡±

    ¡°My, such faith!¡±

    Coleus shrugged and walked off without another word.

    Scarlet absent-mindendly adjusted her tie. Had to look nice. She would be joining them all at the police station later, that scheduled debrief was going to be quite interesting. At least the murderer had already been found, so that danger was out of the way¡­ though she was going to have to pretend like she wasn¡¯t the one who had given ORHI the police¡¯s information.

    ~~~

    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised you keep company with those kinds of people.¡±

    Taylor crossed her arms and huffed. ¡°They save people¡¯s lives, Dad.¡±

    The detective¡¯s grip on the police car¡¯s wheel tightened. He glanced into the rearview mirror to glare at his daughter. ¡°That¡¯s irrelevant.¡±

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. Because it¡¯s what you¡¯re supposed to be doing, but you don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°You have been an ungrateful brat since the day you were born.¡±

    ¡°You need to come up with better insults.¡±

    The detective seethed. ¡°I¡¯d tell you not to interact with them anymore, but you¡¯ll just ignore me.¡±

    ¡°You got that right.¡±

    ¡°So I¡¯m going to demand that you keep your brother out of it.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s involved himself. I never introduced them. I do know Emma¡¯s got an unrealistic crush on him. She was probably elated he tried to save her.¡± Taylor smirked. ¡°He¡¯s more effective than you, Dad.¡±

    The detective sagged. ¡°He¡¯s this family¡¯s last chance at being worth something¡­¡±

    Taylor frowned. ¡°Dad, you are an official police detective. Effective or not, people respect that title.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a laughingstock! This was my big chance to show the department I actually meant something, and those stupid magic kids show up and solve everything and make my theories look stupid. I will never hear the end of this.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t have suspected them in the first place.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not right. We should be the ones doing what they do. There shouldn¡¯t be any need for them.¡±

    ¡°Clearly, there is.¡±

    The detective rammed his fist into the dashboard. ¡°Of course you¡¯re on their side, you¡¯ve never stood with us.¡±

    ¡°If you gave me a reason to, maybe I would.¡±

    The rest of the drive was completely silent. They arrived at their home, a run-down little place in the suburbs that clearly needed renovation. The weeds in the lawn were growing out of control, one of the windows was broken, and there was a notice stuck to the door.

    ¡°Stupid Homeowner¡¯s Association¡­¡± the detective growled as he tore the paper off the door and ripped it to shreds.

    ¡°They¡¯re probably going to fine you again,¡± Taylor said.

    ¡°Fine costs less than actually fixing this place up.¡±

    ¡°...It¡¯s eventually going to become a hazard, Dad.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡±

    ¡°If you wanted to hear things more often maybe you¡¯d make a better detective.¡±

    The detective pulled the door open with such force that it slammed into the doorframe as it opened. He stormed in. ¡°I¡¯m home! And I¡¯ve brought Taylor with me! She was actually involved with suspects!¡±

    ¡°Unsurprising,¡± his wife said, not even looking up to greet them. ¡°Hank, did you say anything to Ralph at the station?¡±

    ¡°I just told him to go home, there was no point in debriefing him. Naturally, I just didn¡¯t want him to stress about being questioned, he¡¯s got a game in a few days. Have to keep his performance up.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well, it may have backfired. He¡¯s locked himself in his room and hasn¡¯t come out to say anything.¡±

    ¡°If those magic kids ruin my other kid I¡¯m going to¡­¡± He didn¡¯t finish his thought. ¡°Taylor, he likes talking to you, do something useful for once and get him out here.¡±

    Taylor crossed her arms. ¡°Fine. But not because you asked. But because I¡¯m worried about him.¡±

    ¡°Just do it, I don¡¯t care why.¡± He sat down in an armchair and turned on a tiny television.

    Taylor made her way to Ralph¡¯s room and knocked on the door. ¡°Ralph? Can I come in?¡±

    ¡°...Sure¡­¡± he said.

    Taylor opened the door and carefully closed it behind her. Ralph was lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

    ¡°I heard you were part of the adventure today,¡± Taylor said. ¡°You tried to save Emma. That¡¯s great.¡±

    ¡°I lost.¡±

    ¡°You bought time.¡±

    ¡°I lost.¡± A smile slowly came up Ralph¡¯s face. ¡°I¡­ I was powerless. I was just another kid. I¡­ I never get to feel like that.¡±

    Taylor sat down at the foot of his bed, giving him a warm smile. ¡°Yeah¡­ you don¡¯t, do you? Mom and Dad put so much pressure on you to become great¡­¡±

    ¡°All the sports and training and everything felt so¡­ pointless.¡±

    ¡°I could have told you that. And have. Just realizing this now?¡±

    Ralph sighed. ¡°You always said I was an idiot¡­¡±

    ¡°And I stand by that. Moron.¡±

    Ralph snorted. ¡°I¡­ I want to do it again. Be on an Amaris adventure. Feel¡­ like that, again.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯d object, she lets me on board, after all.¡±

    ¡°Dad wouldn¡¯t, though. It¡¯d take away from my training, from my games¡­¡± He sighed.

    ¡°...Look, Ralph, you really are dumb. You don¡¯t have to become a sports star, you know?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just what Mom and Dad keep telling you. They told me I had to become a doctor. I play video games semi-professionally now and have no prospects of getting into a college of any sort, and my boyfriend is a musician. Just because they demand greatness doesn¡¯t mean you have to listen.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to show it to you by living it out, but you can be really dense.¡± She tousled his hair. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be the sports star. It¡¯s your life.¡±

    ¡°Think I could get rid of those girls that follow me everywhere?¡±

    ¡°Become weird enough and they¡¯ll all scatter!¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Amaris knows how to do that.¡±

    ¡°She really does.¡± Taylor looked out the window and smiled. ¡°She¡¯s an actual hero. You could try to be more like her.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah.¡± Ralph sat up and took in a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m going to go out there. And tell them I want to quit the team.¡±

    ¡°Ooooh, that¡¯s going to cause quite a scene.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Will you go out there with me?¡±

    ¡°You bet!¡± She grabbed his hands. ¡°We can do this!¡±

    ¡°Geez, your hands are cold¡­¡± He notably didn¡¯t pull his hand out of her grip.

    ¡°Heh. Well¡­ we can talk about that later, being around Amaris has changed me too. But let¡¯s go out there.¡± Holding her brother¡¯s hand, she opened the bedroom door.

    Their parents were standing right there, looking livid.

    Taylor and Ralph took a step back in shock.

    Their mother grabbed Taylor by the shoulder, nails digging into her skin. ¡°You traitor!¡± She pulled Taylor so hard she lost her grip on Ralph. She fell to the ground in the hallway. ¡°Do you exist just to ruin this family¡¯s prospects!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to think I do!¡± Taylor shouted, standing bolt upright. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want this!¡±

    ¡°Life doesn¡¯t care about what you want!¡± her dad shouted back. ¡°Life cares about success! If you¡¯re not great you¡¯re nothing! I¡¯m nothing, you¡¯re nothing, your mother is nothing! Our only hope is Ralph, and if you sink him on some stupid ideal, what even was the point of it all in the first place!? He is our last chance!¡±

    ¡°Do you hear yourself!? Do you hear the words coming out of your mouth!? It¡¯s absurd! Do you really think yourself so worthless?¡±

    A dark expression crossed her father¡¯s face.

    Taylor¡¯s fire dissipated in an instant. ¡°What the¡­ you¡­ you really do¡­¡± She backed away from him. ¡°All that¡­ all of it was just bravado? You¡­¡±

    ¡°Get out,¡± he said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupi¡ª¡±

    He grabbed her by the neck and dragged her to the front door, throwing her outside onto the pavement.

    She stood back up and glared at him. ¡°You know, you could have crushed my windpipe.¡± I think he did.

    ¡°You¡¯re not welcome here anymore.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just kicking me out? Really?¡± Taylor¡¯s face contorted in rage. ¡°Just because I was trying to help my brother?¡±

    ¡°Your help is ruining us!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not ruining anything! I¡¯m trying to give him a life worth living!¡±

    ¡°You fill his head with poison! The life you live is a worthless one!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better than yours!¡±

    ¡°Then go live your worthless life and leave us out of it! Your brother is going to become a star. That is all we have left here. Since you aren¡¯t for that, you don¡¯t belong here.¡±

    Taylor scowled. ¡°Guess I¡¯m going to go work for ORHI then.¡± You¡¯ll know where to find me, Ralph, if you need me. ¡°And you know what? You don¡¯t even know half of the things I do.¡± She whipped off her sunglasses and stared at her parents with her cold, dead eyes.

    Both of them jumped back in shock.

    ¡°Neither of you even suspected something had happened to me. I freaking died. I¡¯m an undead. It¡¯s been over a month! I¡¯m ice-cold to the touch! Yet you didn¡¯t even care.¡± She turned her back on them. ¡°I¡¯m not the problem with this family.¡± She walked off without saying another word.

    She heard the door slam shut behind her.

    She didn¡¯t make it very far before she started shaking.

    ¡°Ralph¡­ I¡¯m¡­ sorry¡­¡± She put her arm to her eyes and tried to stop trembling. ¡°Please¡­ find a way.¡±

    She clenched her fists and walked off into the night. Her goal wasn¡¯t very far away; Nina¡¯s house was in the same suburb. She knocked on the door.

    ¡°Coming!¡± It took a minute, but Nina made it to the door. ¡°Sorry, had to wrap up the match.¡± Nina paused. ¡°Taylor¡­ are you¡­ okay?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Taylor said. ¡°I¡­ need a place to crash tonight.¡±

    ¡°Of course, the guest room is a mess but it¡¯s yours.¡±

    ¡°Heh¡­ yeah.¡±

    ¡°Want to¡­ talk about it?¡±

    ¡°In the morning. Now I¡¯m just¡­ tired. And exhausted.¡±

    Nina gestured at her widescreen TV. ¡°Want to play some games, then?¡±

    A smile crawled up Taylor¡¯s face. ¡°Yes. Yes, so much yes, I would love that.¡±

 XXVII - The Witchs Hut

    EPISODE XXVII

    The Witch¡¯s Hut

    Taylor stood in front of the doors to ORHI¡¯s headquarters.

    My first day as an official employee. Taylor let out an awkward chuckle. Look at me, a proper job.

    She remembered her ¡°interview¡± with Amaris a few days ago.

    ¡°Look, you already helped us so much, we might as well pay you for it. You already know all the downsides and you¡¯re literally asking for it, we¡¯ll take you.¡±

    Taylor shook her head. Don¡¯t know why I was expecting there to be more of a process than that. Anyway¡­ it¡¯s Monday, time for me to see what needs doing. Will I man the desk? Will I experiment on some of our unusual objects? Do we have a customer?

    She took in a deep breath and opened the doors. ¡°I¡¯m ready for my first day!¡±

    Irene, Kirishima, Iwakiri, and Coleus were all crowded around the brand new office computer. Irene immediately perked up upon seeing Taylor. ¡°Taylor! Thank goodness you¡¯re here, we need your help.¡±

    Taylor took off her sunglasses¡ªthere was no point to them in here¡ªand raised an incredulous eyebrow. ¡°The four of you together can¡¯t figure out a computer?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve never even used one,¡± Iwakiri said.

    Kirishima nodded. ¡°Only seen them.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t have computers where I came from either,¡± Irene added.

    Taylor looked to Coleus.

    Coleus nervously tapped her fingers together. ¡°Computers are fine, I like them! The Internet though¡­ uh¡­¡± She put her hands to her face and tried to make a purposefully ¡°cute¡± expression which, to be fair, she did succeed in doing. ¡°I¡¯ve been entrapped by it! Netted! Webbed! Baited! Fished!¡± A spark of electricity came out of her fingers to punctuate her words.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s learned a lot of internet words recently,¡± Taylor deadpanned.

    ¡°They came up a lot in our searches,¡± Coleus explained. ¡°Fortunately, the Internet is good at defining words.¡±

    ¡°Came up a lot¡­ what exactly are you guys trying to do?¡±

    ¡°Get information,¡± Iwakiri explained. ¡°The serial killer told Orville he tracked our behavior via the Internet. It took us a while to figure out how, but we eventually found this site.¡± Iwakiri put his hand on the mouse and looked at all the tabs open in the browser. ¡°Uh¡­ um¡­ geez which one was it?¡±

    ¡°Just type in www dot bizarroyeshalo dot com,¡± Coleus said.

    ¡°I think we¡¯ve done that several times¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you want to hunt for the tab?¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± He typed it in¡ªvery slowly, Taylor noted with agony as he had to find every key manually. ¡°So, uh, yeah. This is the place.¡±

    Taylor found herself greeted to a very badly designed website filled with nonsense clipart, neon text on a background that sometimes made it hard to read, and a complete lack of unifying theme. It was clearly someone¡¯s hobby site, one devoted to cataloging the bizarre happenings in Yeshalo, but with a clear focus on Nuk. There were pictures of poor quality, even worse grammar, an excessive use of Internet slang, and links applied liberally throughout the site with seemingly no rhyme or reason.

    But there was a page detailing ORHI.

    orhi is just the BEEEEEEEEST doing what i do but like professionally and with money and with cool stuff and powerful people and man i wish i could do stuff like that but thats not gonna happen anytime soon woe woe woe bunnyrabbit woe rawr

    Taylor groaned. ¡°Oh no¡­¡±

    Coleus gasped and the sound of thunder came from behind her head. ¡°Even Taylor is terrified! Taylorfied!¡±

    ¡°Have you been practicing using your storm stuff for dramatic effect?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Coleus said without a hint of shame, giving Taylor a thumbs up with lightning sparking out of her thumb.

    Taylor rolled her eyes, not that it was easy to tell given her blank eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ this site is a maze, just gotta get into the head of whoever wrote it¡­¡± Taylor did some clicking around and reading, discovering very quickly that whoever wrote this was actually extremely intelligent. Despite all the stupid words, terrible organization, and poor quality, the amount of information was extensive and the efforts required to gather it were extensive. The site had information on some things that nobody should have known, private conversations¡­ but then there were things not discussed at all; no mention at all of Scarlet¡¯s serial killer tendencies, in fact the site writer seemed to trust her implicitly as an ally. No information on the memory angels, but there was some on demons, and even the magic crystals.

    This is all just public for anyone to peruse, how has this not been shut down?

    Taylor found the answer to that relatively quickly. Trying to trace the source of the site was impossible for someone like her¡ªshe wasn¡¯t a hacker, she just knew how computers and the Internet worked. What she could determine was that the site¡¯s source was encrypted somehow. All the information was public, but its source was distributed around seemingly randomly¡­

    That¡¯s probably clever in a way I don¡¯t fully realize.

    Taylor let out a low whistle. ¡°This guy knows what he¡¯s doing. Can¡¯t identify an origin of any kind, and there¡¯s no hint of an identity on the site itself. His knowledge of Nuk implies that he lives here, but beyond that¡­ all I can say is the site¡¯s age. It existed prior to the Strider showing up by about a year, but most of the content was clearly added after that.¡±

    ¡°Then why is the site so¡­ bad?¡± Irene asked.

    ¡°I suspect laziness. Clearly whoever did this has the capacity to do something of higher quality.¡±

    Kirishima narrowed her eyes. ¡°Or it¡¯s a ruse¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe? I don¡¯t think so. I get the impression the site designer is legitimately passionate about the weird and unexplained. Before the Strider showed up, most of the articles appeared to be about cryptids in the forest.¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s exposing our movements through unknown means,¡± Iwakiri said, crossing his arms. ¡°Intentional or not, this is making a problem for us.¡±

    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t find the source, but we can send a message.¡± Taylor clicked through several nested links until she found an Oddities Submission Form.

    Coleus lit up. ¡°That was there the whole time!?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy to find, but it¡¯s here. Now¡­ what should we send?¡±

    ¡°Demand that he stop following us,¡± Kirishima growled. ¡°Tell him that we¡¯ll sic Jenny on him.¡±

    ¡°How about no?¡± Coleus asked. ¡°Let¡¯s be nice. Extend the branch of peas! After all, that intro to us sounded very excited. Might be able to get him to stop and get a new source of information.¡±

    Kirishima raised an eyebrow. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know everything we do, how¡¯s he going to be useful?¡±

    ¡°Well, how he gets information, for one thing. For another¡­ there was a section on Wingdings Curiosities that had stuff we didn¡¯t know. There have apparently been other incidents we weren¡¯t aware of.¡±

    ¡°Wingdings Curiosities¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, the toy company,¡± Taylor said. ¡°That was a fun birthday party¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeeep¡­ anyway, move aside Taylor.¡± Coleus cracked her knuckles. ¡°Time for the friendmaster to get to work. It¡¯ll be lightning quick.¡±

    ¡°Hey, your new powers are giving you a new line of silliness!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s the best part about them! Electrifying, huh?¡±

    ~~~

    It was the school¡¯s Camp Week, where the various classes went out into the woods to experience nature. It was kind of like a vacation, as there were no classes, but they were intended to learn things about outdoor survival. For many of the students, this time was dreaded¡ªlots of people got permission from their parents not to go or found some other excuse. Others would be going through a week of agonizing roughing it, taken away from their cozy homes and modern technology. Then there were the outdoorsy types who truly saw this as a real vacation and an opportunity to commune with nature.

    Then there was Amaris¡¯ group who were treating this like a war meeting.

    Amaris, Emma, Rin, Jenny, and Vayvaresi were crowded around a campfire separated from the rest of the group, sitting on fallen logs. They were among the kids the teachers knew could survive in the forest, so they had minimal supervision. Which was the point, they needed to make a game plan. Amaris had finally managed to get Vayvaresi registered as a ¡°service animal¡± even though she was the animal being serviced, but they¡¯d found a loophole in the system, so she was allowed to be here. Jenny was not but nobody had called her out on not being a student¡ªthe teachers didn¡¯t memorize everyone¡¯s faces, and the students who knew who she was weren¡¯t about to rat on her. Not that it would particularly matter if they did, she would just vanish into the forest and come back out later.

    ¡°Okay, so, I¡¯ve gotten as many campfire stories as I could,¡± Emma said, flipping through her notebook. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of really stupid ones they¡¯re telling.¡±

    ¡°Stupid doesn¡¯t mean incorrect,¡± Amaris pointed out.

    Rin rolled her eyes. ¡°A lot of them are too well timed to be based on real events, they¡¯re just there to scare kids.¡±

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t worked on me a single time,¡± Jenny said with a chuckle.

    ¡°You¡¯re hard to scare.¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°Well, ignoring all the stories that are clearly just too conveniently timed, what sorts of tales are there?¡±

    ¡°Lots of unique ones, too many to deal with,¡± Emma said. ¡°But there are a few that were told multiple times. The most common of these were the bigfoot encounter stories.¡±

    ¡°Oh, those guys,¡± Jenny said. ¡°Yeah, I ran into them out in the forest. You¡¯re eating one right now, was a fun hunt.¡±

    Everyone stared blankly at her.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Some of the stories say the bigfoot can talk¡­¡± Emma whispered.

    ¡°Um. No. Thing was just a big monkey. Even threw its own turds at me.¡±

    Emma¡¯s disgust transformed into a very different flavor of disgust. ¡°Eeeeeewww¡­¡±

    Jenny put her hands behind her head. ¡°And its punishment is being hunted like a bear.¡±

    ¡°You eat bears?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ think so? Hmm. I should probably go see if that memory¡¯s right¡­¡±

    Vayvaresi flicked her ears. ¡°We have plenty of food already.¡±

    ¡°I meant later.¡±

    Emma shrugged. ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s some other stories¡­ let¡¯s see¡­ the glowing lights that lead you to your doom if you follow them¡­ the tree ghosts that haunt those who litter¡­ the mysterious stairs in the forest that mutilate people who climb them or something, those stories are very vague¡­ the sun suddenly going black and bats devouring you¡­ the silence of the forest turning you to violent madness¡­ the lost children who cry out to make you lost as well¡­¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°Some of these are probably real. So, it¡¯s time to start making some game plans¡­¡±

    ¡°Mind if I join in?¡±

    Everyone looked up from the fire to see a boy in a hood. He quickly removed his hood, showing his face to them all in the flickering light of the fire.

    ¡°R-ralph!?¡± Emma stammered, blushing profusely.

    Amaris tilted her head. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to stay, but are you sure you want to?¡±

    He sat down right next to her. ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±

    Amaris frowned. Taylor told us things were going very badly at home, and that we should help him if we could. ¡°All right. If you need to talk about anything, don¡¯t hesitate.¡±

    Rin snorted. ¡°Really, Amaris? Just giving him a free ticket here?¡±

    ¡°Rin¡­ he¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°I know he¡¯s going through some stuff. But that might make him a liability, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Amaris turned to Ralph. ¡°You think you can handle yourself if things go south?¡±

    Ralph nodded with a coy smile. ¡°Easily. That psycho murderer was nothing compared to my parents.¡±

    Amaris winced.

    Emma coughed. ¡°I w-was wondering, Ralph, w-why are you here? Not like, at our camp, no, not that, like, um, out here in the forest at all. I thought you always went to practice?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s where most people think I am,¡± Ralph said with a chuckle. ¡°Great opportunity to shake the gaggle that follows me everywhere and hang out with you all without a problem.¡±

    ¡°You wanted¡­ to hang out¡­ with us¡­¡± Emma let out a dreamy sigh.

    ¡°Easy there¡­¡± Rin said, keeping Emma from falling off the log.

    Ralph smirked. ¡°And my parents can¡¯t do anything to me all the way out here. I¡¯m free.¡±

    Amaris sighed. ¡°But you won¡¯t be free forever. We¡¯ll all go back to normal school, and you¡­¡±

    Ralph sagged. ¡°There¡­ isn¡¯t much I can do about that. But I¡¯m going to do whatever I can to also do what I want. No reason I can¡¯t be a sports star and a¡­ whatever you all are.¡±

    ¡°Supernatural hunters?¡± Jenny suggested. ¡°We need a better job title¡­¡±

    ¡°Whatever, point is, I¡¯m gonna do both.¡±

    Rin stared right into his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s going to be difficult.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be worth it.¡±

    Rin blinked, then broke out into a grin. ¡°I take back what I said, Amaris, I think he¡¯s worth it. Got a fire to him I didn¡¯t think the dumb jocks could have.¡±

    ¡°Rin!¡± Emma hissed.

    Ralph laughed. ¡°No one ever tells me that to my face!¡±

    ¡°Jenny and I lack filters, you better get used to it.¡±

    ¡°It just feels¡­ so different.¡±

    Amaris put a hand on his shoulder. He immediately tensed up. ¡°Hey, hey, easy¡­ I just want to let you know, if things go really south and they do to you what they did to Taylor, I¡¯m sure we can find something for you.¡±

    Ralph stared at her and blinked a few times. He broke eye contact. ¡°Th-thanks, but¡­ I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll kick me out, too much is riding on me.¡±

    I don¡¯t know the details, I can¡¯t judge that. ¡°Well, you have options, just¡­ wanted to let you know.¡±

    Vayvaresi coughed. ¡°Perhaps we should discuss our plans for the potential dangers?¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Amaris said with a nod. ¡°Ralph, to catch you up, Emma here was performing research on the various other campfires, gathering scary stories being told. She¡¯s identified some tales of the forest that are things we might run into on this trip.¡±

    Emma scrambled to get to the right page on her notebook. ¡°R-right! So, um¡­¡± She listed off the relevant ones again.

    Amaris put her hand to her chin. ¡°The glowing lights are easiest to avoid, just don¡¯t follow them. However, we may want to capture one¡ªif you see one and you can capture it without following it, do so. I¡¯m thinking of using my crossbow to throw a net around it.¡±

    ¡°Anti-magic knives¡­¡± Rin started cackling.

    ¡°Attacking a spirit of the forest may be a death sentence,¡± Vayvaresi pointed out.

    ¡°Thus, only I should do it!¡± Jenny said with a grin. ¡°Death sentences won¡¯t stick!¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re an important part of a lot of this. The stairs, for instance. The rest of us just avoid them, but you can climb one and get horribly mutilated.¡±

    ¡°For science!¡± Rin added.

    ¡°Awesome!¡± Jenny chuckled.

    ¡°If we encounter any stairs, we should mark them, to serve as a warning to others,¡± Amaris added.

    ¡°What if it¡¯s dangerous in some other way?¡± Emma asked.

    ¡°Do any of the stories mention anything happening to people who don¡¯t touch the stairs?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ only those who try to climb them. But some of the stories suggest you are compelled to climb them.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ well if you feel compelled to climb, don¡¯t hang around. As for the tree spirits¡­ this sounds like a story designed to get kids to stop littering. If not, just don¡¯t litter, it¡¯s bad anyway. I¡¯m talking to you, Jenny.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Jenny put her hands behind her back. ¡°What if¡­ I¡¯m littering to attract the tree spirits!¡±

    ¡°Jenny¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay, fine I won¡¯t¡­¡± Jenny crossed her arms and started grumbling.

    ¡°Not sure what we can do about the sun going black and summoning bats to eat you,¡± Rin said.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m stumped there as well,¡± Amaris admitted. ¡°Maybe Vayvaresi will be able to sense it coming? But if not, I guess find shelter as fast as you can. Bury yourself if possible. Bats won¡¯t be digging.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll be hard to do fast¡­¡± Vayvaresi said. ¡°I could do it, though, but Emma? You?¡±

    ¡°I could,¡± Ralph offered. ¡°Just got to remember to have a shovel on me.¡±

    Jenny furrowed her brow. ¡°Hey wait a minute¡­ have you just taken over my ¡®strong one¡¯ duties?¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t strong,¡± Rin deadpanned. ¡°You have the endurance of a truck, but your muscles are lankier than Emma¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ but punch! Rock punch!¡±

    ¡°Not particularly coordinated.¡±

    ¡°Aww¡­¡±

    ¡°You should be happy, Jenny,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Now our skillset is even more diverse with Ralph here.¡±

    ¡°I am going to give him so many heavy things to carry.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°Like¡­ um¡­ er¡­¡± Jenny racked her brain. ¡°Me!¡±

    Rin broke out laughing.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re as light as a twig!¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡±

    ¡°Ooooh, mad? Strange, I called you the opposite of fat!¡±

    Jenny blinked. ¡°...Uh¡­ it was still an insult!¡±

    ¡°Was it?¡±

    ¡°I. Um¡­¡± Jenny turned to Amaris. ¡°So, what about the other threats?¡±

    ¡°The silence of the forest¡­¡± Amaris scratched her chin. ¡°If everything goes quiet, make sure you tell everyone around you. You¡¯ll need to be watched for unusual behavior. Any details on what exactly the madness is, Emma?¡±

    ¡°Every story has it different,¡± Emma said. ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s mad rambling, other times they become terrified of nothing, or think they¡¯re an animal.¡±

    ¡°Truly madness¡­ try to keep whoever it is from hurting themselves, if possible. We¡¯ll always need to travel in groups to make sure nothing goes awry. Since there are six of us now, I think even groups of three will work.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t three odd?¡± Jenny asked.

    ¡°Yes. It is. But there are two groups. Which is even.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°And as for the lost children who cry out¡­¡± Amaris sighed. ¡°Look, we¡¯re among a bunch of kids who may get in trouble, and we¡¯ll need to help them. You¡¯ll need to judge constantly if the cry you¡¯re hearing is a real one or not. Try to test the cry, see if you can get a name out of it, make sure it doesn¡¯t seem to be leading you somewhere¡­¡±

    Rin snapped her fingers. ¡°Idea. Each of us carry a long rope, and if we need to investigate something suspicious, tie ourselves to a tree so we can definitely be pulled back.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. Like we did in the arcade¡­ you weren¡¯t there. Huh. Shoulda thought of that.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty amazing, coming up with all these plans,¡± Ralph said.

    Amaris grinned. ¡°Comes with experience. Anyway, Emma, is that really all of them?¡±

    ¡°All the duplicate stories that I thought actually mattered,¡± Emma said. ¡°Of course, there are a few tales that are just super generic. Serial killers in the forest. Witches in their huts luring kids in to eat them.¡± She shrugged. ¡°The kinds of stories that could be set in any forest, not just this one.¡±

    ¡°Right, well, keep to groups of three and keep your heads on straight. With that, I declare this work meeting done.¡± Amaris reached behind herself and pulled out a bag of marshmallows. ¡°It¡¯s time for our reward!¡±

    Everyone cheered and began roasting their marshmallows.

    ~~~

    ¡°I wonder why the groups ended up like this¡­¡± Ralph said.

    Jenny shrugged. ¡°Amaris is the boss, she chose them. I¡¯m not questioning it any further.¡±

    Rin rolled her eyes. ¡°The reasons are obvious. Amaris and Vayvaresi have to stay together when out and  about, and they both know how to fight so they can protect Emma, the weakest of our group. Ralph and I aren¡¯t weak, but we aren¡¯t exactly strong so we should be paired with our other strong member¡ªyou, Jenny.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Jenny blinked. ¡°I probably could have figured that out¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah. So it does¡­ make sense.¡± Ralph put his hands in his pocket and kicked a rock.

    ¡°Wanted to be part of whatever action Amaris gets, right?¡± Jenny asked.

    ¡°Oh, uh¡­ yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± He looked at the ground.

    Jenny chuckled. ¡°Well, we¡¯ve been figuring out that by being around her so much, things can happen to us without her. Who knows what we¡¯re going to find walking around this forest?¡± Jenny gestured at the trees all around them. ¡°The bats could come for us! I could get another bigfoot to roast!¡±

    ¡°Or, nothing could happen,¡± Rin offered. ¡°We are expecting something to go down in the forest. The curse¡¯s attitude is in line with not giving us what we¡¯re expecting.¡±

    ¡°It has an attitude¡­?¡± Ralph asked.

    Jenny shrugged. ¡°Kinda? If it didn¡¯t Amaris wouldn¡¯t be able to rely on it to uncover dark secrets so we can foil them. Or try to foil them, at least.¡± She chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve signed up for, man.¡±

    ¡°I was there with the junk dimension and the serial killer,¡± Ralph pointed out. ¡°I have some ideas.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ you know that crashed ship the military isn¡¯t letting anyone go to?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­?¡±

    ¡°Rin and Emma took it out.¡± Jenny smirked.

    Ralph stared at Rin in disbelief.

    Rin sighed. ¡°Yeah, the curse acted through us, got put in the right place at the right time. Had some alien abductions. Was pretty sure we were going to die. Wasn¡¯t exactly fun.¡± Rin suddenly got a distant expression in her face. ¡°That¡­ dark¡­ monster¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still annoyed at him,¡± Jenny grumbled. ¡°Didn¡¯t even give me a shot or a chance, took me right out. Coward.¡±

    ¡°He must have been afraid of you for some reason.¡±

    ¡°I bet I have a habit of ruining their plans. Freddloi didn¡¯t like me either.¡±

    ¡°Freddloi?¡± Ralph asked.

    ¡°Wow, you should read some of Amaris¡¯ notebooks, catch up on all the nonsense that we¡¯ve been through.¡± Jenny chuckled. ¡°Freddloi was the source of the curses. He¡¯s dead now.¡±

    ¡°He just gave the curses,¡± Rin pointed out. ¡°Something else is the source. Probably this ¡®Eyda¡¯ or one of her servants or something.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Jenny suddenly alerted, glaring at a tree near them.

    ¡°Jenny¡­?¡±

    Jenny lit her fist on fire and punched the tree. It fell over, revealing that its interior was full of meaty flesh rather than wood.

    ¡°...Meat tree, okay¡­¡± Jenny furrowed her brow.

    Rin kneeled down and examined the meat with one of her knives. ¡°Hmm. Seems dead now. Why¡¯d you punch it?¡±

    ¡°Tree moved like it wasn¡¯t a tree. Stopped moving when I looked at it. Obvious trap.¡±

    ¡°Could be harmless,¡± Ralph offered.

    ¡°If it was a normal harmless species, we¡¯d hear about meat trees,¡± Rin said. ¡°Probably eats animals or something.¡±

    ¡°Well, I got it!¡± Jenny grinned.

    ¡°But what if there are others nearby?¡±

    Jenny punched down the nearest ten trees. All of them were wood. ¡°All good!¡±

    Rin frowned. ¡°...What about under the ground?¡±

    ¡°Earth punch!¡± Jenny punched at the base of the meaty tree¡¯s stump, finding that it had a root system exactly like any normal tree¡¯s, except made out of meat. It was still dead down there, though. ¡°All clear!¡±

    Rin nodded. ¡°I guess so.¡±

    Ralph rubbed the back of his head, examining the wooden carnage around him. ¡°Wow, you really are¡­ thorough.¡±

    ¡°Have to be, stuff tries to kill us.¡± Rin brushed her hair back and smirked. ¡°Better get used to it.¡±

    ¡°You know, I always thought you were some kind of prissy rich girl.¡±

    ¡°Oh she is,¡± Jenny said.

    Rin put her hands on her hips. ¡°I have not complained once about the filth or lack of luxuries on this camping trip! I am roughing it just fine!¡±

    ¡°Suuuure you are.¡±

    They continued their friendly argument as they walked through the forest, Ralph trailing quietly behind them. He glanced back at all the felled trees. He let out a grunt and continued on his way.

    ¡°You can¡¯t deny that you miss your makeup,¡± Jenny pointed out.

    ¡°Just because I like looking nice doesn¡¯t mean I have to, Jenny. And you don¡¯t know the first thing about class, you sleep in trees! I bet you eat out of garbage dumpsters!¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah, I can¡¯t get sick, sanitation¡¯s not a problem for me. You¡¯d be surprised what people throw out!¡±

    ¡°Sanitation isn¡¯t the issue!¡±

    ¡°I think Amaris once said that¡¯s why we feel disgust¡­¡±

    ¡°Murderers disgust us, that¡¯s not a sanitation problem.¡±

    ¡°I dunno, all that blood getting everywhere¡­¡±

    Suddenly, the two of them stopped moving.

    ¡°What?¡± Ralph asked.

    ¡°Shh!¡± they both said at once. They pointed directly ahead of them.

    There was a hut a short distance ahead of them, easily visible through the trees.

    That hut definitely hadn¡¯t been there a moment ago.

    The structure was vaguely mushroom-shaped and made out of wood. It had a chimney, out of which bubbles emerged, rather than smoke. The windows were tinted pink, but were also cloudy so there was no way to actually see inside.

    Rin took out a camera and snapped a picture. ¡°Okay, this is definitely something.¡±

    ¡°Witch¡¯s hut?¡± Ralph suggested.

    ¡°I guess, but there¡¯s so many stories about those from everywhere we really have no context.¡± Rin frowned. ¡°Sometimes they try to lure kids in, sometimes they offer deals and rewards, other times they just want to be left alone. And that¡¯s if this even is a witch¡¯s hut, it could be something else entirely.¡±

    Jenny cracked her knuckles. ¡°Either way, time to bash the door down!¡±

    ¡°That might be very bad.¡±

    ¡°Okay then I¡¯ll knock.¡±

    ¡°That might also be bad!¡±

    Jenny threw her hands out in exasperation. ¡°Then what am I supposed to do!?¡±

    ¡°Tell everyone else and come back later?¡± Ralph suggested.

    Rin shook her head. ¡°The hut wasn¡¯t there a second ago, which means it might just vanish and we¡¯ll never be able to find it again. If we want to investigate and do something, it has to be now.¡±

    ¡°Thus I go punch the door down!¡± Jenny said with a grin.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try a more¡­ nuanced approach.¡± Rin pressed her hands together. ¡°Act like you are some poor, lost, stupid kid. That¡¯s probably what¡¯s expected. Ralph and I will watch from a distance, you go up to the door and knock. Act lost, confused, and scout out what¡¯s going on. If you get baked into a pie you¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be the first time.¡±

    Ralph stared at her with horror on his face.

    Jenny chuckled nervously. ¡°Yeah, uh, I don¡¯t wanna talk about that one.¡± She coughed. ¡°Sounds like a plan, Rin. You¡¯re the brains here, after all.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you forget it.¡±

    Jenny stood up and put her hands behind her back. She leisurely strolled up to the hut¡¯s front door. On it was a strange symbol: a hook and a vertical line overtop of a single dot. She felt like she¡¯d seen it before, somewhere, but she couldn¡¯t quite piece together what it meant, if anything.

    This is more than deja vu¡­ this feels important, somehow. There¡¯s weight behind this symbol.

    Jenny reached out and knocked on the door. ¡°Hello? Anyone home?¡±

    The door opened.

    Jenny immediately screamed.

    ~~~

    Amaris, Emma, and Vayvaresi were doing much the same as the other group, simply wandering around the forest, ¡°experiencing nature¡± while actually looking for weird things.

    Emma sighed overdramatically.

    ¡°Let me guess, you¡¯d rather be in Ralph¡¯s team,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°Um. Well. I dunno? I want to be around him, but he doesn¡¯t notice me, and I¡¯d be a stuttering wreck¡­¡± Emma blinked. ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you! The teams make sense!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a relief, I was a little worried.¡± Amarris chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t exactly know how to deal with all this mushy crush stuff.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve never been attracted to anything in your life.¡±

    ¡°I think I thought Mr. Davidson was cute before I left on my adventure.¡± Amaris tapped her finger to her chin. ¡°Since I started the adventure, though? Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°Oh my gosh, I remember you talking about Mr. Davidson now! Wow, that was¡­ so long ago.¡±

    ¡°Thinking about how I was before I was cursed¡­ really does seem like a different person, huh?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ not entirely.¡± Emma grinned. ¡°You¡¯re still a huge math nerd!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not really a personality trait.¡±

    ¡°Trust me, it is. Anyway¡­¡± Emma tilted her head. ¡°Would you even want a guy?¡±

    ¡°I think¡­ it¡¯d probably be best if I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°The curse?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, having a boyfriend or husband or whatever would just give reality another avenue to force interesting on me. Of course, I haven¡¯t discounted the idea that the curse is going to make me fall head over heels for someone absolutely evil either. Then there¡¯s the further problems of if I have a kid. There¡¯s no way they could have a normal life, and they wouldn¡¯t even be able to choose like the rest of you.¡±

    Emma nodded. ¡°Kind of sad, though¡­ I know how much family means to you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I suppose. But it doesn¡¯t feel like a big deal at the moment.¡±

    Vayvaresi nodded. ¡°If you do fall for someone, that feeling will likely change rapidly.¡±

    Amaris let out a sharp breath. ¡°Great, now I¡¯m dreading it happening.¡±

    Emma put her hand on Amaris¡¯ shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll help you through it, don¡¯t worry. Wingmen! ¡­Wing-girls? Hmm.¡±

    Amaris chuckled. ¡°I guess it is weird, the guy¡¯s expected to make all the moves, huh?¡±

    ¡°I kind of doubt you¡¯d let it be that way if you wanted someone. You¡¯re rather direct.¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°Yeah, probably. Let¡¯s see, hypothetical romance strategy¡­ friends first, confess shortly after feelings develop¡­¡±

    ¡°Amaris! Stop trying to logically math your way through emotions!¡±

    Amaris laughed. ¡°It still helps to have a plan, right?¡±

    Emma facepalmed. ¡°Not always¡­¡±

    The three of them came to a river bank with slow water, and a small offshoot that formed a miniature pond-like area in the shade of the trees.

    Amaris beamed. ¡°Oh. Oh, this is the perfect fishing spot.¡±

    ¡°I thought we were looking for anomalies¡­?¡± Vayvaresi asked.

    Amaris took a collapsible fishing pole out of her backpack. Pitch slithered around it while she set it up. ¡°We are camping, after all, might as well make the most of it. You have yours too, right Emma?¡±

    ¡°Yep, with all the camp supplies.¡± Emma was significantly slower at setting her pole up, but soon the two of them were sitting on a rock with their hooks in the water.

    Vayvaresi, lacking hands, opted not to ruin their fun by fishing in the traditional kitsune fashion: jumping in and biting as many fish as possible before they could swim away. She just sat down and watched in contemplative silence along with the two girls. No one said anything for quite some time¡ªthat would scare the fish, after all.

    Vayvaresi eventually fell asleep. She only came to when Amaris started nudging her. ¡°Vayvaresi¡­¡±

    ¡°Mmmf¡­¡± Vayvaresi opened an eye. ¡°Did you catch anything?¡±

    ¡°A lot, actually,¡± Emma said, gesturing at a plastic bag in her hands half-full of fish. ¡°But we lost track of time, sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°We were supposed to be looking for anomalies¡­¡± Emma pressed her fingers together.

    Amaris put her hands on her hips and sighed. ¡°Well, yes, but you know what? Having a nice relaxing day out in the woods isn¡¯t bad either. Maybe the others ran into something today, and we¡¯re fine.¡±

    Vayaresi looked up at the sky, finding the sun to be rather low. ¡°I take it we¡¯re heading back to camp.¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± Amaris said. ¡°We took a roundabout route to get here, so we¡¯ll cut straight across to get back before the sun sets. We¡¯ve got plenty of time.¡±

    They put all their fishing supplies away and started the journey back. Emma was humming a happy tune as they walked.

    ¡°What tune is that?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°I dunno,¡± Emma said with a shrug. ¡°I might have just made it up!¡±

    ¡°Maybe you have musical talent.¡±

    ¡°My brother certainly does, but I¡¯m not all that interested in doing the same thing.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to do?¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Emma frowned. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± she slowly gained a slight blush. ¡°W-well, I kind of just want to be a mom and have a family¡­ Yeah, yeah, the boring option, I know, but¡­ well, it¡¯s just kind of always been what I¡¯ve been looking for, y¡¯know?¡± She put her hands behind her back and looked at the sky. ¡°Though, that might not be what I want anymore. I might want to go on adventures with you.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Amaris tilted her head. ¡°You don¡¯t tend to have¡­ fun.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, weird right? I don¡¯t have fun, I¡¯m weak, I¡¯m a liability, but¡­¡± She held out a hand. ¡°It feels like it matters, and I have an opportunity most people won¡¯t have.¡± She grinned. ¡°So when I grow up I want to be an ORHI operative!¡±

    Amris chuckled. ¡°The only reason you can¡¯t just sign up is your parents, you know. Otherwise I¡¯d sign you on just because you wanted it.¡±

    Emma chuckled. ¡°Yeah, thanks. Consider me an honorary member or something. I wonder, why hasn¡¯t Rin signed up? Her family always wants her to be the best and they know full well what you do at this point¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh. I actually don¡¯t know, I¡¯d have to ask her.¡±

    ¡°Well, we are heading back, won¡¯t have to wait long!¡±

    ¡°True, true¡­¡±

    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong here,¡± Vayvaresi said, coming to a complete standstill. ¡°I sense¡­ there.¡± She pointed her nose to their left.

    Amaris took out her crossbow and narrowed her eyes. ¡°Emma, stay close. We¡¯re investigating. Vayvaresi, scout ahead.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± Vayvaresi jumped into a nearby bush and vanished from their sight. Amaris and Emma slowly made their way forward.

    ¡°Maybe I should get a weapon¡­¡± Emma muttered.

    ¡°Your parents would freak.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    Vayvaresi returned, dropping from a tree. ¡°Stairs.¡±

    Amaris nodded. ¡°Stairs¡­¡±

    Sure enough, as they made their way through the trees, a staircase made out of moss-covered stone came into view. It went up into the air about a story and a half. There were no other structures anywhere nearby, just the stone stairs. They had a slight curve to them as if they were part of a massive spiral staircase, even though there was no evidence of there ever having been stairs further up or deeper in the ground.

    ¡°There¡¯s evil here, and rage,¡± Vayvaresi said.

    Amaris lowered her crossbow. ¡°The legends say things only go wrong if you climb them.¡±

    ¡°Legends could be wrong, but I think it¡¯s all restricted to the stairs themselves.¡±

    Amaris kneeled down near the base of the stairs, examining the structure in detail while making absolutely sure she didn¡¯t actually touch it. ¡°Seems like normal stone¡­¡±

    Emma walked around to the taller end of the stairs. She paled. ¡°A-amaris, I found old blood¡­¡±

    Amaris walked to her and looked up. There was, indeed, the brownish splatter of ancient blood at the top of the staircase. ¡°Yep, don¡¯t go to the top, message received.¡±

    ¡°How are we going to contain this¡­?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, just put a fence around it with warnings,¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°That¡¯s going to make some people want to climb it.¡±

    ¡°Or have Jenny punch it into oblivion, she¡¯ll be fine.¡± Amaris crossed her arms and tapped her feet. She pulled out a map of the nearby area and checked the position of the sun against a compass. ¡°We are¡­ here.¡± She marked it on the map. ¡°So we can come back here with Jenny later.¡±

    ¡°Do you think this is related to the doors?¡±

    ¡°This feels a lot more nefarious,¡± Vayvaresi said.

    ¡°Still, they could be related,¡± Amaris added. ¡°Different manifestations of the same thing, perhaps.¡±

    ¡°We should still mark it,¡± Emma said. ¡°But how¡­?¡±

    Amaris reached into her backpack and pulled out a can of black spray paint. She sprayed a circle around the stairs, using the ground and grass as her canvas. Inside the circle, she wrote DANGER, DO NOT CLIMB, OUTER REALITY HANDLING INCORPORATED. ¡°If anyone sees it they¡¯ll at least think twice. If they go in anyway because they feel like it¡­ their problem, unfortunately.¡±

    ¡°Did you just vandalize the ground?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s for a public safety purpose, we¡¯re fine.¡±

    ¡°If you say so¡­¡±

    With that, Amaris packed the spray paint back away, took a moment to give Pitch some skritches, and continued back toward camp. Emma and Vayvaresi trailed behind a bit, Emma regularly stealing glances back at the stairs.

    ¡°Emma?¡± Vayvaresi asked.

    ¡°Just thinking about how many people probably died there, on top of those stairs. Nobody really believes the stories told around the campfire. Other kids would probably dare people to climb it¡­¡± She sighed. ¡°How many people die in this city every day because of the fantastical?¡±

    ¡°There are a lot of missing person reports all the time,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Too many to search through even when we need to. It is¡­ a true travesty. We¡¯re doing what we can, but¡­ there¡¯s not enough of us. Not enough people trust us. It¡¯s¡­ a slow process.¡±

    Emma looked down at the ground. ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°A very¡­ very slow¡­ proce¡­ um¡­¡± Amaris suddenly stopped moving.

    ¡°Amaris?¡± Emma asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s gone silent,¡± Amaris said.

    Emma remained quiet for a moment. She listened for the sound of birds, of the leaves rustling in the wind. There was nothing but their breathing.

    ¡°Okay, the silence,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Is anyone feeling murderous or insane?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Vayvaresi and Emma both said at the same time.

    ¡°Good, good¡­ it might not affect us, there might just be a predator in the area¡­¡± Amaris closed her eyes. ¡°No, no I can feel wind, just not hear it. This is something else.¡±

    Emma tapped her foot on the ground. She could hear it, but the sound was muted. She rubbed her hands together but didn¡¯t hear anything. Now that she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t hear her breathing anymore¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s getting quieter,¡± Emma said.

    ¡°I can barely hear you,¡± Amaris admitted.

    ¡°My ears are better,¡± Vavaresi offered. ¡°Plan?¡±

    ¡°Alert everyone if you feel wrong, but otherwise, just keep moving.¡± Given Amaris¡¯ expression, she was clearly saying this with a strained voice, but it came out as barely more than a whisper.

    They made it six steps before they could no longer hear their footsteps.

    Amaris started clapping. It sounded like it was coming from the distance, further and further away with every clap.

    Six more steps, not even it could be heard anymore.

    The world was completely silent.

    Amaris suddenly stopped. She dropped her crossbow.

    ¡°Amaris?¡± Emma said, not that the sound was actually audible.

    Amaris whirled around, pupils shrunk to pinpricks. She screamed one word at the top of her lungs. Emma could not hear, but she could see.

    Run!

    Emma froze.

    She¡¯s telling me to run. She means it.

    Her legs wouldn¡¯t budge.

    Move! Move! That¡¯s the look she gives me when my life depends on it, so move!

    Amaris extremely wide eyes pleaded with her. Begging her to move. To go.

    I-I¡¯m sorry Amaris, I¡¯m frozen¡­

    Amaris reached out her hands, aiming for Emma¡¯s throat.

    This¡­ this is impossible, she can¡¯t just be taken over like this¡­

    Amaris¡¯ wide eyes began to narrow, and her mouth twisted into a scowl.

    No, no this is really happening. I have to¡­ I can¡¯t just lay down and take this!

    Emma moved. She tilted back. Amaris¡¯ hands clamped down on absolutely nothing. Emma lifted one of her legs and kicked Amaris as hard as she could. Her strength surprised her, she was able to lift Amaris a short distance off the ground. Amaris, however, had no problem at all being thrown into the air. She twisted her body around, moving to deliver a kick to Emma¡¯s face.

    Emma didn¡¯t even notice it coming until it was almost at her head. She never stood a chance of deflecting it or dodging it.

    Vayvaresi intercepted the attack by biting down on Amaris¡¯ leg, keeping Emma safe.

    Now that the adrenaline had taken over and Amaris had been thrown aside, Emma could run. And she did. She ran faster than she ever had before, a breakneck speed. Her only hope was to escape. She could do nothing against Amaris.

    She made it a handful of steps when there was a sharp, sudden pain in her left leg. The leg shot up into the air and she fell onto her side. Blood flew onto the ground in front of her.

    Emma did her best to ignore the pain, and her adrenaline allowed her to make an honorable attempt. Without so much as looking at her leg, she stood up and tried to keep running, but she fell flat on her face after two steps.

    She rolled onto her back and sat up.

    Behind her, Vayvaresi had torn the crossbow out of Amaris¡¯ hands, shattering it in her jaws.

    There was a crossbow bolt sticking right through her leg just above her ankle. No wonder she couldn¡¯t run.

    Only now did she let out a wail of agonizing pain. The fire extended through her entire lower leg, and her foot didn¡¯t feel like it was all there even though she could see it.

    It was still usable. She could still move. She just had to be careful.

    Amaris kicked Vayvaresi in the stomach, tossing her to the side. There was no sound as she slammed into a tree¡ªbut she didn¡¯t go down. She launched back at Amaris, teeth bared.

    Emma managed to get to her feet. She had one good leg, and the other one she could limp on at the very least. She could move. She could flee. Unfortunately, now that she¡¯d been forced to regain some of her mental faculties to even move like this, she asked herself an obvious question.

    Where am I running to?

    Amaris was far faster and more capable than Emma. If Vayvaresi lost this encounter, then Emma was toast no matter where she ran. The camp was too far away. The only thing nearby was¡­

    Emma got a terrible idea.

    Turning a sharp ninety degrees, she began to hobble toward the staircase.

    They had not made it very far, the trip was easily within her capacity since Vayvaresi was keeping Amaris busy.

    Emma took a step onto the staircase.

    That¡¯s it, little one, climb.

    The voice in her head was making a sound. She froze.

    Her body didn¡¯t. It took another step.

    Ascend, let all your dreams be realized.

    ¡°No!¡± Emma tried to say, but she was still silent. ¡°You¡¯re lying!¡±

    You will see everything you want¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you!¡±

    Do not resist¡­

    ¡°I won¡¯t give¡ª¡± Emma paused. Wait. I actually wanted to be up here. For¡­ she glanced behind herself.

    Amaris was charging right for her at high speed. There was blood all over her arm and leg from Vayvaresi¡¯s bites, but it wasn¡¯t slowing her down at all. There was no sign of a smile on her face, just pure hatred fixated entirely on Emma.

    Veyvaresi was chasing Amaris, but she was too slow.

    Emma quickly increased the rate at which she was climbing the stairs.

    Yes¡­ give in¡­ come to your rest¡­

    Emma started walking up the stairs backward so she could keep an eye on Amaris.

    What are you¡­?

    Emma smirked. Bet this has never happened before. I¡¯m still purposefully climbing up you, you can¡¯t complain, stair-voice.

    Amaris jumped at her from the base of the stairs, hands outstretched.

    Emma stepped back, higher onto the staircase.

    Amaris plunged her hand into where Emma¡¯s heart would be. She clearly intended to break the skin and crush the organ, though even in this frenzied rage she didn¡¯t have that kind of strength. But she managed to grab Emma and hold, hard.

    Her momentum carried the both of them over the top of the stairs.

    Then Emma was looking at the world upside-down.

    What¡­?

    She didn¡¯t have time to think. The pain hit her all at once. She had never felt such pain. She felt parts of her body snap, sending waves of agony throughout her. She screamed, but not only was there no sound, the fire in her chest made it impossible to cry out for more than a second. Breathing was like inhaling flames, but she had to do it. There was no other choice. Breathe or die.

    All other motions were impossible. To try to move a muscle was to feel like ripping her very body apart. Blood started flowing from her eyes. Her ears felt wet, were they affected too? She couldn¡¯t tell.

    Then she hit the ground.

    She could no longer make sense of the sensations running through her body. Pain, yes, but of what sort? What kind of torment was she going through? She needed to breathe. Breathe or die. But breathing was so hard, one of the hardest things¡­ everything screamed. Where had she landed? Did she feel it in her shoulder? Hip? Foot? She couldn¡¯t even feel the crossbow bolt anymore, it was pathetic compared to the rest of it.

    She saw Amaris land next to her.

    Amaris, folded in half like a piece of paper. Legs twisted around each other in a knot. Bone poking out the side of her left arm. Blood flowing out of her face like it was a leaky bag. Mouth hanging open in a frozen scream.

    Ah.. so that¡¯s what happened¡­ Emma teared up. Sorry, Amaris, it¡¯s all I could think of¡­ but¡­ but you¡¯ll be fine, something will happen¡­

    Amaris locked eyes with Emma. The eyes were the eyes of rage, the eyes of hatred, of violence.

    We¡¯ll fix you¡­

    Emma¡¯s vision became hazy around the edges.

    Amaris twitched and jittered. One of her hands pointed at Emma and started clawing at the air, trying to reach her, even now, in this state.

    We¡¯ll fix you¡­

    Everything went black.

    ~~~

    ¡°Wow, this is maybe the best tea I¡¯ve ever had,¡± Jenny said, downing the rest of the liquid in her mug. ¡°And Scarlet really tried to find my favorite!¡±

    Rin stared at the half-eaten fish on the plate in front of her. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t believe it¡­ it¡¯s so¡­ fresh¡­ fresher than fresh¡­ like someone pulled it out of the river tomorrow!¡±

    ¡°Cake¡­¡± Ralph said as he took another bite of his delectable pastry. The three of them were sitting around a simple circular wooden table in a room warmed by a pleasant fireplace.

    ¡°I¡¯m so glad I didn¡¯t burn this place down,¡± Jenny said, turning to their host. ¡°You gave us quite a scare back there, though!¡±

    Their host was a vaguely humanoid figure with a floppy white pointed hat and a blue silk dress. Her body itself was made out of living, independent snakes, continually slithering and writhing around. Her face was currently covered by a circular mask with two circular eye holes and a flat, straight line. ¡°I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t burn it down either, it was hard for me to find this place. I was hoping you wouldn¡¯t be afraid, though¡­¡±

    Rin furrowed her brow. ¡°I think you have some kind of fear aura. It doesn¡¯t have anything to do with how you actually look, you just cause fear. I¡¯ve felt something like it before.¡±

    Jenny smirked. ¡°You two couldn¡¯t even move!¡±

    ¡°You still screamed!¡±

    ¡°Hey, it was legitimately surprising!¡±

    ¡°A fear aura¡­¡± Their host paused. ¡°...So all these beauty potions I keep trying won¡¯t help at all.¡±

    ¡°Probably not.¡±

    She sagged visibly, a dark cloud of smog appearing over her head. ¡°It¡¯s all pointless¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, Mykrai, you can still go around with the mask on, it¡¯s fine! Though, uh, I guess the snakeskin might just unnerve people normally.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m horrifying¡­¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡±

    ¡°Jenny!¡± Rin hissed.

    ¡°What? It¡¯s true!¡±

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to be horrifying!¡±

    ¡°I wish I could be horrifying sometimes, you have any idea how hard it is to intimidate people with this cute face?¡±

    Rin stared at her blankly.

    Ralph finished his cake. ¡°Oh. Uh. Wow, I probably ate too much of that¡­¡±

    Mykrai straightened herself up and waved the smog away. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ glad you enjoyed. Yes. It¡¯s good to have visitors who aren¡¯t screaming. I thank you for the mask idea, Jenny.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome!¡± Jenny beamed.

    ¡°Question,¡± Rin said, raising a hand. ¡°You mentioned you found this place. What exactly is the story there? What is this place?¡±

    They were inside the hut in the middle of the woods. They could see outside just fine¡ªevidently the windows only blocked visibility one way, somehow. The fireplace had a roaring fire within it that illuminated the room extremely well, despite the presence of a cauldron on top of it, from which Mykrai had magically produced the food. It was absolutely dominated by shelves upon shelves of potions in bottles of various sizes. Each potion had the unusual hook-line-dot symbol that was on the door imprinted upon the glass. The liquids inside each glass vial were of an exceedingly large variety; some sparkled, some were opaque and thick, and others had fluids that were almost invisible.

    Between two of the potion-stocked shelves, there was a painting of a pink gari woman with a silly smile. She was sitting in a red recliner that matched one of the recliners in the room near the fireplace. In one of her hands, she held a potion, and her simple gray dress had the hook-line-dot symbol on it.

    ¡°I think it was probably her hut,¡± Mykrai said, staring at the painting through her mask. ¡°She was long gone when I arrived. No one had been here in a long while. But the potions kept restocking themselves, even after I used them. Since I can use them to make food, I haven¡¯t left this place. It would be too hard to find again.¡±

    ¡°How did you find it?¡± Rin asked.

    ¡°Not the way you did, from the outside.¡± Mykrai gestured at the door. ¡°That door leads to¡­ I¡¯m going to call it a labyrinth, but it¡¯s not like a traditional maze, more like a bunch of rooms stitched together in an impossible way. Some places look like normal houses. Others are tangled messes of hallways. And then there¡¯s weird ones that seem pixelated, or are the wrong size, or¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s very inconsistent. And every time I found a way out of it, it always had people. People who could only scream.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ the doors¡­¡± Rin scratched her chin and flicked her tail back and forth. ¡°We¡¯ve been trying to figure out what they are and what they do. We¡¯ve been in what you call the labyrinth a few times. It released a monster on me and Emma during the storm.¡±

    ¡°When I was in there I never saw anyone else,¡± Mykrai said. ¡°Only when I emerged¡­ there were always people, until I found this place.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if this place isn¡¯t actually outside this labyrinth. That it might be special in some way, but still part of it.¡± Rin furrowed her brow. ¡°After all, it does seem to move throughout the forest.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just glad it¡¯s consistent here and I don¡¯t get screamed at. ¡­Most of the time.¡± Mykrai finally sat down in one of the recliners. ¡°So, um¡­ what is your three¡¯s story?¡±

    Jenny smirked. ¡°I¡¯m the immortal child Jenny Zero of the Red Gloves! My fists are magic and I fight to protect Amaris and Outer Reality Handling Incorporated! We¡¯re going to figure out the secrets of this world and keep everyone safe from them!¡±

    ¡°Or try, anyway,¡± Rin said. ¡°I¡¯m Rin Kugimiya, only daughter of the Kugimiya line, heir of the family¡­¡± She let out a sigh. ¡°Oh, forget it, I¡¯m just Rin. Today I¡¯m a paranormal adventurer with a bunch of knives.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like there¡¯s a story there¡­¡± Mykrai said.

    ¡°I guess?¡± Rin shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m, as Jenny would say, ¡®filthy stinking rich.¡¯ ¡°

    ¡°She¡¯s right, I would say that,¡± Jenny added.

    Rin rolled her eyes. ¡°My family got money through means I¡¯m sure weren¡¯t legitimate, since we¡¯re nekos, but I¡¯ve never been told what it was. They¡¯re so proud of it, and want me to be something to be proud of. And they certainly love parading me around, so I guess I am?¡± Rin sighed. ¡°I used to think it was all that matters, but then Amaris showed up, made a point of not letting me sit alone at lunch, and¡­ it all feels kind of silly. Especially considering how many times I¡¯ve been close to death at this point.¡±

    Mykrai lowered her head. ¡°A child like you should not be facing death so regularly¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the price you pay for being Amaris¡¯ friend,¡± Jenny said.

    Rin snickered. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know how brutal the Dregs can be, do you?¡±

    ¡°Eh? I mean, I¡¯ve been shanked a few times, but I figured that was just the curse.¡±

    ¡°Oooooh no no no, talk to the Kiris sometime, that¡¯s normal.¡±

    ¡°...Geez. How are you alive?¡±

    ¡°I learned how to throw knives for a reason, you know.¡±

    Mykrai¡¯s head sunk. ¡°One so young forced into a life of violence¡­ I wish it wasn¡¯t so.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ am only recently seeing that it might have been a problem, yes,¡± Rin admitted. ¡°I can be just as nasty as all the people who were nasty to us.¡±

    ¡°...At least your parents are proud of you,¡± Ralph said, ending his long silence.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t really give me much of a choice, now that I think about it. Both them and the place I lived.¡± Rin frowned. ¡°Geez, to think, a few months ago and I would have been defending them as the best things ever¡­ just because that was what I was supposed to do.¡±

    Ralph nodded. ¡°Same¡­ though¡­ I¡¯m not good enough for my parents.¡±

    ¡°How horrible,¡± Mykrai said, shaking her head.

    ¡°They want me to become a sports legend. I¡­ don¡¯t like what being that gives me. Always working, always running, always fighting, always surrounded by¡­ idiots.¡±

    Jenny snorted. ¡°Buddy, you aren¡¯t the brightest tool in the shed either.¡±

    Rin rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re one to talk, you just mixed up your colloquialisms.¡±

    ¡°I uh¡­ what?¡±

    ¡°I know I¡¯m not the smartest,¡± Ralph said, folding his hands together. ¡°I¡¯m the strongest, that¡¯s what I am. So I have to be mister sports. Mister pride of the school. The one everyone looks up to and praises and just¡­¡± He clenched his fists. ¡°I hate it. I have to do it but I hate it.¡±

    Mykrai nodded slowly. ¡°And you can¡¯t tell them no?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ my sister tried. It didn¡¯t go¡­ well.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes you¡¯re just trapped¡­ but there will come a day where you become your own person, where you are no longer under them. If you can wait until then¡­ you could just walk out on it all.¡±

    Ralph¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°I¡¯ll be on a career path to professional sports at that point. I talked to Coach, it¡¯s not going to be simple to swap to something else at that point. Even more people will ¡®need¡¯ me to do it. It¡¯s like¡­ a net. A stupid net I can¡¯t escape.¡±

    ¡°Screw what they want,¡± Jenny said. ¡°Leave them all in the dust.¡±

    ¡°Screw what they want¡­¡± Ralph nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah, I think you¡¯re right. They¡¯re the ones pressuring me, demanding things of me. They deserve payback.¡±

    ¡°You got it! The moment you can leave, NYOOM, dash out the door!¡± Jenny jumped onto the table and put her hands on her hips. ¡°Look them right in the eye and then¡­¡± She stuck out her tongue and put out her hand in a thumbs down gesture. ¡°Screw them! Leave! Let them know full well they aren¡¯t getting anything out of you!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah¡­ yeah!¡± Ralph stood up¡­ but then darkened. ¡°But then what¡­?¡±

    Jenny blinked. ¡°I don¡¯t generally think that far ahead, uh¡­ Rin?¡±

    Rin shrugged. ¡°Work for Amaris? But you have to make sure that¡¯s what you really want.¡±

    ¡°What I want¡­¡± Ralph sagged back down in his chair. ¡°I never get what I want. It¡¯s like I¡¯m cursed, or something. Just like Amaris¡­ Amaris¡­¡±

    Mykrai kneeled down until she was at eye-level with Ralph. ¡°You should go for what you want. Seize it. Even if you¡¯re stuck, you should at least try.¡±

    ¡°Try¡­ for what I want?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! I was stuck in the labyrinth for so long, but I kept wandering, kept trying, and eventually I found this place. If you keep trying, you could find what you¡¯ve wanted all this time!¡±

    ¡°Go for what I want¡­¡± Ralph beamed at her. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll go for it. I¡¯ll¡­ go for it.¡± He folded his fingers together and started twiddling his thumbs.

    Rin raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s gotten you nervous all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°N-nothing. Or. Well.¡± He rubbed the back of his head. ¡°You¡¯ll see soon enough, actually.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡±

    It was at this point they heard the shouting.

    ¡°That sounds like Vayvaresi¡­¡± Jenny said, going up to the window. Sure enough, she could see Vayvaresi running through the treeline nearby, shouting.

    ¡°Help! We need help! Anyone! Help!¡± Her teeth were sharp and pointed, and it looked like blood was flowing off of them¡­

    Jenny flinched in anger, clenching her fist. ¡°Rin, I think¡­ you need to¡­¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± Rin opened the door. ¡°Hey, Vayvaresi! Your curse is freaking the humans out, what¡¯s the problem!?¡±

    ¡°Amaris and Emma are heavily injured! I need healing or some way to call Coleus or something!¡±

    Rin turned to Mykrai. ¡°Do you know which potions are healing potions?¡±

    ¡°Those are easy to identify, yes,¡± Mykrai said.

    ¡°We have healing potions!¡±

    ¡°That might not be enough!¡± Vayvaresi shouted. ¡°Their bones and bodies are broken and folded all over¡­¡±

    Rin¡¯s stomach finally decided it was time to tie up into a knot. ¡°Do¡­ do we have strong health potions?¡±

    Mykrai frowned. ¡°I¡­ I think I can mix them together in the cauldron to make it, but¡­ we¡¯d need to carry the entire cauldron to them¡­¡±

    ¡°Ralph! Jenny!¡± Rin turned to them. ¡°You¡¯re going to be carrying a cauldron while Mykrai¡¯s brewing it.¡±

    ¡°While I¡¯m brewing it!? It needs fire!¡±

    Jenny lit her hands on fire. ¡°Got you covered.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ leaving the hut¡­¡± Mykrai shook her head. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine, if I never find this place again¡­¡±

    ¡°Tie a rope to your foot,¡± Rin said. ¡°It should help us find our way back. We have plenty of fishing line. Let¡¯s move, people!¡±

    They scrambled. Rin got the fishing line out and tied it to the inside of the hut at multiple locations with multiple threads, just in case something broke. Ralph and Jenny hefted up the cauldron awkwardly: Ralph held it by the handles, while Jenny had her hands pressed to the cauldron itself so she could heat it. Mykrai grabbed a dozen or so health potions in her arms and dumped them into the cauldron before running back to grab another dozen. ¡°Rin, grab the giant spoon!¡±

    ¡°The¡­¡± Rin blinked, finding it immediately. It was taller than she was and made of brass. She quickly tied the fishing line to it. ¡°...Okay, got it!¡± She threw the spoon at Mykrai, who had already thrown a few more potions into the cauldron. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m following Vayvaresi, you¡¯re all following me!¡± Rin took off at a half-sprint. ¡°Try to stay out of their sight, Vayvaresi, they have to keep that cauldron stable!¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± Vayvaresi didn¡¯t run into the forest, as the group carrying the cauldron couldn¡¯t move that fast, but she did still move quickly. As she moved, she called back to Rin some words of explanation. ¡°Amaris was hit by the silence and attacked Emma. Emma ran to the stairs and tricked Amaris into going over the top, but they both went over.¡±

    ¡°Amaris might be violent when she¡¯s healed?¡±

    ¡°The silence appears to have ended, but it¡¯s possible.¡± Vayvaresi paused. ¡°Brace yourself, it¡¯s a truly horrifying sight.¡±

    Rin made sure to call back to the others. ¡°It¡¯s apparently horrifying, you all need to brace yourselves when you see them!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re up ahead.¡±

    Rin saw the stairs first. Saw the blood all over the top of them.

    Then she saw their forms.

    She had seen many horrifying things in the Dregs. People had lost limbs in front of her, had brains blown out. She¡¯d felt the horrendous fear of the demon Orvind. She¡¯d watched a star alien be torn limb from limb.

    This was nothing compared to what she was currently looking at. The forms of Emma and Amaris were folded up like pretzels. Bone was visible in multiple locations, blood was everywhere. Yet, they were still alive. Breathing, though breathing extremely slowly and irregularly. How had they not bled out completely? Even their eyes were red, the ground was soaked¡­ what kind of horror was this?

    Rin broke out into an instant sweat and her head reeled, but she remained standing. Jenny will be fine with this, but Ralph¡­ we¡­ we can¡¯t have the cauldron dropped! Rin quickly turned around and called back. ¡°Set the cauldron down and work from there!¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Jenny said.

    ¡°You and I will carry it over later!¡±

    ¡°What abou¡ª¡± Ralph began.

    ¡°I can¡¯t trust you not to lose it and pour it all on the ground! Kapeesh?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Hurry, Mykrai, I don¡¯t know how much time we have, they¡¯ve lost a lot of blood!¡±

    ¡°Last potion going in now!¡± She uncorked the bottle and poured it in, stirring rapidly. The color of the smoke coming out of the cauldron became neon red. ¡°There we go! Ludicrously strong health potion! We should just be able to pour it on them¡­¡±

    Rin shoved Ralph to the side and grabbed the handles. ¡°Ready, Jenny?¡±

    ¡°Ready!¡±

    She and Jenny ran the cauldron over to Emma and Amaris. Rin heard Jenny wince, but that was the limit of her reaction to the carnage. They dumped some of the liquid onto Emma first, as she was the closest. It was scalding hot, burning her skin in the first moments¡­ but in the next moments, it restored its own burn. Not only did it seal up all the cuts and wounds immediately, it also cleaned her skin and made her sparkle. Bones snapped into place, new blood was generated midair and pumped into her rapidly rearranging body. For a moment, Emma screamed as her limbs snatched back into place, but then she let out a contented sigh, as though she were receiving a massage.

    The moment she stopped being in obvious pain, they ran to Amaris and poured the potion on her, getting a very similar result. They didn¡¯t notice it, but the liquid also flowed onto Pitch, restoring him as well.

    Two girls and a snake were restored to a level of health so extreme they felt better than they could remember feeling. Their clothes were absolute tattered messes, barely more than rags that didn¡¯t accomplish much. The shoes were ruined, and basically everything in Amaris¡¯ backpack had been rendered useless. Some of it could be salvaged¡ªthe notebook was merely bent in half, it would still be legible.

    Amaris didn¡¯t particularly care about this in the moment. She quickly jumped to Emma.

    Everyone tensed¡ªthey¡¯d forgotten about Amaris possibly still being angry.

    But they didn¡¯t need to worry.

    Amaris wrapped her arms around Emma and started bawling her eyes out. ¡°I¡¯m so¡­ so¡­ so sorry I¡­ I tried to kill you I¡­¡±

    Emma had been staring blankly at the space in front of her before that moment, but Amaris¡¯ words shocked her back to reality. ¡°Amaris! It wasn¡¯t your fault, you weren¡¯t in control.¡±

    ¡°You should be able to trust me, if nothing else¡­¡±

    ¡°I do trust you. So when you act like that I know it¡¯s not you.¡± She returned the hug. ¡°Amaris, I¡¯m fine now, you¡¯re fine now, it¡¯s all okay.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not okay¡­¡±

    ¡°You tried to kill me, I tricked you off a set of lethal stairs. I think we¡¯re even.¡±

    ¡°Emma¡­¡±

    ¡°Amaris, it¡¯s okay. I¡­ I know what I¡¯ve signed up for.¡±

    Amaris sniffed. ¡°...Emma, thank you. You¡­ you saved us.¡±

    ¡°By almost killing us.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ by almost killing us.¡± Amaris¡¯ face became one of concern. ¡°That¡­ that hurt a lot, are you okay¡­?¡±

    Emma visibly winced the moment her mind went to those thoughts. ¡°N-no, that was¡­ terrible¡­ but¡­ I will be fine. Just¡­¡± She took in a deep breath and let it out. ¡°Just need to remind myself it¡¯s over and¡­¡± She looked up at the stairs. She stood up very suddenly and backed away from them. ¡°Go¡­ somewhere¡­ else.¡±

    ¡°Good idea¡­ Jenny, smash the stairs.¡±

    ¡°You got it, boss!¡± Jenny said, patting Amaris on the back. ¡°Was worried there for a second, glad to have you back!¡± She cracked her knuckles. ¡°ROCK PUNCH!¡±

    The stairs crumbled to rubble after only three punches.

    Emma and Amaris walked away from the rocky carnage, towards Ralph and Mykrai. ¡°Thanks, everyone,¡± Amaris said. ¡°Good work.¡±

    Ralph¡¯s face was beet red. ¡°Y-yeah sure thing.¡±

    ¡°Ralph are you all right¡­? We can¡¯t have looked very pleasant¡­¡±

    ¡°Rin m-made sure I didn¡¯t see¡­¡±

    Emma suddenly tightened her grip on Amaris. Amaris looked down at her, finding she was beet red as well. ¡°Eh? What is¡­¡±

    Rin facepalmed. ¡°You¡¯re barely wearing anything, Amaris.¡±

    ¡°...Oh.¡± Amaris did not become as red as the other two, but even she couldn¡¯t quite retain her composure in this situation. ¡°Do we, um, have extra clothes?¡±

    ¡°Back at my hut,¡± Mykrai said. ¡°Which you¡¯ll probably want to rest at anyway.¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­ stranger.¡± Amaris glanced at Rin. ¡°She¡¯s trustworthy, right?¡±

    Rin nodded. ¡°Yes, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to help you without her.¡±

    ¡°Right place, right time¡­ just as usual.¡± Amaris chuckled.

    ~~~

    Pitch slithered around Amaris¡¯ arm a little tighter than usual. He probably suffered a lot too, must have been so scared¡­ Better clothes had been quickly acquired; both Emma and Amaris had ponchos on, though there weren¡¯t proper shoes for them. The fishing line had led them right back to the mysterious hut without incident, and they were all sitting around the table, having snacks next to the fire.

    Emma was staring at a cup of hot chocolate she had. She was stirring it with her spoon without drinking it.

    Amaris turned to her. ¡°Emma, are you¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I think I need to apologize to you,¡± Emma said. ¡°It¡¯s weird, I know, you¡¯re the one who apologized to me, but¡­¡± She wrung her wrists. ¡°I didn¡¯t have the strength to help, I had to use¡­ the stairs¡­¡± Emma shuddered. ¡°If I was stronger, I¡­ might have been able to help Vayvaresi or¡­ pinned you down or something¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Rin said, folding her arms. ¡°Did we learn nothing from the storm?¡±

    Emma laughed awkwardly. ¡°I mean, I know I¡¯m worth something without being strong or sacrificing myself, but¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not something you should apologize for, at least,¡± Amaris said. ¡°You did the best you could, and it was enough to save yourself. I¡­ actually want to thank you, I¡¯m not sure I could have lived with being the one who killed you, even if it was some kind of freaky magic curse.¡±

    Emma crossed her arms. ¡°But you apologized to me for that.¡±

    ¡°I. Well. Um.¡± Amaris rubbed the back of her head. ¡°Okay so I¡¯m sorry for being a hypocrite then, I had no need to apologize. I¡­ did feel terrible at the time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It sucked.¡± Emma visibly winced. ¡°Okay, going on, let¡¯s try not to think about the pain¡­ and think about getting stronger.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be involved with this no matter what at this point, I should know how to defend myself beyond running away in the right direction.¡±

    ¡°Okay, right, good point¡­ um¡­ I don¡¯t know how to train you though, I was put through terrible things to gain these skills.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I could sign up with the Society of Pointed Hats?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d need something your parents wouldn¡¯t freak out about. They already freak out about you being around me, they just can¡¯t justify cutting me off since it¡¯s not really my fault.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Emma frowned. ¡°I dunno, I¡¯ll have to think on it. Maybe I just sign up for sports or something.¡±

    Rin chuckled. ¡°Look at Ralph, being mister sportsman doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re ready for all this.¡±

    Ralph blinked and stopped looking at Amaris. ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡±

    ¡°Wow, you were staring off into space there.¡±

    Amaris took the opportunity to look around the witch¡¯s hut, and found her gaze drawn to the painting of the pink gari.

    Why do I feel like I¡¯ve seen her somewhere before¡­?

    ¡°Any idea who this picture is of?¡± Amaris asked.

    Mykrai shook her head. ¡°No, sorry.¡±

    ¡°Hmmmmmm¡­¡± Amaris took out her bent in half notebook and scribbled a few lines into it. ¡°I think we should keep it in mind, at least.¡± She paused. ¡°So, when we leave this place, we might not be able to come back?¡±

    Mykrai nodded. ¡°Yeah, it moves around, unless you wanted to tie yourselves to it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking we tie it to a tree outside just to see, but I suspect that¡¯ll start moving the tree around with it.¡±

    ¡°Worth a shot, at least,¡± Vayvaresi said.

    Amaris nodded. ¡°Anyway, can we take the potions with us when we leave? Just in case?¡±

    Mykrai clasped her hands together. ¡°Of course! Just leave the ones that make food, the others will eventually restock automatically. And be careful, I don¡¯t know what all of them do.¡±

    ¡°And I have to offer¡­ do you really want to stay here? We could take you with us.¡±

    Mykrai shook her head. ¡°This is my home now. While I like visitors, I¡¯d be fine if I didn¡¯t get any more. I prefer¡­ a quiet life. No offense, but today was not quiet.¡±

    Jenny chuckled. ¡°You got that right!¡±

    Amaris glanced out the window. ¡°Right¡­ I think we¡¯re going to be late getting back to camp. We should probably return before they get really worried.¡±

    Ralph tensed.

    ¡°Ralph¡­?¡± Emma asked. ¡°You¡­ okay?¡± She frowned. ¡°There¡¯s a few days of camp left, it¡¯s not quite over¡­¡±

    ¡°I just¡­ didn¡¯t realize how much time was¡­¡± he sighed, and then stood up, a determined look on his face. ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to hide it anymore. As Mykrai said, I should try to pursue what I want, and stop just accepting things. Right. Uh. Here goes.¡± He turned to Amaris, arms behind his back and face unusually¡­ nervous?

    Amaris gave him her full attention. Remember what Taylor said, be careful. He¡¯s going through a lot.

    ¡°Amaris, you¡¯re just¡­ really cool, you know that? You probably don¡¯t get told you¡¯re an actual hero a lot, but you are. You saved us all in that trash dimension, you put your life on the line, you go to school and you face monsters every day, but you¡¯re also kind to everyone. And smart. And you could probably beat me in a fight, even! That¡¯s¡­ really something.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Um. Thanks?¡± What is going on?

    Rin clawed the table. ¡°Oh no¡­¡±

    Ralph coughed. ¡°What I¡¯m saying is, you¡¯re¡­ awesome. And I¡¯m asking you out on a date. Don¡¯t know where, don¡¯t know what we¡¯d do, but it could possibly be just an adventure like this¡­ and¡­ well¡­ what do you say?¡±

    Amaris stared blankly at him.

    Rin placed a very firm hand on Emma¡¯s shoulder.

    Nobody said anything for quite some time.

    Amaris¡¯ mind was racing. What am I supposed to do with this? How do I deal with it? This isn¡¯t a monster, he¡¯s not one of my close friends, but here he is pouring out his heart and oh my gosh this is why he was trying to get close to us ever since Emma¡¯s birthday and oh no what about Emma oh geez Rin thank goodness you¡¯re smarter than the both of us and¡­

    ¡°Amaris¡­?¡± Ralph said with pleading eyes.

    ¡°U-uh¡­¡± Amaris swallowed hard. ¡°W-well, erm¡­ I uh¡­¡±

    The truth. Tell the truth.

    Amaris sighed, sagging forward. ¡°I¡­ no. The answer¡¯s no.¡±

    Ralph¡¯s breathing became uneasy. ¡°I don¡¯t care about all the danger from the curse, in fact it¡¯s part of why you¡¯re so exciting! No day with you would be boring!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not why I said no,¡± Amaris said. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ not interested.¡±

    ¡°Not¡­ interested?¡±

    ¡°And to be clear, there¡¯s not someone else. I¡¯m just not interested in¡­ anyone at the moment.¡±

    ¡°Well, give me a chance, then?¡±

    Amaris glanced to Rin, pleading with her to help her out. This was a mistake, not because of Rin, but because of the tears currently flowing down Emma¡¯s face that she was trying really hard to be quiet about.

    Amaris quickly locked her expression back to Ralph. ¡°Um¡­ no. Look, Ralph, you¡¯re not a bad guy or anything, it¡¯s just not something I want to do.¡±

    ¡°Could that¡­ change?¡±

    ¡°W-well¡­ I suppose it¡¯s possible, but¡­ I doubt it.¡± She frowned. ¡°Ralph, it doesn¡¯t have to be me, you know. There are plenty of girls around who would gladly go out with you.¡±

    Ralph grimaced. ¡°I know, they follow me around everywhere.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about them. I understand why you don¡¯t like them. But there are others who would treat you like a person rather than some kind of trophy. I¡­ could even introduce you, offer a suggestion, believe it or not.¡± Amaris heard Emma¡¯s breath catch. Trying my best here, I have no idea what I¡¯m doing.

    Ralph looked down at the ground. ¡°Look at that. You¡¯re being so nice again. Just¡­ perfect.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your help. If it¡¯s not you then it¡¯s not what I want.¡± He turned around and walked to the front door. ¡°Thanks for the adventure. Bye.¡± He walked into the forest without another word.

    Amaris slowly turned to Rin. ¡°Should I go after him¡­?¡±

    ¡°Why do you assume I have any idea how to deal with this!?¡± Rin blurted.

    ¡°You¡¯re better than me!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been on a date or had a boyfriend in my life!¡±

    ¡°Um. Well. Er¡­¡±

    ¡°Th-thank you¡­¡± Emma stammered.

    Amaris turned all her attention to Emma. ¡°Emma, I¡­ I wish you didn¡¯t have to see that¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s fine¡­ oh who am I kidding no it isn¡¯t!¡± She rammed her fists into the table. ¡°You weren¡¯t even trying and he noticed you! And I can¡¯t even be mad about that! The thing I¡¯m mad about is how much you hurt him! But then if you didn¡¯t hurt him you would have said yes and I¡¯d have a different reason to be mad! AGH!¡± She rammed her face into the table and started heaving. ¡°And then y-you tried to direct him to m-me and I f-felt so bad for b-being mad and he shot you down and and I want to be mad at him b-but he¡¯s going through so much¡­¡±

    Jenny suddenly got up and went to the door.

    ¡°Jenny?¡± Amaris asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to make sure he doesn¡¯t do something stupid,¡± Jenny said, face entirely serious. ¡°You three need to have your moment here. I¡¯m going after him.¡±

    ¡°So I should have gone after him¡­¡± Amaris said.

    ¡°No,¡± Jenny said. ¡°You¡¯d be the worst person to go after him.¡± She dashed out of the hut.

    There was silence between the three of them.

    ¡°Have our moment, she said¡­¡± Rin muttered. ¡°We have to go, get back to camp, collect the potions¡­¡± Rin shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pack everything,¡± Mykrai offered. ¡°You three can keep talking while I do it.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ what is there to say?¡± Emma asked, sniffing. ¡°We¡­ all saw what happened.¡±

    ¡°I saw, I still don¡¯t know what it means.¡± Amaris sat down in a chair and shook her head. ¡°I was not at all prepared for that.¡±

    ¡°The great hero Amaris, brought low by a boy¡¯s confession,¡± Rin said. ¡°It¡¯s silly.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Silly.¡± Amaris purposefully took out Pitch and had him weave through her fingers. ¡°Silly¡­¡±

    ¡°I have to ask if you¡¯re sure you have no interest,¡± Rin said. ¡°It would be a mess later if you did.¡±

    Amaris shook her head. ¡°The thought hadn¡¯t even occurred to me. Up until recently I thought it was stupid for Emma to like him.¡±

    ¡°Guess you were right¡­¡± Emma grumbled.

    Amaris shook her head. ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t think that anymore. He¡­ isn¡¯t just some stupid sports guy who the girls flock to.¡±

    Rin nodded. ¡°He got my respect today as well, wants to say ¡®screw it¡¯ and defy society. I can get behind that.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah, I¡­ noticed there was more to him too,¡± Emma admitted, smiling. ¡°I¡­ was actually starting to agree with you two, that I was being silly, especially after all these adventures showing me something far more¡­ real. But he turned out to be different too, and I¡­¡± she wrung her wrists together. ¡°I thought it was delightful¡­¡±

    Amaris frowned. ¡°I¡­ ugh, I just had an idea but I have no idea if it¡¯s a bad one or not.¡±

    ¡°Might as well suggest it, we¡¯re all stupid here,¡± Rin suggested.

    ¡°...Maybe you should confess to him?¡± Amaris suggested.

    Emma flushed beet red.

    ¡°Right, bad idea, knew it, forget I said anything¡­¡±

    ¡°No¡­ no that¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s an idea.¡± Emma took in a sharp breath. ¡°It might¡­ it might help him.¡±

    ¡°Not now,¡± Vayvaresi said.

    The three girls turned to stare at the kitsune. ¡°I forgot you were here,¡± Rin said.

    Vayvaresi flicked her tails. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I didn¡¯t want to intrude, but right now he¡¯s not in a good state of mind to receive something like that. I¡¯d wait for a later moment when he¡¯s more stable.¡±

    ¡°R-right,¡± Emma stammered. ¡°Makes sense.¡±

    ¡°Sorry for dragging you into teenage girl drama,¡± Amaris said.

    Vayvaresi shook her head. ¡°Teenage girl drama though it may be, it¡¯s still important to all you. I¡¯ve seen many more years than you, if my experience may be able to help, I should give it.¡± She closed her eyes. ¡°And remember, Jenny is not young. She has experience as well.¡±

    ~~~

    ¡°You really know how to run.¡±

    Ralph came to a sudden stop, looking up to see Jenny in a tree.

    He glared at her angrily, knowing he couldn¡¯t hide his bloodshot eyes and wet face. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Making sure you don¡¯t do something stupid.¡± Jenny jumped down from the tree and crossed her arms. Ralph was struck by the complete lack of a smile on her face.

    ¡°Stupid like what?¡±

    ¡°Act out in rage or depression. You could injure yourself, kill yourself, injure someone else, get lost in the forest and get eaten by animals¡­¡±

    ¡°What kind of person do you take me for?¡±

    ¡°A teenage boy, obviously.¡±

    ¡°Who are you to talk?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of people like this. I may not be a people person, and I may never mature physically and experience anything even remotely like what you¡¯re going through right now, but I get a sense for things. Especially when they¡¯re dire.¡± Her expression darkened. ¡°You have no idea how many people have died in front of me for reasons like this. I may forget a lot, but those are the sorts of memories that stick around the longest.¡±

    ¡°I bet you feel so high and mighty and wise.¡±

    ¡°Hardly wise. I¡¯ve made some very stupid decisions lately. Still am making some of them despite knowing they¡¯re stupid¡­¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°But right now, I¡¯m not a danger to anyone or myself. You are. So I¡¯m making sure that doesn¡¯t happen.¡±

    Ralph clenched his fists. ¡°I can take care of myself!¡± He lashed out and punched her in the face.

    She took it without flinching. ¡°And this is why I¡¯m here. You¡¯re proving my point.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you¡­ shut up!¡± He punched again. This one she caught in her left hand, currently glowing with some kind of white magic.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t going to work, buddy.¡±

    ¡°Why¡­ why can¡¯t I have anything I want!?¡± Ralph shouted. ¡°I want so much, but I¡¯m trapped! You¡¯re just like the rest of them! Everyone¡¯s stopping me!¡±

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t be ridiculous. You¡¯d rather you take your anger out on someone else who could actually get hurt?¡±

    Ralph paused. ¡°...Yes. Yes. I want to pay them back for everything! You¡¯re just a stupid wall of meat!¡±

    ¡°And once again, good reason for me to be here.¡±

    ¡°WOULD YOU SHUT UP!?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Ralph tried to punch her again. This time she swept his legs out from under him and he fell flat on his back. He said nothing, his only movement being intense breathing.

    Jenny leaned against a nearby tree and waited.

    Several minutes went by.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to do something¡­?¡± Ralph asked.

    ¡°I am. I¡¯m waiting for you to calm down.¡±

    Ralph slowly sat up. ¡°...Guess you waited long enough, then.¡±

    ¡°That was fast, but I guess you kind of have to be mister roll with the punches in your situation.¡± Jenny walked over to him and extended a hand.

    He took it, but kept glaring at her.

    ¡°Yeesh, still angry at the person just trying to help you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine, I can take a beating, it¡¯s all the same to me.¡± Jenny shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s get you back to the main camp.¡±

    ¡°...I don¡¯t want to see Amaris right now.¡±

    Jenny nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡­ makes sense. I¡¯ll take you to one of the teachers, all right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll¡­ ask to go home.¡±

    ¡°...You sure you want that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. My parents may suck, but I can just stay in my room for a while.¡±

    ¡°Right. If you¡¯re sure.¡±

    ¡°I am.¡±

    Jenny looked at him, frowning. ¡°You¡¯re clearly not completely okay yet.¡±

    ¡°Obviously. But I¡¯m not going to talk to you about it.¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine¡­ let¡¯s get you back.¡±

    ~~~

    Back at ORHI headquarters, Irene was clicking through various pages on the computer, trying to learn everything she could about the mysteries of Nuk. The bizarroyeshalo website was full of stuff, and with the ¡°map¡± of it Taylor had prepared, it was actually navigable. With difficulty. Since Irene spent so much of her time behind the desk, she might as well read up on everything she could.

    So much of the stuff here was completely terrifying though, so she definitely wasn¡¯t going to get to sleep anytime soon, despite it being the middle of the night already.

    ¡°Maybe you should do something else,¡± Orville suggested.

    ¡°But I have to know more about The Blue One! Just¡­ it¡¯s so terrifying, but inconsistent, bizarre, and¡­ and I still don¡¯t know what happened to James! It has to be here somewhere!¡±

    Orville put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be, sometimes mysteries are left unsolved. You are going to have to learn to live with that. We have several unsolved mysteries ourselves.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I know.¡± Irene sat back in her chair and closed her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re right. I should watch some cat videos or something¡­¡±

    ¡°Cat videos¡­?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know? It¡¯s one of the main things people put on the Internet. Taylor showed a bunch of them to me. Like¡­¡±

    The computer beeped, indicating that they had received an email.

    Irene left the previous conversation behind and opened the email. It wasn¡¯t from a client or any sort of normal inquiry.

    It was from bizarroyeshalo.com.

    Greetings, Outer Reality Handling Incorporated,

    I must express my sincerest apologies. It never occurred to me that my hobby of documenting the bizarre happenings of Yeshalo would be turned into a tool for evil. I will no longer post any more recent activities to the site, forming a month-long ¡®grace period¡¯ where information will not be shared. It was never my intention to do so.

    That said, I am willing to share such information with you over a secured private network. Attached to this email is instructions on how to set up such a private network, which will allow me to send information to you regarding recent supernatural happenings without alerting any potential eavesdroppers.

    I will not be revealing my identity or any incriminating details about myself. I¡¯m sure you can understand my desire for caution, considering the subject matter of that which I document. However, I do wish to express an admiration for your work. I could certainly not put myself out there like you have.

    Signing off,

    LadyMunchkinTree42

    P.S.: I apologize for the informal layout and language on the website, it is, after all, just a hobby of mine.

    Irene blinked. ¡°Okay¡­ this isn¡¯t the response I was expecting, but I think it¡¯s¡­ good?¡±

    ¡°It sure seems that way, but we should still ask Taylor.¡±

    ¡°Obviously.¡±

    ~~~

    Ralph marched into his room.

    He closed the door.

    He pushed one of his nightstands in front of the door to keep it from opening.

    He went to his closet and pulled out over a dozen cardboard boxes filled with toys and clothes that were broken or tattered, but they never threw anything out in this house so here they remained just in case there was some use for them later.

    He only stopped when he got to the very back, finding a shoebox among a handful of other shoeboxes. But unlike the others, this one didn¡¯t have shoes in it. He pulled it out and set it on his bed.

    He opened it.

    The object within was extremely shiny and glowed a soft bluish-green on top.

    It was one of the guns from the junk dimension.

    He ran his hand over it. When he had first found the gun case, there had been three weapons in it. He had stashed away this one before he showed the others to Amaris. He¡¯d wanted it.

    He¡¯d wanted to use it back then, but there was something about Amaris that had made him curious. Made him wait, and wonder.

    There was no point to that now. Not her, not Taylor. No point to any of it.

    ¡°If I can¡¯t have what I want¡­ no one else can either.¡±