《Chimera》


 Chapter One

    The wind blew past her pointed ears, ruffling her messily tied-back hair as a beat of her large, feathered wings carried Silah through the vibrant blue skies. The orange and yellow, grassy plains swiftly move below her before suddenly trying to slow herself, stumbling past what initially caught her eye. She circled back around, slowly gliding as a smile came across her face. Below her, pushing, shoving, and growling at each other in the tall grass, was a pair of brightly colored red fox kits, playing with one another. A truly rare and enthralling sight to see.


    The tree¡¯s branch began to bend under Silah¡¯s weight upon her landing on it. Her talons wrapped around the branch, locking her firmly in place, now able to observe the kits from a suitable distance. She crouched down and snatched her journal and charcoal pencil from her satchel, prepared to study her new subjects.


    The two kits seemed just as invested in their little play battle as Silah was, peering down from her tree. The smaller fox swiftly bit the side of his brother''s neck, limiting his opponent¡¯s movement and giving him the vantage point¨Cor at least it would have if he kept his grip. The larger brother shoved the smaller off of him, causing him to roll over onto the ground, a show of vulnerability, or perhaps a sign of surrender that his brother ignored in favor of biting at his face. The smaller returned the attack and it appeared the kits were racing to see who could bite the others'' noses off. It¡¯s unlikely any of their attacks would be effective against each other in a true fight, as their canines are still so little. That''s what she thought, anyway, not having gotten close enough to find out.


    Regardless, the battle continued among the pair of brothers. One leapt at the other, only for him to swat his brother''s face and bite his ear. The duo tumbled among the grass, charging, ducking, and lunging to their little hearts content with soft, playful yips and growls making every moment she spent with the foxes worthwhile.


    Silah scribbled down notes in her journal, documenting every little action or noise they made, accompanied by some quick sketches of the rambunctious duo. As she wrote she fell into her usual serene trance that journaling brought her. The chattering of birds, accompanied by the rustling of leaves created a gentle tune, soothing to the ear. The warm sun shone down upon the tall grass dancing joyously in the breeze and the air was filled with a comforting autumn scent, making everything feel picturesque. She savored every ounce of bliss as it would be her last day home. Silah would be leaving everything behind for a life of books and studies at college, a dream come true yet, she still frowned. She lifted her eyes from her journaling and propped her head up on her hand to watch the serene view while she still could, the cool wind carrying old memories in its gale.


    The two kits'' play was eventually interrupted by the sound of a rabbit scurrying through the field, startling them. The pair scurried off and disappeared into their den. The fun was over. Silah sighed and looked up towards the sky and realized more time then she thought had passed. The sun was no longer directly above her, instead it had begun to shift towards the horizon. Frowning, she packed up her journal and took off once again.


    She flew away from the fox den and towards home where chores, work and whatnot would surely cause her to put her studies aside for the rest of the day. Though dreading the prospect, a smile began to creep back onto her face as she reminisced on the kits¡¯ duel, wishing she could have stayed longer. Sharp eyes scanned the ground below as she watched for anything of interest, landing constantly to stop and review a tree, observe an insect or collect some sort of sample as the familiar landscape always hid something new to uncover.


    By the time she landed on her street, oranges and reds were beginning to seep through the horizon. Her home wasn¡¯t a house as much as it was the attic of the tailors shop her mother ran. Not to say it was cramped and dusty like most attics¨Cit was rather nice, though still a bit small. The shop itself was a humble, little wooden rectangle of a building with wear and tear to prove its age. Large windows on either side of the door displayed finely-sewn coats and dresses on winged mannequins. The door had a stained glass window of a cluster of shining pink roses on a blue background near the top that her mother had handcrafted herself.


    The light jingle of a bell sounded above her as she entered the mostly-empty shop. Her mother, a tall, staunchly built woman, set down a piece of fabric she was going over to look up at her with a stern look across her face.


    ¡°Silah, you¡¯re late,¡± she said with a tone all too soothing and gentle for the expression she bore.


    ¡°Well¡­ Perhaps a bit, but it was undeniably worth it,¡± Silah stated confidently.


    ¡°Since you missed lunch entirely, you¡¯ll have to wait a few hours for dinner to eat. I have a pile of shirts for you to work on, Mrs. Dolin¡¯s boys¡¯ shirts need their buttons sewn back on.¡±


    ¡°They gotta do that on purpose you know,¡± Silah said as she picked up the stack of shirts in question.


    ¡°Mrs. Dolin can either teach her boys to keep their buttons on or she can continue bringing us paid work, either is fine for me.¡± Her mother hummed as she returned to her project.


    ¡°What an odd habit, what do they even get from this?¡± Silah muttered to herself as she sat down at a table and chair in the back of the store and began sewing each button back on.


    ¡°Are you packed up yet?¡± Her mother asked.


    Silah briefly froze in place, her eyes wide.


    ¡°No¡­¡± She sheepishly muttered as she shrunk down in her chair.


    ¡°...Started at least, right?¡±


    There was no response, and the silence dragged on until her mother let out a long sigh.


    ¡°Silah, you leave tomorrow. You are not allowed to show up to your fancy school with empty hands and dirty clothing,¡± her mother scolded. ¡°You better get started after dinner.¡±


    ¡°Mhm...¡±


    It wasn¡¯t even the act of packing that had Silah putting it off for so long, it was the fact that she couldn¡¯t bring her entire room with her. Over the years, her love of all things living had led her to collect a vast variety of collectibles and oddities. From her butterfly collection to her plant samples and even her handful of animal skulls and bones-she was quite proud of the cluster of trinkets she collected. Silah couldn¡¯t imagine leaving any of it behind, not to even dare mention her small library of books she amassed over the years, with their vivid descriptions of plants and animals and sophisticated drawings.


    Her attachment unfortunately couldn¡¯t make the bag bigger nor make her strong enough to carry it, so decisions were going to have to be made. Her lip poked out in a pitiful pout as she selected a button and began threading the string through it. One by one she sewed the buttons on, and one by one she finished mending each shirt. By the time she was done, the sun was dipping further below the skyline. She stood up and stretched out her arms and large, speckled wings as much as the small space would allow her. She paused mid-stretch and smiled as the savory smell of her mother¡¯s cooking crept down from the floor above.


    She pulled herself up the stairs tucked back in the corner of the shop, hidden behind the counter and several racks of clothing. She opened the door, leading into the living room of her home with the kitchen only a few steps away. The chair creaked as she sat down at the old, wooden kitchen table that looked as if it could barely hold itself up with matching chairs that didn¡¯t seem to be doing much better.


    ¡°There you are, got all your work done, yes?¡± Her mother asked.


    Silah nodded. ¡°Took longer than I thought it would though.¡±


    ¡°Shame you didn¡¯t pack sooner then, could¡¯ve spent the evening relaxing,¡± her mother taunted, before adding, ¡°Though if you want help with that, you can simply ask.¡±


    ¡°No, no it¡¯s fine, I can do it, it¡¯ll be all done before bed,¡± Silah replied while averting her gaze briefly before perking up as a bowl of hot stew was placed in front of her.


    ¡°Alright, remember you can only pack what you can carry, and it''s a long trip to the station, so don¡¯t over do yourself,¡± her mother warned as she took a seat across from her, setting down her own bowl of stew on the rickety table.


    ¡°I know, I promise to not end up squashed by my own luggage,¡± Silah swore, causing her mother to chuckle.


    ¡°Are you still just as excited? Not even a little nervous, right?¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯ll be learning everything I ever wanted to, I¡¯m thrilled!¡± She replied, her tone higher pitched and a smile across her face to demonstrate her joy.


    ¡°I rarely get to see you so excited about something.¡± Her mother smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m usually working when you see me,¡± said Silah through a mouthful of her stew. The stew was rich and flavorful, the meat and vegetables melding together in perfect harmony. Silah closed her eyes, sinking back into her chair as she took another bite.


    ¡°You¡¯re a gloomy worker, that¡¯s why I make you sit in the back,¡± her mother teased. ¡°But I will miss you, more than you¡¯ll know. You¡¯re not my little chicklet anymore, are you?¡± She looked at her daughter wistfully.


    Silah sat up to offer her mother a smile. ¡°No, everything grows up. But I¡¯ll visit when I can, I guarantee that.¡±


    Her mother simply nodded with a small smile resting on her face as she reached up to dry her eyes.


    After dinner was finished, she helped her mother clean up and headed to her room. She climbed up a steep set of stairs that acted more like a ladder and entered into the true attic of the tailor¡¯s shop. She ducked into her bedroom with ceilings that gave her barely enough room to stand upright, her head only an inch away from grazing it.


    The room was cramped and cluttered with shelves, books and boxes sprawled out across the small space, with half of it dedicated wholly to storage. Silah had her bed tucked away in the corner with her desk sitting next to it, messily littered with papers, jars and containers holding various insects. They were accompanied by a handful of pots and pitchers with plants and flowers growing inside, and a small lantern sat atop a pile of books. There was a soft, cozy rug beneath her bed and a standing mirror resting at the foot of it. Sketches and drawings she had done of plants, animals and insects covered her walls.


    She let out a groan as she bent down and pulled out her large leather suitcase from under her bed. She sat it on top of her bed and ducked down once again to pull a large bag with a thin rope to allow her to hang it over her shoulder. First, she needed to gather her essentials, which would be the easy part. She reached into her dresser drawers and picked out her favorite outfits, folded them neatly, and placed them in her suitcase. She shuffled around her room, picking out a hair brush, a few hair accessories, a clean washcloth and a brand new bar of soap.


    By now, her suitcase had little room left, it could only fit two books and the rest would have to fit in the other bag. She scoured each and every book in her collection, considering their contents and her own sentimentality regarding it. Shelf after shelf, she reviewed the books with a great deal of thought, determined to discover the two that she valued most. It was on the verge of midnight by the time she decided on them.


    She tucked both books among the folded clothing in her suitcase. The first book was one she constructed herself, showcasing the local plants and wildlife. Though it lacked the detail she would have put into it nowadays, it was something from home to bring with her. The other was an encyclopedia of exotic animals, containing information on everything from deadly jungle frogs to gentle pandas living in bamboo forests. It was the book that first sparked her love for biology and one of the few things she had left from her father.


    Now, she still had another bag to fill. She repeated the process of going over each belonging and fretting over the collection she gained over her lifetime. By the time the bag was full, the sun had begun peeking through her window. In the end, it was a waste. A simple waste. Waste of time, waste of effort, waste of energy. The bag ended up far heavier than anticipated. There was simply no way she could fly with both her suitcase and her bag and narrowing down what to bring any further may as well be impossible. She layed on her bed, staring up tiredly at her ceiling as the sunlight gradually lit up the room, having ended up deciding to leave her bag behind after a bit of repacking.


    ¡°Silah! Are you up?!¡± Called her mothers voice from below.


    Silah groaned and pushed herself upright, suddenly dreading the day she was looking forward to for so long.


    ¡°Be down soon!¡± She attempted to shout back. She fell onto her talons and hobbled over to her dresser where she had an outfit set out. She got dressed, brushed her hair and tied it up with a plain blue ribbon. She rubbed her eyes and shuffled downstairs. Her mother was in the kitchen waiting for her, greeting Silah with a smile when she arrived into the room.


    ¡°Morning, sleep well?¡±


    ¡°...No.¡± Silah muttered as she got out the plates, cups and silverware and began setting the table.


    ¡°Thought so, well once you get to the airship, you can take a nap. Just¡­ Don¡¯t miss your stop.¡± Her mother advised.


    ¡°Right,¡± she yawned.


    Before long, breakfast was prepared and eaten and Silah was starting to feel more energized and awake, even if it was just barely. She went upstairs to retrieve her luggage before returning and arriving in the living room. Her mother stood up from her armchair and walked up to her to fix the collar of her dress as she looked over her clothing. She wore a proud smile on her face though the look in her mothers eyes made it clear she was already missing her daughter.


    ¡°Keep working hard for me, okay?¡± She asked as she wrapped her arms around Silah, bringing her into a hug.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Silah replied, leaning into her mothers embrace. Despite the smile on Silah¡¯s face, she suddenly felt like crying though she had no explanation on why. This was the start of something new and exciting, something she¡¯s been working towards since she was little. Her life long dreams were on the verge of coming true yet, her eyes had begun to water all on their own without any reason to explain themselves with.


    Her mother pulled out of the hug to look over her one last time before turning around to pick up a small package sitting on the coffee table. ¡°Here, I got something for you. Open it once you get settled in at college.¡±


    Silah tilted her head slightly as her mother handed her the package. It was a small wooden box secured with a tan ribbon wrapped around it. ¡°Thank you, what¡¯s inside?¡± She asked as she opened her satchel and began attempting to shimmy it into place within the already packed satchel.


    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise.¡± Her mother laughed.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Her mother smiled at her one more time before speaking. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you. But you gotta hurry now, you¡¯ll be late.¡±


    Silah nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll write you every week. I promise I won''t forget.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too scatterbrained to make a promise like that.'''' Her mother joked.


    She had walked out the door of the humble little tailor¡¯s shop she had grown up in and it would likely be at least a month or so before she would see it again. She glanced back and saw her mother watching from the door, offering her one last wave before Silah took off into the air with a few strong beats of her wings.


    She glided over the earth, her heavy suitcase already straining her arms, as if she wasn¡¯t already tired enough. But she planned to arrive at the station within an hour, finally able to rest once she reached there. Until then, she would unfortunately have to continue flying. At least there was a cool breeze, carrying with it leaves of reds and yellows and the sky was a pale blue with soft, fluffy clouds scattered across it, forming playful but disfigured shapes of creatures prancing above the rising sun, imbued with vibrant pinks and oranges.


    The pleasant atmosphere was suddenly interrupted by a thunderous crack echoing across the plains. She paused, searching for the source and swiftly spotting it. A line made from a bright, orange glow appeared in the distance, spanning across the land for miles. The pulsating light crept out of the newly formed chasms, the menacing light reaching out over the landscape. Silah watched as the glow began to gradually grow brighter before suddenly a blinding flash of light consumed everything in sight.


    After the flash, everything went dark. She woke up feeling nothing but a stinging pain. From the tips of her wings to her talons, everything hurt. Her legs felt like a boulder had been dropped on them and her wings felt like they''d been stabbed with a thousand needles. She carefully lifted her head up at the near pitch black sky, deducting she must have fallen.


    She gritted her teeth together as she pushed herself up right, looking around, attempting to understand her surroundings. It was nothing like the plains she soared over, what felt like only moments before. It was too dark to see much but off in the distance, she made out the silhouette of towers made of glass and stone standing tall, looming over the rest of the environment. Trees larger than she had ever seen before covered the horizon, with a giant, winged beast flying over them. Around her the ground was coarse and rough, apart from a handful of grass tufts poking up from the otherwise dry, barren surface. Eventually Silah saw her suitcase a few feet away from her, and a large barn close by. Hesitantly, she pulled herself to her talons, immediately stumbling but managing to regain her balance.


    Step by aching step she slowly shuffled over to her belongings. She felt her legs pleading with her to stop and lie down with every slight movement she made. Her wings felt even worse as they limply hung from her back, she wasn¡¯t even sure if she could move them, they were in far too much pain for her to even consider trying. Soon she made it to her suitcase and slowly and ever carefully, she pulled it up off of the ground, wrapping her arms around it and holding it close to her chest.


    After what felt like a lifetime, she made it into the barn. As she got closer it became clear to her that it had been abandoned for years. Half of the roof was missing and the walls seemed to be about the same. It looked as if it would only take a light breath of air for it to collapse on itself. Being the only shelter she had, she entered regardless. She shakily hobbled into the building and allowed herself to fall into the corner beside the door. She stared up towards the open hole in the roof, gazing at the stars above, pain blurring her vision. Above her there were an additional two moons though she failed to feel bewilderment, only felt fear.


    Her sight lingered on the skies, longing for any sense of comfort as she waited for the nightmare to end. Her eyes drifted onto the satchel hanging on her side. Slowly, she opened it and retrieved the small box her mother gave her. She delicately undid the ribbon on the box and lifted the lid open. Inside, the box was cushioned with fabric that was meant to protect its contents. Sitting in the box was a folded piece of paper resting upon a pile of shining, pink, shattered stained glass. Her hands began shaking as she set the box down and lifted the piece of paper from the glass remnants. She unfolded the note and began to read it.


    Tears began to well up in her eyes. It started with a sniffle, and then whimpering, then at last, she allowed herself to cry. Within a matter of moments, she was weeping on the ground, clutching the note closely to her chest. The note read:


    Dear Silah,


    I¡¯ve enjoyed every moment of watching you grow, from your first little flaps to your discoveries and drawings of the world around you. You are truly a precious treasure to me. You¡¯ve bloomed and blossomed into the wonderful young lady you are now. I cherish every part of you, thorns and all. Take care and never stop growing, my Little Chicklet.


    -Love, Mama

 Chapter 2

    She was woken by a warm beam of morning sunlight, creeping onto her face. She slowly sat up, failing to remember falling asleep in the first place. She was astonished she managed to rest at all with the aching she felt jolting through her wings and down her legs though the pain was more identifiable now. Instead of her body feeling like one blurr of pain with larger amounts of agony sprinkled throughout, some select parts of her body felt fine now, only a few remnants of pain left.


    Her wings felt the worst, confident at least one of them was broken, if not both. If she couldn¡¯t find a way to repair them, she might never fly again. She began to shrink into herself, hiding her head beneath her arms. Her legs felt better than they did yesterday and It seemed unlikely that they were broken. Though her legs still ached, perhaps she would be able to walk now but without a destination, it would be pointless. She sat in complete silence, gathering her thoughts and reviewing her options. She was surrounded by unknown land without a map or even a compass. Her mother was back home, hoping for a letter from Silah that she may never be able to send. She needed help but she wouldn¡¯t even know where to look. Outside the barn would be a start but where would she go from there?


    Her thinking was eventually interrupted by the slow plops of treading, coming from something nearby, followed by rustling. She lifted her head and saw a long, scaly tail with what looked like a cluttered cluster of spikes at the end of it, vanishing into tall grass on the other side of the barn. Silah¡¯s entire body went stiff. She looked through the blades of tan grass, picking out the creature blending into it. At first she noticed its small beady eyes placed on top of its scaly face peering at her. It had dark markings around its eyes and down its elongated spine. It had two, long, pointy fangs poking out from its scale covered muzzle, dripping with venom.


    She scanned through her mind, recalling every creature she had ever known about and couldn¡¯t come up with one that looked quite like this. She didn¡¯t have long to observe it as it darted at her. She let out a startled yelp, her hands snapping onto her suitcase to use it as a shield. She  pulled her legs as close to her body as possible, creating as much distance between her and it as she could. The creature leapt at the suitcase, digging its claws into the leather, its fangs stabbing through the top of it, just below the handle.. Taking advantage of the creature''s distracted state, she slammed the suitcase down onto the ground with the creature clinging to it. The creature let out a deep and ghastly screech as it was slammed between the suitcase and the ground. It squeezed out from under the suitcase and scrambled on top of it. It crouched down, preparing to lunge as Silah latched her hands on top of its neck, just below its head. She flipped it over, twisting her hand around to pin it onto its back with one concise motion. The creature squirmed in her grasp, screeching and snarling at her as it fought for its freedom.


    ¡°Shut up! Shut up and leave me alone! I want nothing to do with ANY of this!¡± She shouted at the struggling beast, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes.


    Her hands shook as she held it in place, terrified of losing her grip even a smidge. She felt the creature start to squirm out of her grasp as it clawed at her hands, its short arms barely missing them. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks while she looked into the little monsters'' pitch black eyes. At home, this would be an extraordinary new discovery but here, it was just a part of the nightmare.


    Her gaze lifted as she heard the sound of heavy footsteps running towards her, looking through the barn''s entrance to see where they came from. Their source was a figure, rushing towards the barn, wielding what seemed to be a battle axe. The figure''s face was covered by a copper colored, stone mask with matching armor covering his arms and legs. The figure hurried into the room and before Silah knew what was happening, the axe was slammed down on top of the creature¡¯s lower neck, its head rolling onto the ground. Silah¡¯s hands flew away from the creature as the axe came down upon it.


    ¡°It bite you?¡± The figure asked as he lifted the axe, placing it in a holster on his back.


    ¡°...No.¡± She replied, looking down at the slayed creature. Its round, dark eyes stared up at her, its jaws stuck in a perpetual scream. As her fear faded, her gaze grew rueful. A truly unique creature, now slayed.


    ¡°Good, would have killed you.¡± The figure responded to her. She looked up at him finally, noticing the several layers of torn cloth he wore, colored with dull reds, tans and browns. His head was covered by a hood, matching the reddish brown hue of one of his layers. His most noticeable feature was his missing wings, the only thing adorning his back was the stone battle axe. His armor looked like it had talons, in a way, though they more closely resembled claws. She noticed the mask''s empty gaze peering down at her, as if pondering her. She inched back from him, deeper into her corner.


    ¡°You know where food is?¡±


    Silah shook her head. ¡°..I don¡¯t know where I am or even how I got here. This place looks very¡­ Different, from my home.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either, then?¡± He asked before taking a seat on the ground across from her, removing his mask and setting it down beside him as he used his free hand to pull his hood back. He had pale, grayish, coarse skin and narrowed green eyes with slitted pupils dotting the middle of them. A trail of blue scales ran over the bridge of his nose, sparsely speckled with the occasional red scale that matched the ones under his tear ducts. Each of his ears looked like a pair of triangles emerging from the side of his head with more scales covering the tops of them. The color of his messy hair was a pale, faded brown that seemed as lifeless as the tone of his skin.


    ¡°Maybe we can help one another," he suggested. As he spoke, it seemed his lips failed to match his voice, as if they were somehow off sync with one another.


    ¡°How?¡± She asked, eyes locked onto him, reviewing his every bizarre feature.


    ¡°I need a way to find food and you¡¯re wounded.¡± As he explained, Silah began to notice his mouth full of sharp, pointed teeth and long fangs. ¡°I¡¯ll help keep you alive and you can help me identify food.¡±


    ¡°...I don¡¯t know where or¡­ What, this place is. I¡¯ll help, but I¡¯m not very knowledgeable.¡±


    ¡°Where I come from, everything from the overlands, will kill you. Even the ¡®food¡¯. So as long as wherever you¡¯re from has passive surface food, you¡¯ll be more knowledgeable than I am.¡±


    She stared up at him a bit confused for a moment before nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can then.¡± She responded, shifting herself out of the corner she squeezed herself into. ¡°I¡¯m Silah Ferns.¡±


    ¡°Reim.¡± He replied, grabbing his mask as he stood back up, offering her his other hand. ¡°Can you walk?¡±


    ¡°Not for long¡­ Why doesn¡¯t your mouth match your words?¡±


    ¡°Yours don''t match either. I bought a magic rock. I assume it¡¯s that.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Come on, we need better shelter.¡± He said as he placed his mask back over his face, pulling his hood back on.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get very far.¡± Silah replied, looking up at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll carry you.¡± He removed the axe off his back and set it down beside him. ¡°Are your legs broken?¡±


    ¡°No, just  sore I think.¡±


    Reim nodded before crouching down, facing his back towards her. ¡°You¡¯ll need to climb on.¡±


    Silah gave him an uncertain glance before pulling herself onto his back with little other options. She gritted her teeth together as the movement jostled her wings. He tucked his arms beneath her legs and reached to grab his axe. He took a moment to snatch the tail of the creature he slaughtered with the same hand, and leaned a bit to grab Silah¡¯s suitcase with the other before rising back up to his feet and moving out of the barn with a steady pace.


    ¡°Reim, do you know where we are?¡±


    ¡°No, not really. Some of it looks familiar, like the drake that attacked you and some of this terrain, but everything else is new to me.¡±


    ¡°We really are in the same vessel then.¡±


    As they exited the barn, Silah looked around, finally able to see the landscape surrounding her in the light of day. She saw the towers made from stone and glass, each formed with perfect symmetry though they were now cracked and few were crumbling. The trees in the distance were dappled in purples and blues and further behind them. Miles away, mountains rose up into the sky, their peaks reaching above the clouds. Their bases were decorated with colors of orange, green, purple and blue gradually fading into a palette of grays as they neared the peaks. Closer to her was an infinite stretch of flat land with the occasional rather large rock formation dotting the land alongside the scarce dappling of green and purple foliage. To the right, she saw a metal, triangular tower far off, towards the horizon, adorned with webbed wings on their sides whose tips came together to point towards the skies. She tilted head at the odd sights before eventually spotting a cluster of buildings in the distance surrounded by a small forest. It seemed close enough that they could reach it by sundown.


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    ¡°I think that¡¯s a town,¡± Silah commented, pointing in the direction of it.


    ¡°..Where?¡±


    ¡°Right up there, it¡¯s far but we can make it there around evening, maybe sooner.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see it, but I won''t carry you for that long, we¡¯ll need a break.¡±


    She let out a short, disappointed sigh in reply. ¡°If we¡¯re going to need breaks anyways, I want to walk.¡±


    ¡°You said you couldn¡¯t for too long.¡± Reim said, turning his head to look back at her.


    ¡°That is correct,¡± She replied, clambering off of Reim¡¯s back and landing onto her talons, causing Reim to pause and glance behind him. Silah motioned for them to keep moving, and so they did. ¡°You said that lizard thing is a drake? What is that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like a dragon, just no wings. This one¡¯s a pain with its venom.¡± Reim replied, placing the Axe back into its holster again.


    ¡°What''s a dragon?¡±


    ¡°...Scaled beast with big wings. Come in all colors and sizes.¡±


    ¡°Is there different species of them?¡± She asked, nearly interrupting him.


    ¡°Uh.. There''s wyverns, wyrms, amphitheres, so on. Only real difference between them is the number of limbs they have and sometimes their size.¡± As he explained, his voice sounded so flat and monotone, a little overly deep, reminding her of how small children act when they pretend to be serious.


    ¡°Can you tell me about all of them?¡± She asked, her voice rising in pitch as it grew faster. Silah winced, feeling her wings start to shift upwards before a sharp pain caused them to fall back to drooping.


    ¡°I am not a book.¡±


    She pouted as she kept pace close behind him, already feeling the harsh aching of her legs again.


    ¡°Can you tell me where you¡¯re from at least?¡± She asked.


    ¡°..Desert called Drakon. Named after its¡­ Residents. From the sky to the underground, whole place is filled with dragons. Surface in particular, so bad we¡¯re all forced to live beneath it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fascinating! If-¡± She cheered before getting interrupted.


    ¡°It¡¯s not fascinating.¡±


    ¡°If, you live underground, then what do you eat?¡± She continued


    ¡°Fruit and vegetables and whatever dragons we catch that are large enough to eat.¡±


    ¡°How do you gather fruits and vegetables in the desert? Wouldn¡¯t it be barren?¡±


    ¡°The desert is, but under it, there''s plenty to eat.¡±


    ¡°.,.Astounding.¡± She whispered to herself before continuing. ¡°Where I am from, the only thing you can eat underground is roots and mushrooms, as far as I know. What type of fruits and vegetables are there?¡±


    ¡°There''s a bunch. If we come across an opening, you can see them yourself. No more questions.¡±


    ¡°Wh- But there''s still so many!¡± She complained.


    ¡°There is.  I¡¯ll ask some now.¡± He replied, tone firm.


    She glared at the ground as she was denied invaluable information. She wished she could continue questioning him but as she watched the headless lizard swing in his grip, she decided to comply. ¡°Alright, what is it?¡±


    ¡°Did you feel the earth shake and see an orange flash before you arrived here?¡±


    ¡°I was flying so I didn¡¯t notice an earthquake.. But I saw that flash.¡±


    ¡°Do you know anything about it?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not, it¡¯s nothing like anything i¡¯ve ever seen..¡±


    The only reply she got was a brief nod, and then a long stretch of silence. It didn¡¯t seem like he had anything more to say and had little patience for Silah¡¯s curiosity. Without her precious questions, all there was left to do was walk. As she hobbled behind him, she was able to entertain herself with thoughts and hypotheses about the world of dragons and underground plants she knew so little about. In her mind, she began forming a list of questions for Reim and sorted them out from most important to least, carefully considering and organizing each and every thought she had, forgetting about the agony and misery she was in until eventually she received a reminder.


    Her legs grew weaker with each step she took, every lift of her talon felt like she was pulling a brick off the ground only to place it back down onto a bed of nails. Finally, her legs had enough and collapsed beneath her. Upon hearing the thud, Reim spun around to check on her.  He crouched down to meet her eyes, she felt him frown down at her from under the mask as Silah pushed herself upright.


    ¡°I just need a break¡­¡± She mumbled as she began to move back up to her feet.


    ¡°I can tell you already had a few.¡± He responded, doing a quick motion towards her wings, standing up along with her. ¡°Just let me carry you.¡±


    Silah glared at him as she felt her legs wobble beneath her while she tried to regain her balance. She fell back onto the ground only moments later. Before she knew it, the involuntary piggy back ride had continued. The two wandered towards the distant, taking a break every two hours or so, Silah estimated. During the breaks, Silah had her nose buried in her journal, occasionally asking Reim a question or two about the world he was from though she kept her focus on the drake he carried. By the time sunfall had come upon them, she learned that it was more specifically called a Viperian Drake, named for its long body and fast striking attack methods. She had filled two pages of her journal with new found knowledge and observations. During one of their breaks, Silah had also spotted a small mouse-like creature scampering across the ground that Reim seemed to recognize, which prompted more questions and more pages to be filled.


    Eventually, the sun had fully set and the trio of moons had reappeared. The duo settled upon a violet colored tree to rest beneath for the evening, choosing it for its branches to build a fire with though the shred of shelter it proved was another benefit, even if it was a small one.


    Reim dropped Silah¡¯s suitcase, his axe and the lizard onto the ground before helping Silah herself off of his back. Silah settled against the tree''s trunk and returned to her journal, utilizing the final beams of sunlight as it sank behind the horizon. Reim was at work loading his arms up with sticks and branches before placing them into a pile.


    ¡°This right? Never had to do this before.¡± Reim asked, turning his head towards Silah. She observed his pile of sticks before giving an approving nod.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, just put the dry leaves in there and it should be ready. Though¡­ I¡¯m not sure how to light it, I don¡¯t have any flint.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Reim replied, already scooping up a pile of leaves off the ground.


    Silah shrugged and continued her work, now putting her focus onto the tree she sat beneath.


    Before long, she heard a high pitched, buzzing sound, causing her to look up. She found the origin of the noise within Reim''s hand. His large, stone gloves covered most of it but she could see a small gray box with flickering lightning coming from the top of it. He held a leaf above the lightning causing it to begin to smolder. He tossed the leaf into the pile of sticks and leaves and began to softly blow on the smoldering leaf. Soon, a fire had ignited.


    ¡°How did you do that?! What was it? Can I see that thing you had?¡± Silah quickly sputtered out, fully sitting up with eyes wide open.


    ¡°It¡¯s a sparker¡­¡± He replied, pausing before he offered the device to Silah. She snatched it from his hands and began to observe it. It had a rough gray surface and rounded edges with a small button on one side and another on the other. On top of it had a pair of spikes, standing across from one another. She placed her fingers over the buttons and suddenly lightning appeared, dancing between the small spikes. Her eyes were glued to the dazzling performance.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen electricity up close like this. I live in a little town in the middle of nowhere so we haven¡¯t got any yet.¡±


    ¡°...You can keep that if you want.¡± Reim replied as he tended to the fire.


    ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll keep it safe.¡± She promised as she released the buttons and carefully placed it into her satchel.


    ¡°What do you plan to do once you get into town?¡± Reim asked.


    ¡°Oh, uh.. Find some food and a doctor I suppose.. Take some time to heal and then try to find a way to get back home.¡± She replied, pausing to give a concerned look up to the moons above. ¡°...Though I¡¯d have to figure out where I am first. What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told to figure out what happened. Find a source.¡±


    She nodded quietly. ¡°Sounds like we both have quite a journey ahead¡­¡±


    Silence fell upon them once again. Silah returned back to her journal, content with only the quiet ambience of the crackling campfire. Reim had chopped a leg off of the drake, skewered it with a stick he picked off the ground and set it beside the fire to roast before removing his mask and hood for the night. Whenever Silah glanced up from her journaling she caught Reim watching the skies as the moons started to rise and the stars began to reveal themselves.


    Despite all the recent chaos, she found herself enjoying the peaceful moment. She set down the journal and rested her eyes, listening to the soft yet odd symphony she had never heard before, made of the chatter and chirps of insects. She quickly pushed herself back up right and looked around the grass for the insects, eager for new discoveries. She began crawling along the ground, careful not to scare the creatures she was searching for. Reim glanced down to stare at her, silently keeping his thoughts to himself as he returned to his sky watching.


    Soon, Silah fell asleep and the night had ended and the morning had come. The duo continued their trek with the town quickly nearing though it was further than Silah initially anticipated.


    ¡°...When we get to the town, are you gonna find another food identifier? I haven¡¯t exactly been any help so far and don¡¯t intend on mending that.¡± Silah stated as she stared off into the distance, observing what she could of the town. The town was in a cluster of blue and green trees and the structures she could pick out from within them weren¡¯t anything she recognized so she knew this would be another unfamiliar location.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about that.¡± Reim started, ¡°I think our goals are similar. Maybe if we find the reason this happened, you¡¯ll find a way home.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ The source is never a bad place to look for solutions¡­ Are you certain we should travel together? Neither of us are very friendly.¡± Silah responded, raising an eyebrow at him.


    ¡°We have a matching goal and after we find a doctor, you¡¯ll be able to pull your own weight, and that¡¯s enough.¡± He said. ¡°Also you seem observant. I think we can work well together for this.¡±


    ¡°...I can¡¯t exactly swing a giant axe so you might be right.¡± She replied before letting out a sigh. ¡°Alright, we can be travel buddies until we figure out what caused this.¡±


    Reim gave a nod of confirmation and the two officially became a duo, prepared to uncover the source behind the bizarre phenomenon and with any luck, revert it.