《A Tour of the World Between Worlds》


 1 – A Girl on the Shore

    I found myself waking up on dirty ground. A cough removed some water that was trapped in my throat. My head spun like a top, and my limbs felt like jelly. It took a moment before enough strength returned so that I could push myself up.


    After a moment, I managed to get my head above the ground. I still laid on the dirt, but I managed to support my chin with my forearm.


    The scene I laid eyes on was that of a forest, except something felt off about it. The trees were dull, with only shades of grey to make any color, and there was no wind to shake the leaves. Not a sign of life could be seen, and no smells penetrated my nose. It looked like a painting¡ªalbeit a depressing one.


    Above the trees, the sky fared no better. No sun lit up the sky, and it maintained a dim grey. It was not the kind of grey that appeared during overcast but instead looked as if the blue color was sapped away.


    Though there was no sun, and the source of light was a mystery, I could still see.


    I should have been concerned about that mystery, but another more important one filled my head.


    Who was I?


    Now that I had a minute to think, I realized I was missing some crucial details. I still had language to think and knowledge of the trees and ground, but who I was evaded any attempts to recall.


    I managed to get on my feet, though I could hardly stand without wobbling. I looked around at the rest of the scene.


    Behind me was a rather large body of water. It was colored a striking blue that seemed to sparkle in a manner out of place against the grey backdrop. A closer inspection revealed it only appeared to be water; it was something else. A mist or energy might be the best way to describe it.


    As I stared into the watery substance, my reflection came into view.


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    My face was slender, and my eyes light red. Raven black hair was neatly tied into a ponytail that stretched to my waist, and a sharp dagger had been placed like some sort of hair ornament.


    I wore a black form-fitting material across my whole body. Above that, I wore a bright pink petal kimono that was cut short around the legs for easy movement. The sleeves were left long, and several knives were hidden within them. A ribbon and band were wrapped around my waist, and a short scarf covered my neck. A pair of ornate daggers neatly hung by my side.


    ¡°Who are you? Some sort of kunoichi?¡± I asked the reflection; it only repeated the movements back at me. It occurred to me that knowing what a ¡®kunoichi¡¯ was implied if I had not been one, then I was heavily involved with one. Still, I didn¡¯t know why someone with business in stealth would wear a pink kimono with petal patterns.


    I cautiously dipped one of my hands into the water. It didn¡¯t feel anything like a liquid but rather a rushing wind. It didn¡¯t hurt, but I suddenly felt like I had been pulled, yet my body remained in place. I soared through the air in an out-of-body state over a city that was on fire. People ran for cover as many beasts ate through everything in front of them.


    The beasts were large and round, with bulky legs and no arms. They had no eyes, and most of their body was covered in a large mouth with four forked tongues that stuck out. Smoke covered the whole horizon as many more monstrous creatures devoured the landscape just outside.


    Beyond that, I could see many more cities, and each was being destroyed. It was like I could see the whole planet at once, and every scene was one of despair. Even further, something large which towered over all the other beasts.


    I quickly pulled my hand out, and my sight returned to my body. My breath was heavy, and I felt a cold sweat cover me. Was that where I came from? Or was it something else? I couldn¡¯t be sure.


    Carefully I stood up and took several steps away from the faux-water. I didn¡¯t plan to stick my hand back in that pool any time soon.


    I shook my head in a fruitless attempt to shake off the thoughts. As if to interrupt me, a geyser suddenly shot out from the body of water. At least, that was the best way to describe it. A sudden trail of the faux-liquid seemed to fire into the air and arc like a long snake. It soared past where I stood until I heard a crash in the distance that resembled a large splash.


    I held my head up and gripped one of the blades at my side. It felt like something deep within would allow me to defend myself if I needed to. I took a step to the trees in the same direction the geyser had gone with that in mind. I had no leads and no idea what to do next. The direction of the water seemed like a good enough way to go to start an investigation.

 2 – A Walk

    The woods were dark and quiet. I kept a hand resting close to one of the daggers at my side as I walked. It was eerie in its own unique way, and nothing like I had ever experienced. Or so I would like to say if I recalled any of my past. Try as I might, I could not fully recover any lost thoughts. I may have had a brother, or perhaps a sister. I had the feeling I could have served under someone as well, but nothing was concrete enough for me to be certain.


    The trees I walked by were still and grey. Under them was an array of grey foliage¡ªgrasses, flowers, and other plants made up much of the scene. I still appeared as colorful as ever, with my pink clothing. It was like I had been dropped within a black and white painting. In fact, other than myself, the only color I had seen in this odd world was the sparkling blue from the faux-water I had encountered prior. What could that mean? I shook my head and pressed forward.


    In no time at all, I reached my destination. Or at least I believe I did. It was another large body of the strange water. I stared out from the shore that stretched into the distance. The shape may have been slightly different, but it was hard to tell.


    I couldn¡¯t be entirely sure it was a new body of water either. Perhaps I had walked in an elaborate circle. Unfortunately, there was a way to be sure, and it required doing something unpleasant. I kneeled down and cautiously put my hand in the misty energy.


    Once again, I felt myself get pulled from my body. I soared over the sky, except the scene was different this time.


    Now I overlooked an arena within a city. There was a fight within it, but neither was dressed like a warrior. The first wore an apron dress like one might expect a housekeeper to wear. The second wore an outfit of shiny material that served no defensive or stealth purpose. A crowd vigorously cheered as the two combatants traded blows.


    Taller buildings than I could have imagined made up the scene, and what I could only describe as horseless carriages carried citizens through the streets. Was this some sort of magic? I could see people dressed in odd wear throughout the city moving about and using strange abilities. They carried even weirder devices and tools that illuminated when they stared at them.


    I pulled my hand out and shook my head. I must have been looking at a different place. While the last had been a scene of despair, this place was just off. They had strange technology and even more bizarre denizens. It would be unwise to interact with any more of these bodies of water. The last thing I would want to do is fall into any of these strange or disturbing places.


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    I looked from the shore out in the distance. The ground was raised above the water in one spot, and from the higher point, I could see a small waterfall emptying into the faux-water where I had seen the arena.


    I quickly climbed to the higher ground and viewed a river that seemed to flow out from deeper in the woods. I had nothing better to do and followed after.


    Nothing changed in the scene for a while as I made my way up the river. I had to stop several times to get bearings on my surroundings, as it was hard to determine if I was even moving or not. Fortunately, a close inspection showed enough change in the scene that I could be confident of my progress.


    Eventually, I could see something new in the distance.


    I suppose the best thing to call it would be a mountain. Its rock face towered above the trees so imposingly that I couldn¡¯t believe I had only just noticed it. From the top, the river''s source was flowing out as a long waterfall. The sides of it were steep and unscalable. I opted to walk away from the waterfall and around the mountain.


    It didn¡¯t take long until I came across a staircase. It had been carved from the steep mountain and ascended to the top. Based on the sounds, there was a waterfall flowing down on either side of the stairs. The rushing sound of the faux-water echoed on all sides and in the distance. Were there two waterfalls? Were there more? I shook the thought away; it wasn¡¯t important at the moment.


    I began to climb the stairs. If I could get to higher ground, I would be able to get a good view of where I was.


    The walk through the woods had felt like I wasn¡¯t moving but going up the stairs felt even worse. On either side of me, there was solid, grey stone. Every step had been carved precisely the same, and the walls were smooth in all the same ways. I could only tell I made progress when I looked back to see how far the ground was.


    After checking to make sure I was moving for quite possibly the seventh time, I finally shook my head and turned away from the ground below. The sight that greeted me had something new appear.


    On the stony staircase a good way above, there was something that had the form of a person. It was not human; instead, it was made entirely of fire. The flames seemed to bend into recognizable arms, legs, and a head. They contrasted against the grey world with familiar hues of red and orange. I couldn¡¯t tell if the creature was a person covered in flames or flames wrapped in the shape of a person.


    Either way, I took cautious steps back down. My eyes stayed trained on the flames. In front of the thing sat a beautiful and terrifying-looking sword. Two fiery hands rested on the hilt as the tip was planted on the step below. I found my daggers firmly in my palms as I continued to move away. I hadn¡¯t even noticed pulling them out. I suppose it was some sort of instinct, though where I had developed, it could be anyone¡¯s guess.


    In no time, I reached the ground once again. The fiery creature didn¡¯t move from its spot, but the head was turned in my direction. It was as if it looked at me. I shuddered.


    We stared at each other for a long moment. I did not lower my blades as I continued to back up. Should I run? Would it follow? Could I win in a fight?


    The thoughts danced around my mind to an anxious tune as I moved back. I didn¡¯t look away from the creature until a snapping twig echoed behind me. Something else was approaching.

 3 – An Odd Fellow

    I moved just about as fast as the " snap " sound that came from behind me. I had spun around and held both my blades to a stranger¡¯s neck in a flash. How did I move so fast and with such precision? I shook off the thought and made a demand:


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The newcomer¡­ was odd, to say the least. The first thing my eyes fixed on was not of his pale-looking face but rather a large ball of green hair on his head. As my eyes moved down his form what grabbed my attention was green eyes, a green shirt, green pants, and green shoes.  It all brightly contrasted with the grey backdrop. He was shorter than me, though his curly and poofy hair added enough to make us appear around the same height.


    ¡°Hey, easy there,¡± the green stranger said while putting his hands up and showing me empty palms. ¡°Are you new?¡± he added.


    I squinted my eyes but said nothing and didn¡¯t move by blades.


    ¡°Okay, not much of a talker¡­ Do you understand what I¡¯m saying, at least?¡± The stranger seemed to have little regard for my blades next to his neck. He spoke in a light and friendly tone, not in one of someone being threatened. I gripped the hilts tighter as I prepared for him to make some sort of move.


    ¡°I understand you,¡± I said to him.


    ¡°Good, that makes things easier!¡± he seemed to say with a sigh of relief. ¡°Well, you seemed confused, to say the least. Let¡¯s see; I guess to start, welcome to what we like to call the World Between Worlds!¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Catchy name, right? I came up with it on my own. Basically, this is like a video game hub wor¨C oh wait, what is the technology level on your world like?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking the questions,¡± I said. I did not want to let on that I had no memories of my world.


    ¡°Okay, well, maybe it would be better to describe it as a house with many doors to other worlds!¡±


    ¡°A house?¡± I repeated.


    ¡°Exactly! Sometimes people fall in here, and sometimes you see streams transfer from one world to another!¡± the stranger happily explained. ¡°So, I can understand your confusion, but it¡¯s a simple matter to get you home if you calm down.¡±


    I sensed no malice in his words, though I was unsure how much I could trust my assessment. Either way, I lowered my blades from his neck and tucked them back to my side. He seemed to wipe his forehead like it was sweaty. I suppose I was somewhat threatening, but his motions were more dramatic than they ought to be if he were serious.


    ¡°Are you some sort of caretaker?¡± I asked the stranger.


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    ¡°Oh, me? No. I think that¡¯s more of Cherry¡¯s job!¡±


    ¡°Cherry?¡±


    The green man pointed behind me to the staircase. I turned and once again laid eyes on the person-shaped fiery creature. It had not moved from its position up on the stone stairs but looked at the two of us with apparent great interest. I shuddered as I turned back to the green man.


    ¡°That¡¯s Cherry; came up with the name myself!¡±


    ¡°You named the monster?¡± I asked in an almost disappointed tone. The green guy put his hands on his hips as if to show off.


    ¡°I know he¡¯s a little scary at first, but he''s really friendly once you get to know him! That is, as long as you don¡¯t try to go past him on the steps. Isn¡¯t that right, Cherry!¡±


    I turned to the fiery creature to see it nod and affirm what the stranger said.


    ¡°You can ask him anything you want, provided it¡¯s a ¡®yes¡¯ or ¡®no¡¯ question, and he will answer!¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll pass,¡± I said as I shook my head. This place was all too strange. ¡°How do I leave?¡± I added.


    ¡°Have you seen any of the lakes? Just dive right in!¡± the stranger happily replied.


    I recalled the two bodies of water. Does that mean when I dipped my hand in, it showed me a vision of the world it led to?


    I sighed and walked away from the stairs and strange green man. He chased after while shouting ¡®wait¡¯ over and over. I ignored him as I thought.


    I simply had to jump into the faux-water to get to a world, but could his words be trusted? He didn¡¯t seem like the type to lie, but couldn¡¯t that be an elaborate multilevel deception?


    In our short exchange, I had begun to feel odd. It was as if I knew him, or maybe someone like him before I lost my memory. I would have to be careful not to confuse my trust with the stranger that continued to pursue me through the grey trees.


    After a moment of my aimless wandering, I turned around and faced the green guy.


    ¡°Oh, good, you stopped. Were you listening at all?¡± he asked me while looking up at my face. He had been shouting something to me while I was lost in thought.


    ¡°I was not,¡± I admitted. There was no hint of apology in my tone. He rubbed the back of his bushy green hair.


    ¡°Well, I was saying that if you tell me where you came from, I could get you home. My friends and I are pretty familiar with this world!¡±


    His offer was nice, and his tone was sincere. Had I remembered where I came from, I might have given in and told him. Unfortunately, I had to admit something unpleasant instead.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall my world.¡± It felt like I had been stabbed as I spoke the words aloud. It hurt but saying it might make him back off.


    The green guy¡¯s face broke into an unexpected wide smile.


    ¡°Amnesia! So, I¡¯m not the only one! Oh, that¡¯s great¡­ not for you, I mean¡­ I can finally tell the others it¡¯s not so random. So, how much did you forget? I ended up losing how to speak even¡­ it was nasty. I had to be retaught everything from scratch!¡±


    He was very chatty. I didn¡¯t know how to react to his sudden words.


    ¡°I, um.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I suppose you can¡¯t remember how much you forgot!¡± He motioned like he was smacking his head, ¡°Silly me, well do you at least recall your name?¡±


    I racked my head for the information, but no name came to mind.


    ¡°I do not,¡± I answered slowly.


    ¡°Hmm, well, you¡¯re dressed in pink¡­ so how about Pinky!¡± The guy dressed in green said.


    I swiftly put a blade next to his neck.


    ¡°No,¡± was all I said.


    ¡°Okay, not Pinky, got it,¡± he replied in a calm tone a person wouldn¡¯t usually make with a blade pointed at them. I lowered my dagger and put it back in its sheath. I¡¯m not sure why I had such an intense reaction. It had happened before I was even consciously aware of it. Still, I couldn¡¯t let him come up with a name, or I¡¯d end up like Cherry.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name,¡± I asked him.


    He pointed to himself with his thumbs. A smirk was painted across his face.


    ¡°Me, I¡¯m Mr. Green!¡±


    I turned away and waved.


    ¡°Goodbye,¡± I said as I began to walk away into the grey woods.


    ¡°Wait, that was just a joke!¡± he said as he chased after me.

 4 – A New Friend

    ¡°What is your real name?¡± I asked him as the green guy matched my pace. He hadn¡¯t let up even as I walked away, and after a moment of silence, I decided to give in and talk to him.


    ¡°Orrin!¡± the green guy answered.


    I squinted my eyes and looked at him. It sounded like a name, but I couldn¡¯t be sure he wasn¡¯t trying to joke again.


    ¡°That¡¯s really my name; my master gave it to me when I first got here!¡± he explained further as the grey woods passed behind him.


    ¡°Your master?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes! He lived here before I came, took me in, and retaught me all the language and stuff I needed to know! He even threw in some fighting techniques as well!¡± The green guy replied.


    ¡°Was?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He passed away a couple of years ago,¡± Orrin said. A hint of sadness in his voice contrasted with the chipper tone he presented since I met him. Orrin quickly flipped to a new subject. ¡°Well, we need to figure out where you belong!¡± he said.


    It seemed he wanted to send me to some world. I suppose I agreed with him. Any sight was better than here, but without knowing where I came from, there was an issue.


    I stopped walking and turned to the short green man. We had come up to a clearing from the grey forest, and a shining blue lake glowed beside us. I think it was different from one of the two I had seen before, but I wasn¡¯t familiar enough to be sure.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care where; just send me to a peaceful world,¡± I said firmly. I don¡¯t know where the desire came from, but I knew it would be best to be somewhere calm, even with my memory loss. Something innate was pulling me in that direction.


    ¡°Are you sure? It would be a one-way trip,¡± Orrin replied as he looked directly into my eyes. ¡°Without your memory, you might be in a lot of trouble. After all, not many people believe a story about coming from another world.¡±


    He had a point. At the very least, this stranger could understand what was going on if I told him. I didn¡¯t want to concede that point, however.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where I go, as long as it is peaceful. I reiterated. Orrin shook his head.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t lost all your memories, but you aren¡¯t a blank slate either. That might be the worst case for just tossing you into a world,¡± he explained.


    I questioned the use of ¡®tossing¡¯; it sounded like he might throw me into one of the lakes. I let the thought pass and replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see your reasoning; why couldn¡¯t I just go into that world?¡±? I pointed to the lake beside us.


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t want to go there¡­ too many¡­ wires¡­.¡± Orrin said with a disturbed tone and a twisted face. I decided to take his words at face value, given the contrast to his typical attitude. However, I wasn¡¯t sure what he meant.


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    ¡°Fine, then what do you recommend?¡±


    Orrin rubbed his chin.


    ¡°Well, I would personally think waiting a couple of days to see if your memory returns would be best. After which, we can revisit the discussion. By then, we should know you a little better, and we would be more confident in recommending a world that would fit as well!¡± Orrin explained.


    For some reason, I felt as if agreeing with him was conceding to a loss of some sort. Nevertheless, I found no counterpoints. I could bear a couple of days in this strange world, and maybe something would stir a memory or two. I still didn¡¯t want to surrender to his argument verbally and simply nodded. We stared in silence a moment before he spoke up.


    ¡°Great! Now, why don¡¯t we go to my base! My other friends are waiting there.¡± He gestured in what I assume was the direction of the so-called base. I silently nodded to show my agreement. This green person was strange enough; I didn¡¯t want to think how odd these friends he talked about were.


    Orrin smiled and began to walk in the direction he had just gestured to. I matched his pace and walked alongside him through the grey scene.


    ¡°Well, since we have a newcomer, I think we¡¯ll bust out the good food tonight!¡± Orrin said chipperly.


    ¡°Is there good food in this place?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, not here per se, but we can go into a world and get the supplies from time to time!¡±


    ¡°I thought you said it was a one-way trip?¡± I asked while turning to him. Orrin¡¯s face seemed to keep a constant smile as he talked.


    ¡°For you, it would be; I actually have the unique ability to travel between worlds freely!¡± His tone indicated a sort of pride.


    ¡°How did you realize that?¡± I asked. Such an ability would not be something easily discovered after all.


    ¡°I accidentally fell into a world one day! It was quite scary; I think an apocalypse was going on or something¡­ anyway; I wanted to leave so badly that I hopped right out! After that, there was some trial and error.¡± Orrin told the story like it was a comedy¡ªlaughing while he spoke.


    We broke out of the trees and stood next to a riverbank¡ªa grey wooden bridge arced above the bright blue waterway. The green guy happily began to walk over, and I followed along.


    ¡°So, do you visit worlds often?¡± I asked.


    ¡°From time to time, it helps keep the head clear, plus we can make supply runs! I can imagine the others get homesick from time to time, so we make it a point to visit their worlds on occasion.¡±


    I recall Orrin stating he had amnesia as well. Referring to homesickness stuck in my mind.


    ¡°Do the others remember their worlds?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh yeah, they¡¯re always going on and on about them too! Resh this and Hauteur that; it never ends! That¡¯s the one nice thing about having amnesia; there¡¯s no home to be sick for!¡±


    I glossed over the odd words I didn¡¯t recognize and focused on Orrin. The smile never left his face, but it felt like a pain lined his words. Perhaps I was projecting my own feelings onto him.


    ¡°Can the others be trusted?¡± I asked. I didn¡¯t know how many were here. Could I be walking into an ambush? Was this all an elaborate scheme to attack me? The thoughts began to gnaw at me. I was only 50/50 on Orrin to start with. My hands moved up my side and rested on the hilts of my sheathed daggers. I found the position oddly comfortable as if I was used to it.


    ¡°Of course! We argue, but we¡¯re all friends here! If anything, they¡¯ll be happy to have a new friend!¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± I asked while tilting my head.


    ¡°You are, of course! Now that we¡¯re friends, I¡¯ll introduce you to everyone else!¡± The smile never left Orrin¡¯s face as we finished crossing the bridge and continued to wander through the grey trees.


    ¡°We¡¯re friends?¡± I asked. Orrin looked at me like I had stabbed him. ¡°When did that happen?¡± I added for clarity.


    ¡°Just now, when we were talking!¡± Orrin insisted as he quickly switched to a smile with a confused expression.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it is that easy¡­.¡± I said. The short green guy laughed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it too hard! Friendship is odd like that!¡± he said with a smile.


    I stopped for a moment as Orrin kept walking. He got a couple of paces ahead of me before turning back.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t stop now! The daylight is burning!¡± he shouted back. I couldn¡¯t help but look up at the empty grey sky. Daylight?


    With a shake of my head, I walked forward. My apparent new friend happily led me the rest of the way.

 5 – A Meeting

    Sure enough, the ¡°daylight¡± Orrin described was slipping away from the world. As we walked, the sky began to grow darker as if a sun that was not there was starting to set. I tried asking Orrin about it, but he just passed it off as ¡®how the world is¡¯ and told me ¡®not to question it too much.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t satisfied, but I let the questions go.


    Eventually, we came across a clearing from the woods. It was a vast space, and several buildings had been set up within it. I suppose describing the structures as cottages would make the most sense. They were simple box shapes with overhanging triangular roofs on top. The buildings lacked windows and only had a hinged door with an archway top. A brick chimney was lined up on the sides, and bricks lined the perimeter at the base. Like everything else in the world, the cottage lacked color and only appeared as shades of grey.


    Off to the side of the buildings, I could see four forms sitting on some logs around an orange campfire. The forms were humanoid, but some were clearly less human than others. I slowed my pace as Orrin happily led me to the group. My hands stayed close to my daggers.


    ¡°Hey, guys! I met someone new!¡± He didn¡¯t waste any time introducing me loudly. As the green guy gestured to me, the crowd looked in my direction. They all waved as Orrin kept talking. ¡°All right, let¡¯s do this like we rehearsed: name, world, and one interesting fact!¡±


    After a moment of silence, the most normal looking spoke up. He had dark black hair, which had been shaved short, and deep brown eyes. His clothes looked thin and shiny¡ªa navy blue, off-white, and light yellow arranged in patterns that seemed to pop on the grey background.


    ¡°My name is Lerato. My world is called Enischyo. My Grandfather was a hero regarded as the ¡®Savior of the Savannah.¡¯ It is my dream to become a hero that will surpass him,¡± the man said. Orrin clapped, but the others ignored him.


    The second to go was a bald man. He had an imposing gaze and a jaw that seemed to be locked in a frown. An oddly-shaped tattoo went from his chin to his bald head along the right side of his face. The marking was jagged and harsh, and his attitude did not seem any better in comparison. His clothes were button-up and a dirty white, and he sat straight up with no hint of a slouch.


    ¡°Name is Enas. I was made to be a killer in my world, do not try anything funny or else,¡± he warned in a stern voice. I felt myself shudder as his threatening words and blue eyes seemed to stab into me. Orrin laughed.


    ¡°Oh, Mark, you¡¯re always so funny!¡± the green guy said.


    The bald man quickly reached down to a sheath at his side. A grey metal object was sitting in it, but it did not resemble any blade. I could tell that the shape was an ¡®L¡¯ with a shorter section fashioned to fit a hand. The longer section was contained in the sheath where I could not see; should I suppose it was a miniature crossbow?


    I didn''t get an answer to what it was as Enas didn¡¯t pull his weapon out, but he seemed to frown more intensely as he shook his head. He balled up his fist and pulled it closer to his stomach as he turned to me.


    ¡°Do not call me Mark like this fool!¡± he said curtly.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what the problem was with ¡®Mark¡¯ as a name, but I still nodded to show I understood.


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    ¡°Don¡¯t take him too seriously; he¡¯s all bark,¡± the next person in the campfire group said while pointing to Enas. ¡®Person¡¯ was taking it lightly, however. This creature was shorter than Orrin even, with beady red eyes. It had a large nose and long droopy ears with leathery skin. Sharp teeth lined its mouth, and equally sharp claws were the ends of its feet and hands. The creature wore cloth robes, and its skin was a yellow-orange.


    ¡°My name is Pythagoras, and I don¡¯t want to hear anything about it!¡± The creature stopped to take a breath, as if staving off past frustration, before continuing, ¡°Anyway, how proficient with technology would you say you are?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure of the significance of Pythagoras¡¯ name, but I saw no reason to press the issue. My head shook to indicate I didn¡¯t understand what he was asking. The yellow-orange creature sighed and let the matter go. I turned to the last of the group as she began to speak.


    This was another creature, except unlike the short one before, I stared at a giant beast. She was as tall as I was, even while sitting on the log. A spear was stabbed into the ground, and she kept one hand resting on it. The creature had a long face with tall, pointed ears on top of her head.


    Her whole body, or at least of what I could see, was covered in a short fur with a tortoiseshell calico pattern. From her chin to her neck was white. Cream orange hair flowed from her head to her neck, and her tail matched in tone. She wore light clothes with smaller metal armor pieces on her arms and sides.


    ¡°Name¡¯s Casey. I come from Resh. I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have many interesting facts about myself,¡± she said with a polite bow. Between the last two, I had forgotten about Orrin¡¯s introduction rules.


    ¡°And I¡¯m Orrin, but you already knew that! I don¡¯t know where I came from, and I¡¯m this group''s leader!¡± My self-proclaimed green friend said while pointing to himself.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not!¡± the group seemed to shout in unison.


    Orrin frowned for a moment, then broke out into a smile once again.


    ¡°Well, that can slide for now; our new friend here has amnesia and doesn¡¯t know her name or world. She¡¯ll stay with us for a while!¡±


    ¡°Amnesia? I¡¯m sorry to hear,¡± Lerato spoke up in a solemn manner. He seemed genuine in his sympathy for me. How should I reply to that?


    ¡°I¡¯ve been working on a device that can¨C might restore memories if you want to be a test subject,¡± Pythagoras said while rubbing his yellow-orange palms together. His grin was made all the more devious by the pointy teeth in his mouth.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ okay¡­.¡± I said softly while taking a step back. My hands seemed to move closer to my daggers.


    Casey lightly chopped the comparatively tiny creature on his head with her giant palm. It was as if to say he ought to ¡®shut up.¡¯ Pythagoras squinted and crossed his arms but remained quiet.


    ¡°If she does not have a name, we ought to come up with one. It would be rather inconvenient otherwise,¡± Enas said in a sort of grumbling manner.


    ¡°Your right, Mark!¡± Orrin said with a smile. The bald man seemed to shake at the green guy¡¯s words, but he resisted reaching for his odd weapon a second time. Given my reaction to ¡®Pinky,¡¯ I suppose I couldn¡¯t blame him.


    ¡°How about Dagger,¡± Lerato suggested as he gestured to the blades hanging by my waist. The others shook their heads.


    ¡°That sounds more like a hero name than an actual one,¡± Pythagoras said. The others nodded in agreement. ¡°Perhaps something like Rosy would be sufficient,¡± he added.


    ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t¡­.¡± I began to say but was interrupted.


    ¡°I tried Pinky earlier, but she didn¡¯t like it!¡± Orrin chimed in.


    ¡°It is no wonder! That name is terrible,¡± Enas said with a shake of his bald head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come up with a name!¡± I blurted out. The others turned to me. I shyly looked at the ground. ¡°Just give me a little time,¡± I added in a softer tone.


    That seemed to satisfy them. The others around the fire seemed to nod to affirm. Orrin, on the other hand, kept talking.


    ¡°Are you sure? We could come up with a really nice name!¡±


    ¡°Orrin, leave her alone,¡± Casey said as she stood up. Her form seemed to double in size and towered over me. It was a little intimidating having to look up at Casey, but her movements showed no aggression. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get some rest? We can talk again in the morning,¡± she said softly. With that, she gently led me to a house with a bed inside.


    I laid down as the door was closed. I wasn¡¯t sure I ought to sleep around the strangers, but my drowsiness quickly overtook me as I sank into the bed.

 6 – A First Memory

    I walked around a large home with a haze around my mind. After taking a while to make my way down an empty hall, I looked at my hands. They were small and stubby. It wasn¡¯t that I was in a large home; I had shrunk in size.


    A door slid open, and a woman walked out with a clothes basket. She looked down at me, but I couldn¡¯t make out her face.


    ¡°Kiko, mommy¡¯s busy right now. We¡¯ll play later, okay?¡± she said to me gently. I nodded to show I understood.


    Kiko? Was that my name?


    The woman left, and I began to wander the house some more. It was a beautiful-looking house. The flooring was covered with rather nice mats, and the wooden architecture had a striking appearance.


    Was this my home?


    I didn¡¯t have much more time to ponder¡ªsounds of horses galloping soon echoed in the distance. I made my way to the door with great effort. No matter how much I struggled, it felt like stones were tied to my tiny legs. However, I couldn¡¯t stop; something didn¡¯t feel right, and I didn¡¯t understand why.


    A loud neigh echoed through the house. Shouts and cries followed it. Echoes of running and destruction poured in. I fell right by the front door as the horrifying noise berated my ears. My small hands shakily covered them in an attempt to stop the sounds.


    A moment later, everything became quiet. I looked up, and the door slid open. Two men were covered in plated armor. They held swords in their hands, and their faces were covered with fanged Oni masks.


    One of the men grabbed me by my hair and lifted me off the ground. My head suddenly felt larger than normal and it seemed like I could look at it while looking at the men. He held his sword up, poised to strike when the other stopped him.


    ¡°Wait,¡± the man in a smiling Oni mask said. ¡°She is fairly young,¡± he added.


    ¡°Your point?¡± the man who held me replied gruffly. His mask looked more twisted and sinister. Both men¡¯s voices sounded distant and contained an echo that made it difficult to understand them.


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    ¡°The mistress lost a daughter to disease lately, and here we have a suitable replacement,¡± the smiling Oni said.


    ¡°We were ordered to kill all; she is included in all,¡± the twisted Oni said curtly.


    The smiling Oni rubbed his chin. The two of them had suddenly looked less human and more monster as the conversation went on.


    ¡°We should at least take her back and present her to the mistress. We¡¯ll kill her on the spot if I''m wrong,¡± the smiling Oni said.


    ¡°She will seek vengeance for this,¡± the twisted Oni replied. He had not loosened his grip on my hair.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that; she¡¯s young and won¡¯t remember this in a couple of years!¡± the smiling Oni replied chipperly.


    The twisted Oni let go of my hair, and I fell to the ground. I rubbed my scalp which seemed to return shrink back to a normal size. He put his sword back in its sheath and shook his head.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be responsible for what happens,¡± he said as he walked out.


    The smiling Oni gently picked me up off the floor and began to carry me outside. I wish he had had the courtesy to blindfold me.


    I was surrounded by buildings that had been set ablaze. Smoke poured into the sky. People lay on the ground in scarlet puddles that made it appear as if heavy rain had come through. The world had turned red, and the sky had turned black. I shuddered at the cruel sight and hid my face in the smiling Oni¡¯s armor. He patted my head gently.


    I looked back out once again. This time I spied a familiar person. She lay on the ground with the rest; the basket of clothes tossed out on the ground hid her face from my view.


    Was she my mother? Is there no way I can ever know?


    I was seated on a horse while looking at the woman on the ground. The smiling Oni noticed my stares and gently turned my head away. He offered me a drink of something, possibly some kind of elixir. It had a burning sensation that matched the state of the town. Then everything went dark.


    I sat straight up from a lying position. My breathing was heavy, and my body was covered in a freezing sweat. I panted for a moment as I looked around the dark room. Everything was fuzzy for a moment as I wondered where I was.


    Once my breathing steadied, I remembered. I was in a house in the world between worlds. Casey had shown me a bed, and I turned in for the night.


    I clenched my fists tightly and stared down at my hands. How much of that was a dream, and how much was memory? Who was I?


    The thoughts echoed in my mind. I couldn¡¯t settle any of them.


    After a shake of my head, I laid back down on my bed. I shut my eyes tightly while trying to ignore the thoughts. They didn¡¯t go away, and I couldn¡¯t fall back asleep. I was afraid to go back to sleep.


    I ended up staying frozen in my miserable state until the morning came.

 7 – A Morning

    Banging outside caught my attention. It sounded like two frying pans were being smacked together by someone enthusiastic.


    ¡°Hey, everyone! I¡¯m making eggs this morning!¡± Orrin¡¯s voice filtered into my room in a sort of sing-song manner.


    ¡°Shut up and start cooking then!¡± Enas shouted loud enough to hear from afar.


    ¡°Intelligent minds need their rest!¡± Pythagoras added.


    ¡°I¡¯d like them scrambled!¡± Lerato requested.


    Did this group have no troubles whatsoever? They seemed far too carefree, given the strange grey world. I sat up and slowly made my way to the outside.


    The scene had grown lighter, but no sun continued to light the sky. I looked around at the colorful cast of characters who popped out in this grey world.


    Casey, the giant beast woman, appeared to be doing some stretches in front of her house. Her tortie fur seemed to flow and sway as she performed her exercise.


    Enas emerged from his house and yawned as he scratched near the tattoo on his face. He made his way to the house next to his and banged on the door.


    ¡°Pythagoras, they will eat it all if you do not get up!¡± he shouted.


    ¡°They would never!¡± the yellow-orange creature shouted from within his room.


    ¡°It is Orrin and Casey we are talking about¡­.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be out right away!¡± Pythagoras shouted from inside his room after a pause. Enas nodded and made his way over to Lerato and Orrin.


    Both were sitting by a metal tray with a small blue flame that a skillet sat on top of. Orrin moved some butter across the pan while Lerato whipped the eggs in a bowl. As I made my way over, I saw them pour the beaten eggs into the pan.


    ¡°I hope you like eggs!¡± Orrin said with a smile as I sat down. I wasn¡¯t sure if I did or not, so I just nodded as he began to scramble the yellow food.


    ¡°More importantly, we never decided what we would call you,¡± Enas said as he crossed his arms and sat by Lerato.


    ¡°Kiko,¡± I quickly replied with the name I heard in my dream. At least I could get something useful out of the terrible experience. I joined the group by the burner but sat a little further away from the circle the others were forming.


    ¡°Kiko, a wonderful name!¡± Lerato said with a nod.


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    ¡°It will do,¡± Enas added.


    ¡°Personally, I¡¯m still leaning to Pin¨C¡± Orrin stopped mid-sentence when he saw the death glare I gave him. ¡°Anyway, these eggs are going to be great!¡± he said with a wide smile as his green eyes darted back to the pan.


    ¡°They better be!¡± Pythagoras said as he sat down with the rest of us. ¡°We went through a lot of trouble in that world for those dragon eggs!¡±


    What was a dragon? I thought to myself.


    As Orrin finished preparing the dish, Casey walked over and joined in with the rest. The green guy would put some of the eggs on a plate; then it was passed from one person to the next until it reached me at the end of the line. They repeated the process until everyone had a plate in their hands.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡± Orrin shouted before digging into his plate of food.


    I joined in and silently took a bite. The texture and flavor were fine, however:


    ¡°These taste just like normal eggs!¡± Orrin shouted my thoughts after several bites.


    Enas nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Makes you wonder why we went through all the trouble,¡± the bald man said.


    ¡°You lot are crazy,¡± Pythagoras chimed in, ¡°there is a clear difference here!¡±


    ¡°I concur; this is much better tasting,¡± Casey said with a nod.


    Lerato laughed but kept his opinion to himself. It was clear he agreed with Orrin, though.


    ¡°I guess Casey and Pythagoras will be the next two going on the egg run!¡± he said between his chuckles.


    I watched as the others talked and laughed amongst each other about the eggs we were eating.


    ¡°You¡¯re outnumbered on this one,¡± Orrin said to Casey and Pythagoras.


    ¡°Kiko hasn¡¯t made a vote yet,¡± Casey said while turning to me. I jumped. She was nowhere close to us when I told my name, so it surprised me that she heard.


    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t say they seem vastly superior¡­¡± quietly replied. Both Casey and Pythagoras let their heads down. Orrin, meanwhile, threw his hands in the air and began to shout.


    ¡°Hahaha, we win this one!¡± Enas nodded in silent agreement. Lerato just chuckled to himself; he had remained quiet, perhaps for the best. What did I just take part in?


    A sudden geyser sound could be heard as the group laughed and made idle banter. We all looked to the sky to see a watery stream arc over our heads.


    ¡°Ah, there is another one,¡± Lerato said.


    ¡°Another what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Someone just went from one world to another. Happens from time to time,¡± Pythagoras said.


    ¡°Does that happen often?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hmm, it doesn¡¯t seem like it happens too often, though lately, I think it has been more frequent,¡± Lerato wondered aloud.


    We remained quiet for a moment as if everyone was wondering what to say next.


    ¡°Well, shall we see what the day brings us?¡± Orrin clapped his hands together as he spoke. He smiled as he looked at each of our faces. I looked in another direction when he came to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m heading north, still need to map out some of that region,¡± Pythagoras said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll patrol the west,¡± Casey added.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going east,¡± Lerato continued.


    ¡°Guess I will be to the south,¡± Enas said with a nod.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll wander like always!¡± Orrin said with a smile.


    I had no idea what they were talking about and awkwardly looked at each of them. The only one to notice my confusion was Lerato, who promptly explained.


    ¡°We have divided this world up among four sections and travel around in the day,¡± he explained.


    ¡°Yes indeed!¡± Orrin said. ¡°If you want, you can come with me!¡±


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± I quickly replied.


    The green guy frowned for a split second as Lerato and Pythagoras chuckled.


    ¡°Well, you probably shouldn¡¯t travel alone¡­.¡± Orrin said with a new smile. ¡°Let¡¯s see. Eeny Meeny¡­. Mo¡­ Mark will accompany you today, and let¡¯s all break for the day!¡± Orrin quickly ran away from the group before Enas could yell about being called ¡®Mark¡¯ once again.


    The bald man sighed.


    ¡°Guess you can tag along today,¡± he said.

 8 – A Structure

    As we left the base, I discovered that Enas was incredibly fast. One moment he stood next to me; the next, he was already well into the wooded path. It seemed that my body was trained for advanced athletism, but the bald man was able to continue to pull away with a walk that resembled more of a military march than a sprint.


    Eventually, some natural inclination within me led me to chase after Enas by leaping across the grey tree branches where the ground could not hold me down. We kept up the pace for a while before he realized that I was keeping up only with great struggle. The bald man stopped and allowed me to catch up with him.


    ¡°Apologies,¡± he said curtly. His rough voice could easily be misconstrued as uncaring with his stoic expression. I figured I would give him the benefit of the doubt and assume otherwise.


    ¡°No problem,¡± I replied as I continued to breathe heavily.


    Enas slowly and intentionally walked through the grey trees, and I matched his pace. He rested one hand above his strange metal weapon, and every once in a while, his blue eyes would dart to the side while his face remained forward. I looked in the direction that caught his attention but never saw anything other than grey foliage. I was content with being silent, but I did have a question floating in my mind that seemed no better to ask now than any other time.


    ¡°Why does Orrin call you Mark?¡±


    The bald man seemed to shudder at the question, but his face remained stone cold as ever.


    ¡°On my world, I was given the model number M¨CA¨CR¨CK¨C1¨C1¨C1¡­ and some more numbers after. When I first came to this world, he quickly decided to make that spelling my name,¡± Enas explained. He was a lot more open than I figured, given his facial expressions.


    Still, his explanation only raised more questions.


    ¡°What is a model number?¡± I asked.


    Enas rubbed his chin. He seemed to go deep in thought on how my question ought to be answered.


    ¡°Do you have genetics and factories in your world?¡± he asked. I shrugged in reply. ¡°Right, amnesia. Let us just say I never had a mother as you do; instead, I was forged in the same manner your dagger was.¡±


    I looked down at the pretty blades which hung near my sides. I didn¡¯t fully understand, but given all the strange things and people I¡¯d met so far, his story was something I just decided to accept.


    ¡°Do the letters mean anything then?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, it is an acronym for the role that I was designed to fulfill,¡± Enas said. He didn¡¯t add anything more, and his frown suggested I should not ask.


    We walked through the grey woods for a while longer until a clearing was reached. In front of us was another large body of faux water. It was the entrance to another world, as I now understood. Not too far in the distance, I could see the tall and narrow mountain where I had encountered the fiery creature and Orrin. Further on from the lake, a stony structure was set up, which resembled a large gate.


    I walked close to the edge and looked in. The faux water seemed to move gently like the real stuff and sparkled like it was full of millions of tiny stars. If Orrin¡¯s understanding were correct, jumping in would take me to the world. Which meant dipping my hand in, as I had done before, gave a preview of sorts. Curiosity welled up, and I leaned over to dip a hand in.


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    I saw hundreds of people, maybe thousands, all going about their lives. Each was running around in concrete towns with buildings towering into the sky. Giant beasts of metal seemed to carry them to, and fro, and each stared at an odd object in their hands as they moved through the world.


    From behind, I was yanked back, and the vision broke.


    ¡°Do not stand so close unless you want to dive in,¡± Enas said as I struggled to pull free from his grip.


    ¡°Have you seen that?¡± I asked him after I got free.


    ¡°Yes, just another world. We call this one the Water Earth. It is the most mundane and peaceful place out there if you are looking for that sort of thing.¡± There was an odd sort of dismissiveness in his words.


    I turned back to the blue entrance into the world. Everyone had been moving about their lives with no idea what was happening here. It was an odd feeling as if I was in on some extraordinary secret.


    I didn¡¯t have too much time to ponder; the water in the lake seemed to start to shake. A small geyser shot out of the center. Unlike what I had seen before, the stream did not arc across the sky. Instead, it only flew above the trees and crashed back down. Waves rippled to the shore.


    Enas bent down and began to examine the ground. I looked down as well and laid eyes on what he saw. A treasure trove of items had been washed up on the shore.


    I looked as well and picked up a leather object with paper in it.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I asked.


    The bald man quickly came over and nodded. He opened the leather object and began to pull out the contents contained within.


    ¡°This would be a wallet, and with cash in it. Good job, that will be good for the next grocery trip we do in this world.¡±


    ¡°Does stuff wash ashore all the time?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, objects wash up all the time,¡± Enas said as he eyed a shiny card with a face on it. The card was slid back into the wallet, but Enas put the paper in his pocket.


    ¡°Should we be taking this stuff? Won¡¯t the owner miss it?¡±


    Enas finished examining the contents. Other than the so-called cash, everything else was put back in, which mainly were several shiny cards with numbers on them. Then, he tossed the leather object back into the world. I watched as it flew in the sky and plopped into the lake.


    ¡°It should land near enough to the owner that it can be found,¡± the bald man explained to me as he eyed my confused expression. ¡°Pick up the objects that washed up, and we will keep the useful things. Everything else can be thrown back.¡±


    He had not answered my question, but I walked around the lake and picked up the odd objects just the same. There were metal canisters with pictures of food, keys on rings, things with many buttons, and pieces of fabric shaped like a foot. I wasn¡¯t sure what good anything was, so I picked up everything. Perhaps more of it was curiosity about what the objects could be. I wasn¡¯t sure if my memory loss or the world I originated from made up for my lack of knowledge.


    Eventually, I made my way to the stony structure near the lake. It consisted of two large blocks positioned so that the longer length was headed up into the grey sky. A shorter block was sat on top of the other two to connect each into a gate appearance, though it lacked a wall that would allow it to serve the purpose of a gate. It was hard to tell if the grey appearance was due to the world or just the stone¡¯s natural color.


    Up close, the stones were more than just simple blocks. They had been delicately carved with patterns and languages I could not read. I set down some of what I collected and reached up to touch a carving when a shout from Enas stopped me. He had come around from the other side of the lake with a handful of collected items.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch that,¡± the bald man shouted as he got close.


    ¡°Why not?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Best not to mess with these sorts of things.¡± Enas did not clarify and simply left the gate a mystery as he began to eye the stuff I had collected. He started to throw several items back in and take what was ¡°useful¡± in his eyes.


    After some time, Enas began to head back to his ¡°base¡± while I followed along. I asked about the structure several more times, but he only gave vague answers. In the end, I gave up; perhaps Orrin would be a better choice for who I should be asking questions. I settled on planning to ask him when I got the chance.

 9 – An Intelligent Goblin

    Pythagoras was already at the base when Enas and I returned with what we had collected. I carried a few of the metal canisters, but the majority of what we had gathered was fitted neatly in the many pockets Enas had in his white clothing.


    The small creature was eagerly shuffling through a large bag made up of shiny, white material. The bald man sighed and walked over to the yellow-orange form. With ease, Pythagoras was lifted into the air by the back of his loose clothes.


    ¡°What have I said about hoarding?¡± Enas asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that; all this stuff is valuable!¡± the creature replied with a toothy grin.


    Enas dropped Pythagoras and picked up the bag. He began to tie it shut.


    ¡°At least you had the decency to put it in a garbage bag,¡± the bald man muttered.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t you dare throw away all that!¡± Pythagoras shouted while pointing at the man at least three times as tall.


    Enas sighed and looked in my direction. He dropped the bag and gestured that I should get closer.


    I sighed and obliged. It might have been easier to go with Orrin; at least I had an idea of what I was getting into with him.


    ¡°Alright, you have to explain the items to our amnesiac friend here. If she can not comprehend how it is useful by your explanation, you have to throw it away,¡± Enas explained. What was he volunteering me to do?


    ¡°Ha, you underestimate intellect such as mine! This task is an easy one!¡± Pythagoras proudly huffed. He reached into the bag and pulled out the first item. It was metal, with smooth black handles that could pivot.


    ¡°Here, you see a can opener. Not only useful for any goods we come across, but I can make an ultimate weapon with it!¡± The orange-yellow creature happily exclaimed.


    ¡°What¡¯s a can opener?¡± I asked.


    Enas smirked and slid his arms behind his back.


    ¡°Well, do your best, Pythagoras. Kiko, I will do something to repay you later,¡± he said before walking off.


    ¡°Wait! She is clearly from a world with lower technology! Do you expect me to explain every detail!¡± Pythagoras shouted back.


    Enas waved without turning back to look at us.


    ¡°Next time, you should only take what you can keep in your pockets and hold in your hands!¡± the bald man replied. For the first time, his gruff voice had a hint of laughter in it.


    Considering how many pockets I had seen in his clothes, I think Enas had an unfair advantage with that rule. My jaw remained tight; it was probably best to remain quiet on that point.


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    ¡°You know goblins don¡¯t use pockets!¡± Pythagoras shouted back.


    I was unfamiliar with the word ¡®goblin,¡¯ but it was easy enough to guess that Pythagoras was talking about his species. At least now, I didn¡¯t have to go through awkwardly asking to find out.


    Pythagoras huffed and pointed to the ¡®can opener.¡¯


    ¡°This object is made of metal with plastic handles. Plastic is¡­ well, you probably don¡¯t need that much detail. When using this object, we can open cans that contain food.¡± The orange-yellow goblin explained. I nodded to show I understood.


    Pythagoras began to rummage around in the bag again and produced what looked similar to the objects Enas and I had collected before.


    ¡°This is a can,¡± he explained. He demonstrated how the can opener fit onto the can. ¡°I won¡¯t open it now, but you clamp down and turn. Simple, is it not?¡±


    I nodded. He neglected to explain the ¡®ultimate weapon¡¯ part from earlier, but I just let that slide.


    ¡°I see the value,¡± I said to him.


    His red eyes lit up with excitement as he put the can and can opener to the side.


    ¡°Great! I¡¯m happy to see you have intelligence!¡±


    His words sounded like an insult, but I said nothing since I thought he meant them to be a complement. Pythagoras began to rummage in the bag once again.


    The next item he pulled out was a flat, square object. It was blue and had a white circle in the center.


    ¡°This here is a floppy disk, and with it, I can create the ultimate weapon¡­ Moving on!¡± He placed the floppy disk aside next to the can opener and can.


    The goblin began to rummage once more.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I shouted as I pointed to the apparent floppy object. Pythagoras sighed.


    ¡°It is an old data storage method that most worlds have obsoleted,¡± he said. My blank stare must have indicated to the goblin that he should keep speaking. ¡°You see, many worlds have developed a device called a computer¡­.¡±


    Pythagoras went into great detail about the ¡®computer¡¯ and its development across several worlds. I listened attentively, but much of it quickly left my head.


    ¡°Do you see the value now?¡± Pythagoras asked after finishing. I nodded but wasn¡¯t sure I completely understood.


    He pulled the next item out of the bag. It was made of red fabric and shaped in a round dome. A bill sat on the end, making it look almost like a duck''s head. The letters ¡°QC¡± were printed in bold on the dome.


    ¡°This is what they call a baseball cap. It gets worn on the head and can keep the sun out of your eyes, and with it, I can create the ultimate weapon!¡± the goblin explained. I was starting to notice a pattern.


    ¡°Is there even a sun here?¡± I asked while pointing to the grey sky above.


    ¡°There may be suns on other worlds; in fact, our very own Casey comes from a world with two of them!¡± Pythagoras explained.


    ¡°Will she need the baseball cap on that world?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, no, but you might need a visor if you visit another world!¡± Pythagoras explained.


    I rubbed my chin and thought. Even if I found the sun of another world overwhelming, I don¡¯t think I would wear something so tacky-looking.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass,¡± I said. The goblin grumbled and placed the hat on the ground. He reached into the bag to grab another item. ¡°Before moving on, what¡¯s baseball?¡± I asked.


    He had mentioned the word, and I at least wanted to give the item as much of a fair chance as I could.


    Pythagoras made a grin with sharp teeth.


    ¡°It is a sport played on several worlds, and I am happy to say my home world has recently been introduced to it as well! You see, players form teams of nine¡­¡± the goblin went on to a lengthy explanation of the sport.


    Once he was finished describing baseball, we moved on to the next item. With each successive item, he would explain more and more to me about things in other worlds. After a while, we stopped looking at the stuff in the bag, and the goblin happily shared with me everything he had learned about the many worlds.


    We talked through the night until it was time to sleep. Pythagoras quickly gathered everything into his bag and made his way to his small house. As I walked to my own, it occurred to me we never threw anything away, much to Enas¡¯ chagrin. I shrugged and turned in for the night.

 10 – A Hero

    I was happy to wake up in peace. No memories or nightmares tried to shake me from my slumber last night. As I sat up in bed, I rubbed my eyes. After a minute of staring at the door, I stood up.


    I slid my pink petal kimono over the form-fitting clothes on my body. This was the third day I was in this strange world, yet my clothes seemed to stay as clean as ever. Would we need to wash them? The others seemed to wear the same outfits every day. Should I ask?


    I shook the thoughts from my head and exited my tiny house.


    Outside the room, I saw Lerato sitting off to the side. He smiled and waved to me while shouting:


    ¡°The little briar rose has awoken!¡± I had no idea what he meant and just walked over to him.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I said. Lerato made an honest laugh in reply.


    ¡°Well, I guess it is still morning, but you nearly slept it away,¡± he said.


    I blinked several times and looked around. No one else was in our little base. Enas, Pythagoras, and Casey were all missing, and Orrin could not be heard at all.


    ¡°Where¡­¡± I began.


    ¡°They already left for the day; I decided to stay back so you wouldn¡¯t wake alone,¡± Lerato explained.


    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± I said. How long had I slept?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it! We all had a moment when the exhaustion caught up with us. After all, this world is a lot to take in at once!¡± Lerato said with an understanding face. I wanted to explain that I would never sleep in late normally, but I couldn¡¯t be sure that was true with no memories.


    Instead, I just sat down on a log with a warm face that was most likely very flushed.


    ¡°Are the activities the same today as yesterday?¡± I asked.


    ¡°If you mean walking around the world, then yes.¡± Lerato answered with a cheery voice.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it ever get boring living in this grey world?¡± I asked.


    Lerato¡¯s dark eyebrows furrowed; he was puzzled by my question. We stared at each other a moment before his face lit up with understanding.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right!¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°Well, you may come to understand with time,¡± he added.


    He didn¡¯t explain further, and I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what information to ask more about. I figured I would let it go and move to something related.


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    ¡°Why do you stay in this world?¡± I asked.


    Lerato rubbed his chin for a moment. He stood up and waved for me to follow. As we entered the grey woods, he began to speak.


    ¡°Where I come from, I was a sort of hero,¡± Lerato explained. I couldn¡¯t help but glance at his shiny clothes. Was this the sort of thing ¡®heroes¡¯ wore? For that matter, I wasn¡¯t sure if he meant hero the same way I pictured it¡ªa sort of brave warrior came to mind. I didn¡¯t interrupt as Lerato continued explaining. ¡°Or at least I was an aspiring one. In all honesty, I wasn¡¯t very good,¡± he chuckled as he spoke.


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®hero¡¯?¡± I asked as he made a pause in his talk.


    ¡°Ah, my apologies. In our world, we had events that gave many people powers; a hero became someone who wielded those powers for good. My grandfather, for example, was one of the first generation. He had the powers to transform into a great lion that could cross the continent in several bounds.¡±


    Even as Lerato looked at me as we talked, he ducked to avoid hitting his head on a grey branch as we walked.


    ¡°What¡¯s a lion?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Ah, a big cat in my world, and he could become many sizes larger!¡±


    A big cat? I had some idea of what a cat was, but trying to imagine a giant one sounded terrifying. Turning into one seemed strange enough as well. What would that entail?


    ¡°Could he talk to the other lions?¡± I asked with curiosity. Lerato chuckled.


    ¡°Well, his powers let him speak the same language, but he always said it was impossible to understand what they said.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s vague,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Just a bit, huh?¡± Lerato added with a laugh. His face showed a nostalgic smile. ¡°Anyway, we got off track, didn¡¯t we? My grandfather was already a legend among the greats by the time I was born. I sought to live up to his heights but ultimately fell short and ultimately fell into this world between worlds. I guess you could say that by staying here, I believe I will be able to become a greater hero!¡±


    ¡°So, do you have these¡­ powers? Are they like magic?¡±


    ¡°Ah, so your world used magic then,¡± Lerato said with a knowing nod. I must have said something insightful about my world, but I could not figure out what that was. ¡°In results, I suppose it is similar to magic, but my powers are fixed while magic has room to grow, you see.¡±


    I nodded, but I didn¡¯t see what he was trying to say. He gently pulled my arm to the side so I would avoid walking into some grey foliage. It appeared suddenly as if it jumped in my way, silly as that seemed.


    ¡°Can you turn into a¡­ lion as well?¡± I had to pause to remember the name of the big cat.


    ¡°Ah, no. My abilities are just as over the top, but unfortunately no large cats for me. I suppose that is good; we wouldn¡¯t need any competition for large, furry fighters with Casey!¡± Lerato replied with a laugh. ¡°But perhaps once Orrin can, we can visit my world! I¡¯m sure someone has the power to manipulate memories, but whether they will be a hero or villain is yet unknown.¡±


    He seemed to be thinking about my memory loss. It was kind of him to do so, but I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to have anyone using strange powers to mess with my head. Should the topic come up, I would have to refuse politely.


    ¡°What does Orrin have to do with it?¡±


    ¡°Our green friend¡­ is special¡­ he has a way to get out of worlds but has to wait several days before using it.¡±


    I think I recalled Orrin saying something like that before. I had no idea what that meant, but it was at least a little reassuring to hear that I wasn¡¯t the only one who thought of Orrin as a ¡®green person.¡¯


    I didn¡¯t have any more questions, so Lerato began to regale me with the tales of heroes in his world and how he related to each in his youth. I silently listened and nodded along as he spun the tales.

 11 – An Edge

    Lerato may have told me his life¡¯s story as we made our way through the grey world. He walked all the way through his early childhood to his early adulthood with every possible little detail. Even if I recalled that much information about my own life, I would never share it so freely. I got the sense that he was just happy to tell the stories to a new person; I imagine the others had already heard these stories countless times.


    We found our way to the shore of one of the world lakes as he explained his dream of being a hero.


    ¡°And one day, I will be the kind of hero my grandfather will be proud of!¡± Lerato said.


    ¡°Does he know you are in this world?¡± I asked. He nodded at my question but took a second longer to reply than I would have expected.


    ¡°He passed away quite a few years ago, though I do like to imagine he is watching my exploits from beyond,¡± he replied with a hint of somberness trying to infect his otherwise cheery expression. I made a ¡®hmm¡¯ but didn¡¯t reply fully as we walked past the shore of the world lake. I hope I didn¡¯t remind him of some unfortunate memories, but it was hard to tell with his cheery persona. Lerato continued to explain the details of his grandfather''s passing.


    ¡°He had been getting up in the years, and his time came. It was a sad day for sure, but it was even more painful that many with ill intent came out of hiding almost immediately. My grandfather was the kind of hero that kept villains at bay just by being around. I fought bravely but was severely injured and was tossed off the edge of a cliff to my death.


    ¡°How did you survive?¡± I asked. His story had taken a new turn.


    ¡°Well, you see, that is the strange thing. I sort of fell into this world. I¡¯m not completely sure about how it happened, but the next thing I know, I washed up on the shore of my world lake. My bones were broken, and I was a bloody mess; luckily, Orrin found me quickly; otherwise, I would have been a goner! It took months before I was fully healed!¡±


    I recalled my own experience of waking up on the shore. I suppose I came out of my world similarly, but was there a cause, or was it random?


    I had to put my pondering aside as Lerato began to tell the tale of his exploits in the world between worlds. Apparently, the only other inhabitants were Orrin and his master when he came.


    ¡°After I had been here for about a month and a half, it was Enas¡¯ turn to wash up on the shore,¡± Lerato continued, ¡°You should have seen that guy. He was stuck up and arrogant, saying, ¡®I¡¯m a superior being. I don¡¯t have to listen to you!¡¯ I think it was a combination of Pythagoras showing up and the master continually beating him in fights that made him loosen up a little!¡± Lerato laughed as he reminisced.


    ¡°What happened to Orrin¡¯s master?¡± I interrupted.


    ¡°It was simply his time; Casey never got the chance to meet him either. We buried him in a small cemetery on the other side of the world; Orrin will show you if you like,¡± Lerato explained.


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    ¡°I see,¡± I replied. A cemetery implied there were more buried in the world than just Orrin¡¯s master, but I kept the thought to myself.


    Whoever this master was, he seemed like quite a character. It was a shame I would never get to meet someone Orrin and Lerato seemed to hold in high regard.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough talking about sad things, though! Do you have anything you are wondering about?¡± the friendly hero asked.


    I had lots of questions. Ones pertaining to who I was and where I came from. They were all things I needed to find out on my own. I just shook my head to indicate ¡®no¡¯ as a reply.


    ¡°Well, if you ever need to know anything, just let me know! I might not be as smart as Pythagoras, but I¡¯ve picked up a thing or two over the years!¡±


    He spoke with a strong confidence and a happy smile. I nodded to show I understood but kept my mouth shut.


    The conversation lulled as we continued to walk further out. We remained silent for a moment as we passed by more grey trees and foliage. Lerato seemed like he wanted to say more but wished for me to initiate the conversation. I think he was trying to let me be more active in the dialogue, but I had nothing on my mind to say.


    Still, he was trying to avoid doing all the talking. I suppose I ought to say something since he was being considerate, but my lips remained pressed together.


    It wasn¡¯t until we broke through the trees that I came up with something to ask.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I said, pointing to what was in front of us.


    We had come out by a blue world lake, but the sight was not too unusual. What did strike me as odd was a wall of mist and fog that stretched endlessly in both directions. There appeared to be trees within the mist, but they had lost their leaves. The branches looked like they flailed out in agony as the fog surrounded them. The wall climbed high above the trees and blended into the grey sky, making it impossible to tell where the wall ended.


    ¡°Ah, that is the myst¡ªspelled with a ¡®y¡¯ instead of an ¡®I¡¯¡ªsince it is both a mist and a mystery. It is what makes up the edge of this world, as far as we can tell.¡±


    ¡°That name sounds like the sort of thing a child might think up to sound clever,¡± I replied.


    Lerato looked at each other. We nodded in unison and spoke simultaneously:


    ¡°Orrin came up with it.¡±


    Lerato laughed.


    ¡°You already have him figured out!¡± the hero said through his chuckles.


    ¡°If we are at the edge already, does that mean this world is rather small?¡± I asked while looking around the grey scene. We hadn¡¯t walked all that long.


    ¡°Ah, no, the world is actually huge,¡± Leratop began to rub his chin, ¡°I¡¯m not sure I know what to compare it to so that you understand, but we think it is as big as one of the larger countries on some worlds.¡±


    ¡°Is the base by the edge?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s hard to explain, but this space allows you to move through it quickly without realizing¡­ this is more of a topic for Pythagoras¡­. Basically, if you have a destination in mind, you will be able to walk there in short order, and if you don¡¯t, the world seems to put you where you ought to be¡­. It is easy not to notice when you go through the woods, but sometimes things seem like they are jumping out in your way.¡±


    I wanted to press Lerato more about what he meant, but his furrowed brow told me he was already trying his best to explain the phenomenon.


    ¡°I think I understand,¡± I said to let him ease up a little. A smile seemed to suit him more than a furrowed brow.


    Still, the hero did not change his expression right away; he only did after issuing a warning:


    ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t try to go into the myst¡­, and if something comes out, run and tell us as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Something comes out?¡± I repeated. What sort of things would come out? Did I really want to know?


    ¡°It happens from time to time,¡± was all Lerato replied with. His face slowly turned back to a happier expression as he gestured that I should follow.


    I stared at the myst a moment longer as we collected some things that fell out of the world. Afterwhich we turned back to the base camp.

 12 – A Planning Session

    Lerato and I were the last to return to the base. By the time the simple grey buildings came into view, the others had already settled around a pleasant orange campfire.


    I had to wonder why fire remained the same color I could see. Was fire universally the same color in all worlds? Come to think of it, was the grey colors I saw in this world the same grey as I might see in another world? Could I be sure a grey tree was the same grey as a grey paint?


    I shook my head and pushed the questions aside. If I had time to think about colors, I had time to try to recall my missing memories.


    The group was engaged in a lively chat as we came close to the fire.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, the steaks they had on that floating world were to die for!¡± Pythagoras was happily saying.


    ¡°No, we got that last time,¡± Casey shot back.


    ¡°Ah, is it time?¡± Lerato said as he sat down near the fire. I followed suit, though I stayed a little further from the flame and the discussion.


    ¡°Yes, it is!¡± Orrin happily declared while putting his hands on his hips. His green eyes darted my way; it was as if he was waiting for me to ask what was going on. I sighed and humored him.


    ¡°What are we talking about?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, this would be your first time,¡± Pythagoras began. He cleared his throat like he was about to give a long speech. ¡°Well, you see. Orrin here can freely travel between worlds. He can leap out back to this one from any place in any world. However, this ability takes several days to recharge¡ªthat is to say, he has to use it carefully, or he may spend several days trapped in a world.


    As an added effect of his ability, we can accompany him, and he can pull us out. As such, we have made it an occasion to pick up delicious meals whenever the ability is ready to go!¡±


    The orange-yellow goblin finished his explanation with a rather odd way to use such impressive power.


    ¡°How about we get shish kababs from that world with the giant insects again!¡± Lerato happily said.


    ¡°I told you, those kababs were made with the insects¡­ I¡¯m not eating them again!¡± Casey added.


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    ¡°We should get the cupcakes from that shop on Hauteur,¡± Enas suggested.


    ¡°Oh, those were pretty good¡­.¡± Pythagoras added.


    ¡°We can¡¯t keep eating junk food!¡± Casey tried to argue.


    ¡°That eliminates about all of our options then,¡± Lerato said with a laugh.


    Orrin began to chuckle.


    ¡°Fear not, my trusting friends; I have a great plan for what we shall get this time!¡±


    The others made worried expressions.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we let Kiko suggest a place to eat,¡± Casey suggested in a hurry.


    ¡°Agreed!¡± Enas seconded.


    Orrin let his head hang slightly.


    ¡°Guys, I picked a good one this time,¡± he said in a dejected tone. He quickly bounced back to his happy self, ¡°Besides, Kiko can¡¯t remember any good places to get food.¡±


    He spoke the truth, but he didn¡¯t have to say it so bluntly. My lips turned to a frown as Orrin carried on with convincing the group. At the same time, a desire for a flavor seemed to come to me. It was vague, but I felt like I had once had a favorite dish that was trying to return to my thoughts.


    I tried to focus on the thought, but I could not recall where I ate the dish or what it was called. After some time of trying, I gave up and focused back on the conversation.


    ¡°I suppose you can pick this time, but it better be good,¡± Enas said with a roll of his blue eyes.


    The others had reluctantly decided to let Orrin pick the shopping trip, wherever it was. The conversation quickly changed after the matter had been decided. They moved on to the next topic, and unfortunately, it was a topic I didn¡¯t want to cover.


    ¡°Have any memories come back, Kiko?¡± Orrin asked with genuine curiosity.


    I shook my head.


    ¡°They don¡¯t just come back, Orrin; you ought to know that,¡± Pythagoras said.


    ¡°Well, she remembered her name! Maybe she¡¯s slowly getting them back now!¡± Orrin tried to defend himself.


    He wasn¡¯t wrong, but I didn¡¯t feel like sharing what else I saw in my dream.


    ¡°I heard blunt force could help recovery,¡± Lerato suggested with a grin.


    ¡°If we find a good enough surgeon, they might be able to do something,¡± Enas added with a serious face.


    I shook my head vehemently at both suggestions.


    ¡°I bet I could make a machine that might jostle a memory or two loose,¡± Pythagoras continued.


    ¡°Nothing like that worked for me, but maybe you¡¯ll have better luck!¡± Orrin said with a thumbs up.


    I slid back from the group slightly. They began to laugh, save for Casey, who only shook her head. She put a large, furry hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°It¡¯s in poor taste, but they are joking,¡± she reassured me. The others flashed smiles at me in unison.


    ¡°Whether you get your memories back, it will be alright. We will always make time to tease you!¡± Orrin said with a smile.


    I didn¡¯t feel very reassured.


    ¡°But perhaps we should go a little easier on her for a while,¡± Lerato laughed.


    ¡°Or, maybe don¡¯t do it,¡± I suggested. Orrin, Lerato, and Pythagoras looked at each other a moment before shaking their heads.


    ¡°Nah,¡± they said in unison. Enas¡¯ stiff expression didn¡¯t change, but I felt like he agreed with them.


    I let my head hang down in defeat. The conversation took several more turns through the night and through several topics, as each person seemed to have plenty to say.

 13 – A Warrior

    The following day, I did wake up on time to eat breakfast with the others. We ate some dry food in a bowl. It was sweet and crunchy, and Orrin complained about a lack of milk.


    I silently ate while the others got on the short green man about wasting all the milk. Apparently, he had opted to eat some pepper that he picked up from some world, and it was very spicy. The whole conversation was still strange to me, but I think being around this group for several days was starting to make it less so. Was I learning more or just getting complacent?


    I quickly tuned them out as I became focused on my own situation. I had been in this world for several days already, and I was no closer to remembering anything new about myself since having that strange dream. I felt my shoulders sag. Would it be impossible for me to recall anything else?


    The others were kind enough to let me stay, but if I had a world I belonged to, I think I¡¯d rather go live in it. With no memory of my world, that was a hopeless dream for the time being.


    ¡°Next shopping trip, we are buying double the amount of milk!¡± Orrin declared as he carried on their previous conversation.


    ¡°How many peppers do you plan to pick up from the ground this time?¡± Enas grumbled.


    ¡°No matter how much you drink, you won¡¯t get any taller,¡± Pythagoras added.


    Casey rolled her eyes as she finished eating. She stood up and grabbed her spear, which had been stabbed into the ground next to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to head out now,¡± she said. The others waved goodbye.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure Kiko agrees with me!¡± Orrin said to bring me in the conversation about the milk. I personally didn¡¯t care and awkwardly looked around.


    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­. I¡¯ll go with Casey today!¡± I said before quickly jumping up and running over to the giant beastly warrior.


    ¡°You¡¯re running from their stupid conversation?¡± she asked as I caught up.


    ¡°I just¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m doing the same; I won¡¯t judge,¡± she added.


    We walked into the grey woods. Her tall stature seemed almost like it might rival some of the trees in the grey forest. As we walked, I noticed a particular stride; she carried herself like a soldier in the military might, though I didn¡¯t know how I was aware of that.


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    ¡°Do you have any questions?¡± she asked. I quickly looked away; I must have been staring with an awkward face at the tall beastly woman.


    ¡°The way you were walking¡­ It just reminded me of a soldier¡¯s stride¡­.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why I said that, but it slipped out, nonetheless.


    She chuckled.


    ¡°Well, I suppose we know a little more about your past life if you think that,¡± she said. I frowned, but she probably had a point. ¡°Yes, the culture of my species was formed alongside years of bloody battle against some ugly lizards. Every capable child is trained to be a warrior, and every warrior seeks to reach the highest ranks,¡± she added.


    ¡°Were you some sort of spear expert?¡± I asked while eyeing her weapon. She shook her head.


    ¡°I was trained in many weapons, a jack of all trades, as I have been told it¡¯s called.¡±


    I was unfamiliar with the expression, but I think I got the gist.


    ¡°What brought you here?¡± I asked as we crossed over a bridge. I wasn¡¯t sure where we were going and just followed Casey in step.


    She shrugged.


    ¡°I sort of fell into this world, hard to explain.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to go back?¡± I asked.


    She nodded.


    ¡°At first, I went back, but I found no one understood where I had gone. They thought I had simply gone mad!¡±


    ¡°So, you came right back here?¡± I asked.


    She shook her head.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t until a couple of years later when Orrin and Enas visited my world. I happened to run into them, and we caught up. They were having trouble with a particular monster from the myst, and I offered them my warrior skills. In the end, I just decided to stick around. I figured I could be a better warrior in this world instead of mine.¡±


    I didn¡¯t quite understand why she would want to stay, better warrior or not. I decided to leave the issue alone and focus on something else instead.


    The scenery was as grey as always, save for the watery substance. We walked alongside a faux-river to what I presume led to a world-lake. I stared out at the rushing river. If jumping into a lake would take someone to a world, where did the rivers go? The curiosity grabbed my attention, but only for a moment. With no way to know, and no desire to ask, I simply turned away and began to look at some of the grey plants. There were gorgeous-looking grey flowers, though they would be prettier with color.


    A moment later, I suddenly felt a hand grab me by my kimono, and I was lifted in the air.


    ¡°Hey!¡± I shouted out in protest before realizing we were standing on the lake''s edge. I was one step away from taking a swim. I suppose this was the ¡®jumping¡¯ Lerato described before, but it would take a while to get used to.


    ¡°You best be careful; you don¡¯t have any reliable way out of a world,¡± Casey said in a stern but caring voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay better attention¡­.¡± I quietly said as I looked down.


    Casey gently set me back to the ground, and we continued walking through the woods in silence. We stopped at a couple of world lakes to pick up items, and it wasn¡¯t long until we reached a lake by the border. The beautiful blue water sparkled unnaturally against the grey background. Beyond the lake, the wall of myst stretched out in both directions.


    ¡°Well, it looks clear. Let¡¯s grab some stuff and head¡­.¡± Casey was beginning to say something but stopped. The ears on top of her head twitched suddenly, and she stared at the myst. I followed suit.


    A shadow of something was making its way inward from the outside. I felt my hands wrap around the blades at my side and drew them as if it was second nature. Casey set down a bag of what we collected and pulled out a small device shaped similar to Enas¡¯ weapon. She pointed it up, and a bright light fired in the grey sky above us.

 14 – A Thing

    A bright color filled the sky above our heads, but I only stared at it for a moment. My attention was quickly grabbed by something that emerged from the myst.


    It was difficult to describe.


    The thing was fleshy and smooth. I saw no visual indication of any features a living creature might have. The form was amorphous and seemed to wiggle across the ground like a worm. As it moved, its body would stretch and squeeze, so it always took on a different shape from any prior moment. I watched it squirm along the lake''s other side with my mouth open.


    ¡°What is that?¡± I asked Casey. A hint of disgust lined my words.


    ¡°Something we need to kill.¡± The giant beast warrior offered only a vague reply; I suspect she wasn¡¯t too sure either.


    She pulled back her arm and with it, the spear in her hand. Her pose indicated the warrior was prepared to make a long throw. She waited a moment and carefully watched the monster as it writhed and moved.


    Casey thrust forward with one fluid motion. The spear made a sharp whistle as it flew just above the blue world-lake. The thing was immediately stabbed and pinned to a grey tree that sat just outside the myst.


    The creature let out a sound between a wail and a screech as it squirmed and flailed with the spear cutting through its fleshy body. No blood or any liquid left its body. Casey motioned for me to follow, and in a matter of moments, we ran around the world-lake to where the creature was pinned.


    Are we actually going to kill that thing? I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to touch it.


    ¡°Casey!¡± a shout rang out. Lerato quickly ran alongside us, and Enas followed soon after.


    ¡°We need to hurry,¡± the beast warrior shouted.


    ¡°A real ugly one,¡± the bald man said as he eyed the pinned creature.


    As we closed in, the thing looked at us and stopped squirming. ¡®Look¡¯ might not be the best word, but it was the only one that made sense. A fleshy appendage appeared to grow out and aim in our direction. It stopped squirming immediately and began to change shape.


    The creature seemed to collect into itself; out popped arms, legs, and a head. The body remained smooth with no features, but what was the head looked at us. My stomach seemed to flip, and I gripped my blades tightly.


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    The monster still had what was now its chest, right where the heart would be, pinned into the tree. It didn¡¯t last long. Quickly the thing got used to its new hands, and it grabbed the spear, holding it in place. It let out one last cry as the weapon was pulled out.


    The spear was thrown into the world lake, and Rheba made a hiss as her weapon dropped into the world.


    Enas didn¡¯t waste any more time. He stopped suddenly and pointed his metal weapon at the creature. Several blue shots flew into the fleshy form, leaving holes in their place. The sections quickly closed, and the creature was left unfazed.


    The now humanoid form leaped into the air and soared over our heads. We all hastily turned around as the creature began to run to the woods.


    Lerato was the next to react. His body seemed to glow with a silver aura, and he quickly closed the gap between him and the monster. His glowing energy seemed to collect like a suit of armor, with all the minute details included, and soon covered all but his head. With his hands clasped together, he brought them down on the fleshy form''s skull like a hammer.


    The body seemed to squish down like it was clay being pressed. Lerato paused and slowly pulled his hands away. Casey and I took off to meet with the hero while Enas kept his weapon trained on the scene.


    The fleshy body sprang over Lerato¡¯s head like a spring. It clasped its hands together and copied the hero¡¯s attack verbatim. At the last possible moment, Lerato¡¯s glowing energy covered his skull like a helmet. The force was immense as we all felt the ground shake. Lerato took a step back, but he remained standing. The monster wasted no time as it took off running into the woods.


    ¡°Lerato, are you okay!¡± Casey shouted as we ran past him. He stood as still as a statue after taking the blow.


    ¡°Just fine!¡± he yelled in a cheery tone and with a smile. It was clear that he was dazed from the blow.


    The creature seemed to turn and look our way as we chased. The gap quickly shrunk between us.


    As if anticipating us, the fleshy thing did what I can only describe as tearing its arm off. The skin seemed to pull in many strings until the arm was severed and tossed aside.


    The disembodied arm quickly morphed, and soon it formed into a shape of a small animal that sped across the ground back toward the myst. Enas wasted no time firing at it, but the small piece escaped back beyond the misty edge. The whole human form of the creature shrunk slightly as a new arm grew in place.


    As that happened, Casey grabbed the thing on its fleshy shoulder. She pulled it back and pushed its back to the ground. Then, she delivered a heavy punch into where the face belonged. The head deformed around her hand and quickly seemed to wrap around and incase it. Casey tried to pull her hand away, but the clay-like skin kept moving up her arm.


    The thing¡¯s body moved up on Casey¡¯s arm, eventually collecting around her back. She stood up and tried to shake it off, but it held tight. I stared and watched. My daggers were firm in both hands, but I couldn¡¯t do anything.


    The fleshy form remade the human appearance of a torso and arms above Casey¡¯s head and once again mimicked Lerato¡¯s attack on her head. She fell to her knees, and the thing quickly jumped off and reformed human legs. As it ran into the woods, I looked back at the others. Casey and Lerato were out of commission. Enas had his eyes on the myst as if he expected more to come out.


    I took a deep breath and ran into the grey woods after the creature. Whatever dangers it presented, I was alone for the moment in trying to stop it.

 15 – A Chase and Fight

    The thing ran through the woods with more ease than I would have expected from something that just got legs. It seemed to glide over the ground with its fleshy form without tripping or stumbling. Still, it was slow, and I was able to close the distance as I charged forward. My knives were firm in my hands as I got close to striking distance.


    Perhaps sensing my movements, the creature spun around to face me. It made a hissing sound as it swiped at my face with its smooth palms. I ducked to my knees and slid behind the form. With precision skill, I sliced the creature''s legs right above the heels. It struggled to stay standing and took a couple of steps back.


    No blood, or any substance for that matter, oozed from its cuts. There were simply gashes in the flesh. Unfortunately, the tears quickly closed up after a moment. The creature didn¡¯t waste any more time with me and took off running again.


    I gritted my teeth and jumped back to my feet. Did they fight things like this all the time? I thought as I ran. It didn¡¯t seem likely; they had also struggled so much with this creature. Was this the first time something with these particularities came out of the myst? I shuddered to think of what else could come crawling out.


    I shook my head and pushed down the thoughts. I was still gaining on the creature as I chased.


    ¡°Kiko!¡± a voice rang out from the side. Out of the thick, grey woods burst the bright green Orrin. He carried what looked like a wooden stick, thinner at the bottom and fatter at the top. It took a moment, but I recalled Pythagoras¡¯ explanation of a so-called baseball bat matched it.


    Orrin charged in from the creature¡¯s side and swung his weapon. It made contact with the back of its head, and the skin deformed like clay. The creature stopped as its head wrapped around Orrin¡¯s bat.


    ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t seem to have worked¡­.¡± Orrin muttered before letting go of the weapon and ducking back. The creature tried to smash the green man in the head much like it had done to Lerato and Casey, but Orrin stumbled some as he retreated. The smooth hands sailed next to Orrin¡¯s head with only a hair''s width of space between them.


    I didn¡¯t wait for the creature to recover from its strike. In a flash, I appeared between it and Orrin. I slashed its neck and chest, then gracefully found my way behind it. I stabbed both blades into the creature''s flesh back. Some part of me could tell I was striking vital and crippling points, but I couldn¡¯t dwell too much on how I knew.


    It seemed to stand still, but that moment did not last long. What came next was disturbing. The arms, legs, and head¡ªbaseball bat still lodged in¡ªbegan to twist backward. Soon what was once a back became a chest.


    I tried to pull my blades out, but the creature seemed to hold them within its ugly body. I was not able to escape as it grabbed my neck. The grip was firm, but the creature lacked either the strength or expertise to fully asphyxiate. That didn¡¯t stop it from being unpleasant, and I tried to pull the gross arms away.


    The creature seemed to stare at me momentarily, then two slits opened on its head where its eyes ought to be. Soon after, a slit for a mouth appeared, and it smiled an evil grin. Teeth grew in, and a ball began to form in the slit for its right eye. It was made all the more disturbing as every new feature was made from the smooth flesh that constituted the rest of its body.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Orrin shouted. He had picked up a grey stick from the ground and drove it into the back of the creature. The grip was released on me, and I fell to my knees. The creature turned to Orrin, who ran around and pulled me away instead of trying for another strike. We got a few steps between us and the creature, and I weakly stood back to my feet.


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    My daggers were still lodged into the chest that had once been a back, and the grey stick pierced in on the other side. The bat Orrin had come with remained encased in the fleshy head. I wasn¡¯t sure how we would kill this thing, but every second it seemed to get more dangerous.


    Some loud stomping caught the attention of us and the monster. The leaves on the grey trees seemed to shiver, and with each successive step, the shaking grew harder. A sizeable mechanical monster burst from the trees.


    It was maybe best to compare it to a suit of armor. Though, it was bulky looking. The metal suit stood at least as tall as the giant Casey and was far broader than any other residents of this world. The arms and legs were rectangular, and the body was a massive box. Instead of a head, a chair seemed to recess in the torso. Some bars formed the edges of a cube around it. In the seat sat the yellow-orange Pythagoras. Behind the goblin was a series of metal pipes. They belted out white steam with a tune that sounded like someone banging on an organ.


    The metal suit stepped forward, and the whole thing groaned.


    ¡°Hang in there, baby, we just have to kill that ugly thing,¡± Pythagoras seemed to say to the monster as he moved levers back and forth.


    The goblin pulled something large on his right side, and on the right side of the metal suit, a long blade protruded out of its arm. It was covered with jagged teeth and soon made a loud hum as they spun around the edge.


    The fleshy creature stepped back as Pythagoras slowly swung his metal arm at it. The goblin grunted and began to turn what looked like a can opener. Then he pushed in the floppy disk, which had been for a weapon. Was this that weapon?


    The metal suit made a click and a pop and swung its deadly blade. Its speed increased, and the blade tore into the creature''s side.


    Unfortunately, the creature''s body seemed to deform around the blade, and the spinning portion soon became jammed.


    Steam poured out of the suit¡¯s pipes more intensely, and new smoke poured out of its arm. Pythagoras frantically tried pulling and turning things as the suit began to groan. More smoke began to pour out from different joints.


    ¡°Blast!¡± he shouted before leaping off the suit in our direction. The goblin¡¯s creation groaned as he landed on the ground and ran our way. ¡°Move back!¡± he shouted.


    What was going to happen?


    Orrin quickly grabbed my arm and pulled me back. We found our way behind a nearby tree. The others had positioned us, so Orrin stood behind the tree with me next and Pythagoras last. Each covered their ears. I followed suit, but I wasn¡¯t sure what they were doing.


    An explosion boomed through the woods and shook everything around us.


    Shrapnel flew on both sides between us. If anything pierced the tree, Orrin would be surely impaled. Luckily, and strangely, everything seemed to pass on either side or impale above his head harmlessly. The green-clad man¡¯s face remained calm during the whole exchange.


    When the shrapnel stopped, we uncovered our ears and peered out from behind the tree.


    ¡°</a>Hypatia 6,¡± Pythagoras whimpered as we laid eyes on the smoldering remains of his suit of armor. Orrin patted the goblin¡¯s shoulder gently as he surveyed the wreckage. The metal frame was in pieces, and the monster was no longer with it.


    Instead, the fleshy form laid on the ground several paces away. A gash in its side seemed to indicate it tore off the portion that got jammed into Pythagoras¡¯ spinning blade to escape. Even with the effort, the explosions still had an effect.


    The outside was black charcoal, and I could still see my daggers sticking out; who knows how damaged they were. I took a cautious step forward. Was it safe to assume it was dead?


    The creature began to squirm and writhe as if it read my thoughts. The charcoal flesh seemed to crack, and the unscathed fleshy portion emerged like an unholy butterfly from a corrupt chrysalis.


    It was smaller now but retained some human form. As it turned to look at us with its creepy eye, it picked up my daggers and held them firmly in its smooth hands. I don¡¯t know why, but I was filled with rage seeing it hold my weapons.


    The creature charged off into the woods, and I recklessly charged after.


    ¡°Wait, Kiko! We should get the others!¡± Orrin shouted back to me. I didn¡¯t listen as I sprinted ahead. I had to reclaim my weapons.

 16 – A Monster

    The monster was just as slow as before. I could catch up quickly, even though it had a headstart. From inside my kimono sleeve, I pulled out a hidden knife. It was smaller than my two daggers and didn¡¯t feel as comfortable in my hand, but I brandished it at the creature all the same.


    Unfortunately, the fleshy form was prepared. As I came in to strike, it suddenly twisted its torso around its waist. Both my daggers were swung at my neck, and I had to duck. My knees felt a shock as I fell on them, and I slid under the swinging arms.


    The monster quickly turned and ran in a different direction before I broke from my slide.


    I gritted my teeth and pushed myself up from the ground. There was no time to waste, and my pursuit quickly continued.


    The thing was getting on my nerves, but I wasn¡¯t sure how to kill it. The move which had lost my daggers to it should have slain any normal person, and it seemed every other way that I felt my body wishing to move was much of the same. I suppose that made me useless in this whole ordeal.


    It would be a simple matter to catch up to the monster again as we rushed through the grey scenery, but I didn¡¯t know what to do after. It would be reckless to keep repeating what I tried earlier. This thing was intelligent in some way, and I wasn¡¯t sure I had any more clever tricks to try on it. Even if I did, the monster would only learn new things to make it more dangerous.


    As we ran, a world lake came into view through the treeline. We broke through the trees and around the lake. The creature seemed to take special care not to get too close to the faux-water. Did it know somehow that it would lead to a world, or was it avoiding something unknown?


    If I were to get close, I might be able to retrieve my blades and throw the creature into the water. What would doing so mean? Would I unleash this creature on an unknowing populace? I couldn¡¯t be sure this world was my own either. Still, it would get rid of the monster.


    I shook my head. Some part of me felt it a nonissue to potentially doom a world to get rid of the monster, and another resisted. The conflicting ideas seemed to argue back and forth in a debate that would surely lead to a vote on what to do. If I could not come up with an alternative, that might be the best way to get rid of the creature.


    Suddenly, another thought entered my mind. I recalled a second odd thing in this world. The fiery creature, Cherry, should still be standing on the mountain stairs.


    I thought about the odd properties that Lerato had explained. If I wanted to go to the mountain, I would have to think about it. Would that work with me chasing after the monster? I focused my thoughts as we broke away from the world lake and back into the grey woods.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Sure enough, we quickly burst through another clearing. The mountain was in clear view. I made a sigh of relief at how well that worked. The monster promptly began to ascend the stairs as I chased after.


    We didn¡¯t get but a few steps up when the creature froze. I did the same in response and pulled out another hidden dagger.


    Cherry¡¯s fiery form stood on the steps. The head was turned in our direction, and his flaming hands moved slowly to grab around the hilt.


    The monster stared at Cherry for a moment. It was as if it wasn¡¯t sure it wanted to take on the fiery form that stood above it. The fleshy thing turned back to me and made a sound that resembled a hiss. I held up my blades. I may have misjudged; this thing was more cautious than I realized.


    A clang took both of our attention. I and the monster turned to Cherry, who had banged the sword''s tip into the stone stair below. Was he trying to provoke the fleshy creature?


    Whatever the case, the creature hissed at Cherry and charged up the stairs. The fiery form didn¡¯t move from his spot. He held up the metal sword, and flames began to dance off the blade at once.


    What happened next, I can only imagine. I saw the creature charging in one second while Cherry held the sword back. In the next second, the fiery blade had cleanly sliced through the waist of the fleshy form.


    The monster froze as Cherry leaned the sword against the wall of the stone staircase. Time seemed still for a moment before the fleshy creature burst into flame from where the sword had cut through. It howled and dropped my daggers on the steps.


    I think the creature tried to take a step back, but before it finished the action, its form had wholly burned up. Nothing was left behind.


    My body trembled as I eyed the daggers just below Cherry¡¯s feet. If I climbed up, would I suffer the same fate? I had used the fiery creature, but I wasn¡¯t sure I could trust him.


    Cherry leaned down and picked up each of my blades. My heart skipped a beat as he seemed to blow on them. Embers seemed to flutter from the head, and the blades became red hot. I saw something black burn off, possibly residue from the clay-like flesh. They suddenly flew from his hands¡ªas if Cherry had blown on leaves.


    The daggers fluttered down like petals falling from a Sakura tree. I held out my hands, and they landed softly as the red color faded. Instead of grey, the blades had turned to a golden hue. They felt warm as I wrapped my hands around the hilts. I squinted and looked up at the fiery creature. He had picked the sword back up and rested it on the step below just as before.


    I slid my blades into their sheaths. I felt asking ¡®what did you do¡¯ to the silent creature would be pointless.


    ¡°Kiko!¡± Orrin shouted from behind. He ran up with Lerato and Casey hot on his heels.


    ¡°Cherry¡­ killed it,¡± I explained what I saw as best I could.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a tried and true method! Quick thinking!¡± Orrin said.


    ¡°That was a peculiar one; it is good to know it was bested,¡± Lerato added. Casey nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Most things from the myst are easier to kill,¡± she added.


    I didn¡¯t argue with what they said and simply nodded.


    We quickly helped clean up the pieces from Pythagoras¡¯ weapon and ended the night with a simple dinner. I excused myself after and went straight to sleep.

 17 – A Second Memory

    I was running down a long hallway in black clothes, but I didn¡¯t have time to dwell on it for too long. As I ran, spears suddenly flung out of the wall. I twisted and contorted in all manners to avoid being impaled by the sharp tips. I did not know how I knew, but the spears were laced with a mild poison. Even the slightest scratch would put me out of commission for some time.


    I weaved and bobbed to avoid the spears until I broke through to a weapon-free section of the hallway. Two doors stood tall at the end of it. I didn¡¯t slow down as I came in close and held my palms forward.


    The doors were pushed open with a heavy blow. As soon as they were opened, two daggers flew at my face. I had a sense of nostalgia as I fell to my knees and slid my way into the room. The blades harmlessly flew back into the awful hallway.


    I looked forward from where the daggers had come while a slow clap echoed through the room. In front sat three people. In the center was my mother, the leader of our clan. She was an unusually tall and imposing woman to who I bore no resemblance.


    To her right was my younger sister, my mother¡¯s favorite, and to her left was an armored man who wore a smiling oni mask. He had been the one to throw the daggers at me. The man moved his mask to the side to reveal his grey hair and beard. He had a smile that stretched ear to ear, much like the mask he had removed.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well, Kiko; I think it is finally time,¡± my mother said with the lower half of her face obscured by a hand fan. I moved into a kneeling position as she spoke to me.


    ¡°I could go too, mother!¡± my younger sister protested as she crossed her arms. My mother chose to ignore her younger daughter and keep speaking to me.


    ¡°You should already be aware of the recent upheaval. The current emperor has become comatose, and his son, about your age, has taken up the position to lead this empire.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mother,¡± I affirmed.


    ¡°Good. What you are not aware of is that a member of our clan inflicted the emperor''s current state. We can confirm that he will indeed perish within the month. As for the young head, he is requesting new guards from our group. You will be tasked with guarding the head for the next few years; Nobuyuki will be accompanying you.¡±


    The smiling Oni jumped and turned to my mother. He opened his mouth to speak, but a sharp glance from her closed it immediately after.


    ¡°Yes, mother,¡± I said obediently.


    ¡°The young emperor will take time to grow. We will ensure that his teachers mold him correctly, but you will be responsible for taking his life if that fails. Do you understand, Kiko?¡± My mother asked.


    ¡°Yes, mother,¡± I said once again.


    It was then that my eyes opened. I was staring at the dark grey wood which made up the roof of my little cottage in the world between worlds. I groaned and sat up.


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    That had been another dream which seemed to be a memory. Yet, could I take it as fact? I think the mother in my second dream had not been the one in my first. It would have been best to write down the events of the first, but as I lacked paper, the second was going to get the same treatment.


    From what I recalled, the mother in my first dream had perished. The smiling Oni seemed to be a consistent thread between them. Was that enough to make the obvious assumption? That the tall woman who I called mother was not my real mother?


    True enough, I hadn¡¯t felt any motherly love from her in the dream, but with my memories confused, who could say what was real and what was fiction. The moment seemed to play to me like a moving picture, but none of the feelings that would have been associated was left. Though I was at risk of death in the hallway, I felt none of the thrill or fear that would generally be associated.


    I rubbed my hair vigorously. My head ached just by trying to think about it. Why had I even forgotten things in the first place? I tightly clenched my fists. A strong desire to hit something, anything, welled up within me. Eagerly I grabbed some smaller daggers and went out into the grey woods.


    The light had faded with the ¡®invisible sun.¡¯ I could not be sure that the description was accurate, but it was the best way to explain the dark sky. There were no stars or moons in the area, so I quickly lit a torch and made my way into the woods.


    The orange light seemed to seep into the grey scene making the whole space a duller shade of the fire''s color. I didn¡¯t travel long; my only desire was to find a tree on which I could safely put the torch on without risking it falling or lighting the wood on fire.


    Once the torch was fastened between two branches, I got to work throwing my tiny daggers at the tree. They made soft ¡®thunk¡¯ sounds as they hit and dug in the tree. When I ran out, I collected my blades and returned to throw them again. I quickly went through several techniques of throwing styles. Holding the edges in several spots and making it so they spun or flew straight.


    The movement came naturally, most likely due to the apparent training I had if the dream was to be taken as fact.


    I threw the blades over and over until my breath was heavy. It gave me a strangely satisfying feeling. When I had thrown my last blade, I sat down and relaxed. All there was left to do was collect my weapons and return to my cottage. I would have gotten up quickly, but a croaking sound suddenly caught my ear.


    I turned to view the source. It had clearly been from an animal, but I had not expected what I saw.


    A frog sat in the woods several paces away from where I did. It had a green color with black eyes, which in itself was not unusual. What did seem strange was that the animal''s skin glowed as brightly as the torch on the tree. A contrasting green seemed to light up the grey world in challenge to the orange.


    I stared at the creature, but neither of us moved. It seemed harmless enough and was a little cute, so I reached out a hand to it.


    ¡°Come here,¡± I said.


    The frog did not move but continued to stare at me. I was hoping to get it to come in close and capture it. Given its color and lighting features, I imagined it would be unwise to touch it directly, but if I wrapped something around it, I expected I would be fine.


    Ideally, if it was poisonous, I could line the tips of my daggers, which might come in handy. Perhaps I could keep it as a pet if it was not toxic. If I had to guess, the creature came from another world as I had. I suppose that is why I did not find the glowing nature strange. Compared to Pythagoras and Casey, this frog was relatively tame.


    I was unsure if frogs could make a skeptical look, but this particular creature''s eyes seemed to make a careful squint as it looked up and down at me. After a moment of holding out my hand, it turned away from me and hopped off. The glow seemed to shut off immediately as I let out a disappointed sigh.


    I collected my blades and headed back to my cottage.

 18 – A Field Trip

    When I arrived back at the base, Orrin was already up and about. He was gleefully starting a blue fire on the metal tray¡ªwhich I had been informed was called a portable stove.


    ¡°Good morning!¡± the green guy said as I walked closer. He didn¡¯t seem at all concerned that I was out in the woods so early. I suppose, in a way, that meant he trusted me to walk around freely, but in another sense, it could suggest he had no concern for what I might encounter.


    I wasn¡¯t sure if I should mention the frog to him. For the moment, I thought it best to keep it to myself.


    ¡°Morning,¡± I lazily replied.


    ¡°So, today, you are going to join me on a trip to another world!¡± Orrin added. He spoke in a friendly enough tone, as usual, but his words seemed to indicate I didn¡¯t have a choice.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked in reply.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll need a helper to carry the stuff, and it will be good to get you onto some solid ground for a little while!¡± Orrin replied in his chipper way.


    I looked to my feet. My clogs seemed just as firmly pressed into the grey ground as ever. Was he implying this wasn¡¯t solid ground? What would that even mean?


    Before I could reply, Orrin began to cook some thinly sliced meat in his skillet. Lerato walked while making a yawn.


    ¡°What a fine day!¡± Lerato chirped.


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Enas grumbled as he walked up behind the hero.


    In short order, Casey also came out, and everyone gathered around the stovetop for Orrin to hand out plates of meat. The only one missing was Pythagoras, but metal sounds echoing from his small cottage indicated he was up at least. I suspect he was working on repairs for the suit of armor that had been destroyed.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going on a food run today!¡± Orrin declared to the others, and they silently nodded as they ate. ¡°I¡¯m thinking Kiko and Pythagoras will join me today; any objections?¡±


    The others shook their heads. We quickly finished eating and parted ways. While the others went into the woods, Orrin and I went to knock on the goblin¡¯s door.


    ¡°Hey Pythagoras, we¡¯re going on a food run,¡± Orrin shouted.


    ¡°Go away; Hypatia¡¯s not going to fix herself!¡± the goblin shouted through the door.


    ¡°But we need the extra hands,¡± Orrin added.


    ¡°Get someone else to join you!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to the world with the giant robot!¡±


    There was a sudden crash as if something metal was knocked over, and many small objects hit the floor. After a moment of silence, several tiny footsteps grew increasingly louder. The goblin happily opened the door and stepped out. He had an empty sack tied around his shoulder and several tools hanging around his waist. A cloak was draped over his body with a large enough hood to conceal his face. On his feet, he had slipped two fabric shoes.


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    ¡°Well, why didn¡¯t you say so? Let¡¯s go!¡± Pythagoras happily began to lead the way.


    Orrin chuckled and shook his head, and we followed into the woods. It took no time to reach the large lake which would lead into the other world. I felt my heart pound as I looked at the sparkling blue water. This would be the first time I entered a world since coming here. How exactly were we to do it?


    Orrin held out his hands, and Pythagoras took one. He shook his other to me.


    ¡°We need to be connected, or we might end up in different parts of the world,¡± Orrin explained.


    ¡°How far away would we be?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Depends on the ¡®world,¡¯ could be down the block, could be on the other side of a planet, or could be on the other side of a galaxy,¡± Orrin explained, but I had no idea what his words meant. I took a deep breath and took his hand.


    ¡°Okay! On the count of three, we jump in! I have the location in mind, so just keep your thoughts as clear as possible!¡± Orrin explained. Pythagoras and I nodded, though my nod was slightly weaker than the goblin¡¯s. ¡°On the count of three¡­ one¡­ two¡­ three¡­ geronimo!¡± Orrin shouted as we jumped in unison. I had not been quite ready, but we moved together well enough.


    We seemed to sail in the air over the water for hours, though I know it was only a few seconds. So many thoughts began to swirl in my mind they became difficult to keep track of.


    Should we just jump in?


    Where exactly were we going?


    Would it hurt?


    Would it be safe?


    I didn¡¯t have much time to ponder thoughts that seemed to attack from all directions. Our feet hit the faux water, and we plunged in. I closed my eyes instinctively.


    The feeling was hard to describe. It was like a rush of wind but also as solid as stone. It burned like fire but felt cool like water. We moved down and backward, but we moved forward and upward simultaneously. If we ever got out of this in-between space, I felt I might need a minute to sit since my head would be spinning so much.


    I¡¯m not sure how long we were in the space, but the intense and conflicting sensations suddenly stopped all at once. I could feel my feet pressed on the ground, and I slowly opened my eyes. We were standing on a hill that overlooked a city. To our backs was a thick green forest. The town was built of square buildings which had been painted in all sorts of colors. Seeing them once again was almost overwhelming. I might have fallen over if Orrin wasn¡¯t still holding on. I felt his hand tense as he attempted to keep me upright, though he continued to smile and stare at the city as if I wasn¡¯t about to fall over. It took a minute, but eventually, I regained my bearings. Once I was stable, Orrin let go and took several steps ahead of us.


    Many people walked around dressed in form-fitting but comfortable-looking clothes. The roads in the city were paved, but the roads leading out were made of dirt and, more notably, had giant footprints. Besides the city and a large dam off in the distance, I couldn¡¯t see much evidence of civilization.


    As if to immediately answer where the footprints came from, giant steps began to echo in the distance. Pythagoras¡¯ red eyes seemed to sparkle as he turned to the sound. I followed suit.


    Well above the treetops, a giant metal form was marching along. It was painted a wood brown color with golden, red, and blue highlights. The form resembled a human encased in armor.


    I stared in shock as the giant made its way out of the forest and into the city. It carried a large bag that was apparently full, and the people in the town seemed to rejoice at the sight of the giant.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty cool, right!¡± Pythagoras asked after noticing my expression.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what to say or how to react. Was the goblin trying to build one of these back in the base? I didn¡¯t have much time to process before Orrin waved to me.


    ¡°Come on, there¡¯s plenty to see!¡± he said.


    We headed down the hill and into the city.

 19 – A Different World

    This world was most certainly not the one that I came from. Though my memories of the place were limited to only what I saw in dreams, I could feel within me that that was the case. How could I even explain it? The air felt uncomfortable like I was a stranger, and it was giving me odd looks. I shook the feeling away and turned to view the city.


    I had gotten accustomed to what so-called ¡°modern cities¡± were like based on the conversations with the others, but I was woefully unprepared to see one in person. The lights and sounds, the metals and plastics, everything was overwhelming. So many people moved around, and vehicles ran up and down the streets like horses racing one another. It took a lot just to keep myself together.


    Orrin had warned when we met that I should not simply jump into any bizarre world. I think I was beginning to understand what he meant. Had I found myself alone and stranded in a place like this, I would have been treated like I was mad, and I would have lost what little sanity remained not too long after. I shuddered at the thought. What might I have done if things were different?


    ¡°What are you doing, Kiko?¡± Orrin asked me. I hadn¡¯t realized it, but I stopped walking while I was lost in thought.


    ¡°We need to hurry!¡± Pythagoras shouted from underneath his cloak. I could hardly tell he was a goblin with his getup, though perhaps that was the point. I saw only humans walking around the streets. No short creatures like Pythagoras, tall ones like Casey, or anything else out of the ordinary made up the population of this city. Whether the world lacked them or they lived somewhere else within it, I did not know.


    I nodded to show I heard and started to walk along with the other two.


    The streets were neatly laid out, and the stomping from the giant machine finally quieted as it got further and further away from us. Though, its head remained visible above the buildings, which were all shorter than the giant.


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    It was clear that Pythagoras wanted to follow the giant. I suspect he wanted to get close to take notes as I spotted a book and writing utensils for a brief moment.


    Orrin, however, was focused on the task at hand. He led the way through the city, and we followed as well as we could.


    We continued down the street and found our way to an odd building on the corner. A chime went off as doors slid open on their own.


    ¡°Welcome!¡± someone behind a counter said. Though they invited us in, I felt the person was not too excited to see us. Many questions echoed in my mind, but I didn¡¯t have time to ask anything as Orrin made a wave to show we should charge in. Nevertheless, we did not break into a sprint.


    The building was bright and filled with rows and rows of what I think was food wrapped in various plastics and papers. I eyed the many options, but our green leader seemed to have something else in mind.


    Several cups were set out in the back of the store. It looked like their tops were sealed shut, and the whole thing was wrapped in clear plastic.


    ¡°Grab all you can!¡± Orrin said as he began to fill his arms with the cups. I picked one up and inspected the outside. Noodles were pictured on the front, but other than that, I was not sure what we were looking at or why the green-clad man thought it was worth coming to this world for. We followed Orrin''s wish, and soon, the three of us carried all the cups we could to the counter.


    The person sighed and began to use an oddly shaped tool with a light on each cup. There was a beep at every instance, and a screen number changed. When they were done, Orrin slapped something that I figured was cash on the counter, and we departed with bags of our cups.


    ¡°This is the best cup ramen in any world! You¡¯ll love it!¡± the green man explained to me once we got out of earshot from the building¡¯s occupants.


    ¡°Uh-huh¡± was all I could reply with. Orrin seemed to think I had an idea of what was going on, but that could not be further from the truth.


    ¡°Are we going back already?¡± Pythagoras grumbled. I think he wanted to get more out of our shopping trip.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Orrin replied in a chipper voice.


    Before another word could be said, bells began to ring across the town. Some other people on the streets suddenly dropped everything and ran into the nearest building. This couldn¡¯t be good.

 20 – A Wash

    Orrin looked around the town with a confused look. The bells still rang out, but we weren¡¯t sure what to do.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what that indicates, but maybe we should get to cover?¡± The green man said. The street had quickly cleared out, leaving us as the only ones standing in the open.


    As if to answer him, a loud rumbling could be heard in the distance. Pythagoras placed one of his long ears on the ground. Even without copying him, it was clear that whatever was coming was getting closer every moment. His slitted yellow eyes grew wide.


    ¡°Get up high!¡± he shouted while springing to his feet. The hood of his cloak fell, but the goblin no longer seemed to care as he ran to the nearest building.


    Orrin and I followed, but the door had already been shut tight. A rubber-looking material seemed to have inflated around the edges, making the entry impossible to open. A quick inspection of the other buildings showed the same closing method had been applied. I didn¡¯t have much time to ponder why it was done; the rumbling was growing louder and louder.


    From up top, a rope fell in front of our faces.


    ¡°Up here!¡± A voice of a child rang out after a moment of delay. Orrin nodded and threw the bags of the purchased noodles up to land perfectly on the roof. As he took the bags from the two of us, he indicated we should climb. I was first to reach the top and quickly looked down at the sight.


    It was best described as a wall of water rushing through the street. The torrent seemed like it would destroy everything in its path, but the buildings took the brunt of the wave so well they must have been built with it in mind. Orrin¡¯s feet were just barely missed as he pulled himself up the rope. Had he been a hair lower, I suspect he would have been swallowed by the rushing wave.


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    The street below had become a raging river by the time Pythagoras and Orrin reached the top. I think we all took in a sigh of relief as we settled from the experience.


    On the roof, a small boy, possibly no more than 10, looked back and forth at each of us. He lingered on Pythagoras the longest. I couldn¡¯t tell if he was confused about what the goblin was or if he knew and had reason to fear him. Out in the distance, the whole area was consumed by the rushing water. The giant machine we saw earlier slowly marched against the current off to what I assume was the source of the wave.


    ¡°I see, so it must be waterproof¡­.¡± Pythagoras muttered as he eyed the giant. His concerns seemed to be the least significant thing possible, but I didn¡¯t see any point in telling him.


    Orrin looked down at the water.


    ¡°That is quite something!¡± he said cheerily.


    His cheeriness didn¡¯t last long as soon as a shout was heard from behind. A man had come out and yelled out in shock at the sight of us. He wasted no time grabbing the kid protectively and pointing a long gun at us. Orrin put his hands up in surrender and took a step forward.


    ¡°Take it easy, friend.¡±


    The man, however, was too cautious. He let a shot ripple out from the barrel of the gun. The rooftop seemed to shake. It took me a moment to realize the shaking was not from the blast.


    Something had washed through the river and crashed into the building. And it had hit hard. The building began to crack, and my footing gave out. I began to fall down to the rushing river. Up above, Orrin and Pythagoras looked down and shouted my name. To the side of the building, I could see what had hit. A sizeable mechanical arm had crashed; it was possibly thrown, considering it looked too heavy to float.


    In the distance, I think I saw the machine which guarded the town engaged in a massive fist fight with a second which was all black and had only a single arm, but I couldn¡¯t linger on the dueling giants for too long.


    My mind began to distort as I looked back up to the sky. Instead of a building, I was falling off a cliff side. The sky above was blood red, and I felt something, or perhaps someone important, was left on the cliff''s edge just out of my view. Screams and cries were almost drowned out by growls and howls of beasts. I could do nothing in response to this image or current situation, so I fell.


    The last thing I remember was hitting the water¡ªwhether it was the cliff''s base or the mech world''s water, I could not tell¡ªand feeling it quickly suck me into the current.

 21 – A Return

    I was greeted by a familiar grey sky when I opened my eyes. My back was pressed firmly on the ground, and a recognizable grey cottage came into view when I turned my head. I quickly sat up and looked around. I was back in the strange world by the base¡¯s campfire. The others tended to their own business before they noticed I had woken.


    Orrin was the first to approach. Though approach alone makes it sound like he moved slowly. As soon as he saw I was awake, tears began to well around his green eyes, and he shouted my name.


    ¡°Kiko! You¡¯re not dead!¡± he dramatically shouted as he ran up to me. Pale arms wrapped around me in an embrace, and I shrunk from the unexpected show of concern. His words alone were enough to gather the attention of the others. Lerato and Enas set down some grey lumber they were carrying, and Casey stopped carving something out of wood¡ªlikely a new spear. Pythagoras¡¯ head popped out from his cabin; I suspect he was working on his machine again.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked. I could recall falling, but nothing happened after. My memory was clouded with the scene I had witnessed while plummeting and the vision that may have come from my memory. They were starting to blur together when I tried to call them back in my mind.


    ¡°Are you okay? No concussion or anything? Follow my finger with your eyes.¡± Orrin began to move his index finger around my face; I swatted it away like it was a fly.


    ¡°I remember falling,¡± I added.


    ¡°We had to jump in after you! You were soaked, and you¡¯ve been asleep for a day even after we got back!¡± Orrin frantically explained.


    I looked around the scene; the cups we had bought were nearly sitting off to the side. They had incurred no damage. Somehow they leaped off a building into rushing water, and we all came out of the world, okay? I¡¯m not sure how they managed that, but I suppose I should be happy to be alive.


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    I looked down at my clothes; I had changed from my pink kimono and dark undersuit to some loose clothing. The many blades I carried were missing, making me feel uncomfortably light. I quickly inspected the camp and saw the clothes hanging on a drying line. The knives were set to the side on a table. I hope that Casey was the one to take the wet clothes off, but there was no point dwelling on it now.


    I pushed myself up and shook my head.


    ¡°Careful, you ought to take it easy,¡± Casey said.


    ¡°That''s okay; I will be fine,¡± I replied as I found my footing. The ground felt unsteady as if it was water, but I managed to hide the shakiness enough for the others to not suspect anything.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief!¡± Orrin said as he dramatically moved his arm like he was wiping sweat from his brow. ¡°Well, we are about to head out for the day; why don¡¯t you come with me, and I¡¯ll show you around!¡± he added.


    I might have stayed and rested longer, but I didn¡¯t want to show any signs of weakness. The shakiness likely would fade once I walked it off; at least, I hoped that was true.


    I nodded and made my way to grab my stuff. After quickly changing in my room, I emerged back out in my pink getup. My two larger blades were back at my side, and all the hidden blades were tucked under my kimono.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re off!¡± he shouted to the others. They nodded and headed in different directions out of our small camp. I followed Orrin into the woods. My steps remained steady, but I stayed focused on keeping my balance just in case.


    We walked without speaking for a moment. It wasn¡¯t total silence as Orrin happily hummed some song and the leaves and sticks of the woods made noise as we moved past and over them.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I finally asked after a long moment.


    ¡°I had nowhere in mind. Do you want to see something in particular with the world?¡±


    ¡°What is there to see but grey?¡±


    Orrin¡¯s green eyes seemed to light up.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you don¡¯t know much of what¡¯s around here! Well, let¡¯s get moving!¡±


    His voice sounded chipper, like a child whose about to show off his favorite toys. I sighed. I might have spoken too openly. A stance of staying quiet was best in these cases.

 22 – A Tour

    Almost instantly, we broke from the trees and began to cross a bridge over one of the sparkling blue rivers. I imagine Orrin knew precisely where he wanted to go, and the world was not delaying taking us. Getting used to how it moved us through it was going to take some time.


    ¡°So, this is one of the many bridges,¡± the green man began to speak.


    ¡°Did you build it?¡± it was strange there were so many structures in this world. Grey as it was, it was clearly some natural forest. Or, perhaps natural didn¡¯t quite fit, but it was odd to see cabins and bridges. I could imagine trees growing on their own, but houses typically don¡¯t build themselves. At least, I¡¯d like to think that. In this strange place, there was no telling what could happen.


    ¡°Oh, no. Most of this stuff was here before I got here. We couldn¡¯t ever figure out where it came from!¡± Orrin said. His voice was careless as if he wasn¡¯t the least bit concerned with how the bridge came to be. Perhaps I was the strange one in worrying about it. I suppose I didn¡¯t have any other reason to think too much about it beyond something to walk across.


    After we finished crossing, we cut through the woods; I had to dodge several branches that seemed to jump out as we passed by the grey foliage. Eventually, we came to a clearing. I was starting to feel that passing through thick patches of trees was how the movement in this world occurred. Or maybe I was overthinking it. Still, it had come in handy during the last fight, so I figured it would be best to figure out as much as possible. It would be nice to have something to take advantage of in a situation.


    ¡°Hey, Kiko,¡± Orrin said as he waved in front of my face. I nodded to show I was attentive, but I was only just now coming out of my thoughts.


    Most clearings I had seen in this world were around the bodies of faux water¡ªeither the world''s lakes or the rivers. This one was different and a little concerning.


    What appeared in front of me was a rather large cemetery. Stones were laid out neatly and carved rather ornately. It would be easy to guess this was the gravesite of many influential people, but who they were was anyone¡¯s guess. I followed Orrin through and spied what was carved into the stones. Names and dates were laid out, but I didn¡¯t know what any meant. Some stones looked to be in languages I couldn¡¯t understand. Whether that implied they were old or from a world that spoke in strange tongues, I could not tell. None of the graves appeared worn, but I didn¡¯t know much of what could destroy them in this world.


    The place had an uncomfortable pressure¡ª as if the eyes of the lingering souls were sizing up the newcomer in their territory. Perhaps I was overthinking it; Orrin seemed unfazed as he happily strode through.


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    Eventually, we stopped at a single stone. The shape was flat with a curved top, and on much of the slab, there was a carving that appeared to resemble a winged person lifting a wingless one. The carving job was a bit sloppier than the others, but it was well enough for me to determine what was attempted.


    Orrin bent down and laid some bright yellow flowers on the stone. I almost jumped. Not only did I not notice he held the flowers until this moment, but the bright color also made them pop out in a jarring way. Was I so wrapped in my thoughts to miss that he had the flowers?


    ¡°This is where my master is buried,¡± Orrin explained. I could not tell from his voice how he felt. It lacked his usually laid-back tone but didn¡¯t seem sad. The best way to describe it was simply neutral.


    ¡°I see,¡± I replied


    We turned to look back at the stone and stood in silence for a moment. I expected Orrin to chime in and say something, but no words came from him. After standing in silence for a long stretch of time that one could only wonder the length of, he turned and began to walk away.


    I hastily followed after. As soon as he stepped away from the cemetery, the green-clad man returned to his usual self.


    ¡°Well! Where should we go next?¡± he happily asked. I said nothing. He was clearly speaking to himself when asking the question. We entered the woods and reemerged in a new location.


    Orrin had taken me to a world lake, but it was different than the others I had seen.


    I had grown accustomed to seeing the entrance to a world appear as a large body of water. The rivers that ran throughout the world seemed like they emptied into each lake, and jumping in would lead to a world. The location Orrin brought me to still appeared as water, but not as one complete body


    The water from the river rushed into a reasonably large section, but the ground was uneven and seemed to break apart and move down into a valley. The faux water from the first portion flowed over and formed a series of waterfalls into separate sections, overflowing and pouring water into the next sections. This seemed to create at least 7 layers of the world lake in a series of cascading waterfalls and lakes.


    ¡°It¡¯s a fractured world; each section is kind of like its own mini world,¡± Orrin explained, I think. I wasn¡¯t sure of what he meant.


    ¡°Fractured?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we think it was one world at first, but something caused it to break into more.¡±


    ¡°Does that happen often?¡± I asked.


    Orrin laughed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you wouldn¡¯t know¡­¡± he finally said as he saw my confused look, ¡°we have had some debate here on the nature of the worlds. One theory is that this very world between worlds is the product of such a fracture.¡±


    I didn¡¯t see the humor in making Orrin think of that particular theory; perhaps there was more to the debates he was leaving out.


    ¡°Debates?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, though perhaps I should just call it banter between friends. You walk around a place like this long enough, and you start to come up with all kinds of ideas!¡± Orrin explained.


    ¡°I see,¡± I replied, though I wasn¡¯t sure I fully understood. As we walked to a new river, I left the conversation there and began to follow it. I did not expect to see the river suddenly end before it could empty into a world lake.

 23 – A Tour Continued

    It took a few minutes to tell precisely what was going on in this new location. A dam had been created at the river''s mouth and stood as a solid barrier in front of a large, grey pit which I suspect was once the entrance to another world. It was not a simple dam either. The construction was intentional and precise. It was created of poured concrete and would have taken a long time and much effort. One could only imagine what it was like in the world if it was still alive after being dried up.


    ¡°I like to call this one the world that¡¯s been dam-ed,¡± Orrin happily explained with a grin.


    I gave no reaction to his bad joke.


    ¡°Why is there a dam built here?¡± I asked instead.


    Orrin shrugged.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, we figured it was best to leave it alone. That tends to be the best option with things in this place.¡±


    ¡°So, you can¡¯t go into the world?¡±


    ¡°Nope, it¡¯s sealed shut.¡±


    ¡°If you opened the dam, would it reopen the world?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but we don¡¯t know why it was put up in the first place. We might be opening up something that was intentionally cut off.¡±


    I had plenty of questions, but I sensed that Orrin didn¡¯t have any other answers. I just settled with a nod in his direction before turning back to the dam and dried-up world. When contemplating what it could mean, it created an eerie feeling. He may have been right that it was best to leave it alone. The dam was at least designed with a purpose in mind, as he said. Without knowing the purpose, it likely was best to not disturb it.


    Orrin waved to show me I should follow him to the next location. It seemed like an ordinary lake, especially compared to the last two, but Orrin''s odd cautiousness as we got closer was enough to tell me it was anything but.


    ¡°It¡¯s best to stick a hand in and see this one in person.¡±


    As he spoke, the green-clad man grabbed my arm and stepped back behind me. If I were to slip and fall, he would either catch me or be pulled in with me. I suppose that was the intention; even still, he didn¡¯t seem all that concerned with a smile still on his face. I turned my attention to the lake and dipped my hand in.


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    I wish that I hadn¡¯t.


    As I had experienced before, I perceived a sensation of flying above the world and witnessing what it had to hold. The ground was like barren stone, and any plants were dead and withered. If there was any water in the world, it must have been only a tiny stream like what would come from a fountain. I saw nothing which would have suggested life.


    Instead, enormous, hideous creatures roamed the world. Their steps shook the ground and left imprints. In some cases, the hole created from a footprint might have been large enough to build a town within.


    They were all different-looking monsters; I saw no two that resembled one another. Each had a unique terror brought on when I laid eyes on it. One would come across another, and they would clash in a display of strength that usually resulted in the smaller opponent getting ripped and torn apart. Then the more enormous ¡®winner¡¯ would be quickly bested by an even nastier-looking beast.


    I pulled my hand back and stumbled. Had Orrin not held onto me, I might have slipped and fallen in my efforts to reel back.


    ¡°Pretty nasty, huh?¡± he said in his typical nonsevere and friendly tone. ¡° we call that one the monster world since, well, you saw. Just ensure that you don¡¯t fall into that world¡­ there¡¯s no guarantee of what might happen in it.¡±


    I nodded in reply. I suspect it was the kind of place where backup wouldn¡¯t come, even if one fell in. Orrin was the only one who could escape worlds, and it wouldn¡¯t be rational for him to risk saving someone in such a hellish place.


    Still, I had to wonder, did he show me all these things for some reason? Or was it just simply the exciting things in this grey world? I could easily see him just showing things off like a child shows off their interesting toys. He never gave a serious demeanor, so I could not pin down what he was thinking.


    I could do nothing but speculate on his reasoning. Perhaps he wanted to warn me of things I might encounter, such as this monster world. Or maybe, he wanted to show off the ¡®cool¡¯ stuff in the world. I suspect the latter was the case when I looked at his face. He did not give off a sense of seriousness; none of the inhabitants here did.


    I suppose I was alone in that regard. I had a sense that my life was never as casual as anyone who lived in this world. I suppose that is what set me apart from them. Once my memories returned to a decent state, I would likely need to leave. I don¡¯t think I could see myself trying to settle with such strange company.


    The brief vision of the woman I called my mother in the second dream suddenly returned to my thought. It was as if I could see her looking down at me and shaking her head¡ªlikely disappointed I had not kept up with my mission. I found my hands wrapped around my daggers. It gave an odd sense of comfort, which was enough to relax my thoughts for a moment.


    I managed to break free from pondering just before Orrin indicated we would return to the base. I matched his pace as we began our trek back.

 24 – A Temple

    As we walked through the grey woods, I listened to Orrin happily chatter about some of his past adventures. I couldn¡¯t keep my focus on his words, so they only came in bits and pieces.


    He had climbed a waterfall, arm-wrestled a mage, ate the strangest mutated foods, and all manners of things on other worlds.


    I nodded to show I was listening, even though that was not the case. The woods melted away as we approached a small clearing. Orrin broke from his stories to look around; perhaps he thought we had made it back to the camp.


    I, on the other hand, became fixed on an unexpected sight. Pink blossoms shown brightly on some otherwise grey trees. My feet began to move me closer before my thoughts caught up. Before I realized it, I stood close and reached out to the pink petals.


    ¡°Orrin, they''re pink!¡± I exclaimed. I must have sounded like a small child.


    ¡°That they are,¡± was the only reply I got from the unimpressed green man as his attention turned back to me.


    I might have looked in his direction if another splash of color didn¡¯t light up the grey scene.


    A familiar green frog was sitting on a stone structure. It was only after I adjusted to the surprise color of the small creature that I realized the stones themselves were massive.


    The best way to describe it was a temple of some kind. It was shaped like a pyramid, though it was not smooth from base to point. Instead, the structure looked like several square buildings had been stacked one on top of the other. Each individual section consisted of a columned perimeter. Inside the columns was a closed-off section that hid the rest of the building.


    At the top, a sculpture had been fashioned. From the ground, it was hard to tell what it depicted, but it looked humanoid at the very least.


    Like almost everything else in the strange world, the building and all its art was grey.


    As if to greet me, a sound of sliding stone echoed. A slab on the bottom of the pyramid moved to reveal an entryway just past the columns.


    The frog hopped away from the temple and into the woods as soon as the sound began, but I didn¡¯t make any effort to follow where it went.


    What was this structure? It was the largest thing I had seen by far.


    ¡°Well, we should get going,¡± Orrin said. His voice didn¡¯t have any surprise in it, but he had to look the same way I was and see the odd temple. I didn¡¯t move along with him as he tried to walk away. Instead, my feet drew close to the new opening; it felt as if something might have wrapped around me and pulled me in, though I felt no such sensation. ¡°Wait, Kiko!¡± Orrin shouted as he chased me into the dark temple. The slab slid shut so quickly one might have found it hard to believe it was made from a heavy stone.


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    We were trapped in a dark room, though it didn¡¯t stay dark for long. As if to invite us in, torches along the walls suddenly lit. The fires burst one at a time as they went down the hall, almost as if they were suggesting we should follow them. I looked around the space.


    The inside of the temple was covered with paintings. I could make out forms of people and animals but had no way to know what the intention behind them was. A large group seemed to be pointing spears at a winged dragon of some kind. There wasn¡¯t much point in dwelling too much on the art, so I turned to Orrin.


    The orange of the flame dulled the green he wore slightly and added a little color to his pale complexion. His face remained casual and relaxed as he assessed the situation.


    ¡°Well, that is unfortunate,¡± Orrin finally said as he looked to the sealed shut doorway. ¡°Guess we need to find another way out!¡± He began to walk down the hallway, following the path the torches laid out.


    ¡°Is there another doorway?¡± I asked as I followed after.


    I looked behind me as we walked away. It felt as if something was watching for a moment, but there was nothing behind us.


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s more than one way out of this building¡­.¡± Orrin replied.


    ¡°Do you know what this structure is?¡± I asked while turning back his way.


    ¡°Hard to say, but we tend to avoid it.¡±


    ¡°Whys that?¡±


    ¡°Hopefully, you won¡¯t have to find out. Just watch out for traps.¡±


    Orrin seemed to swerve to the left of the hallway. A click was heard under his foot, and he froze while holding a hand out to stop me.


    Hundreds of arrows suddenly shot out of the wall at the green-clad man. I started in horror, but somehow, not one arrow connected with his body. Even his large, curly, green hair was left untouched.


    ¡°How¡­¡±


    ¡°Wow, what good fortune! Just stay behind me!¡± Orrin said with a smile.


    The process continued several times. Orrin accidentally set off a trap, but the system would miss or malfunction and allow us to pass easily. It was far too often to be a coincidence, even though Orrin tried to pass it off as one.


    After a while, I figured it was best to give up trying to get an explanation. He was clearly not going to give me one.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how long we had been trapped in the temple, but as time passed, I began to feel like calling it a maze was more apt. We made turn after turn, and it seemed like we were getting nowhere.


    I felt a dryness in my throat. Was I thirsty or nervous? I couldn¡¯t tell.


    Perhaps due to the dryness, the sound of water flowing suddenly was in my perception. I turned to look for the source. Hopefully, this wasn¡¯t some kind of flooding trap.


    There was nothing to see but the stony hallways and torches that lit our way. Orrin had gotten several paces in front of me and continued to set off a trap or two as he walked.


    We came to a fork in the hallway. One path continued straight, and the other was a sharp turn to the left. Orrin kept moving forward, but I stopped a moment to look down the second path. The sound of water clearly echoed down that hall.


    I shook my head and turned back forward, but there was no longer anyone leading the way. Orrin was gone.


    Not only was he gone, but the path had disappeared and now led only to a dead end. I blinked several times.


    There had been no sound, nothing to indicate that another trap had been set off. The wall didn¡¯t even look like it could move. I came close to it and pressed my hand to the cold stone.


    ¡°Orrin!¡± I tried shouting, but there was no telling if he could hear my voice as it echoed around the space. I sighed. I had few options of what to do, but staying in one place wouldn¡¯t get me anywhere.


    I turned to the open hallway where the sound of water came and began my walk down it.

 25 – A Dragon

    The new hall I found myself wandering down very quickly seemed to narrow. I had to turn to my side to shimmy through, and the builders did not bother setting torches up along the walls of the tighter space, so I was engulfed in darkness.


    As I slid through the dark, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if I should have tried to head back.


    If I¡¯d been separated from Orrin by moving walls, perhaps something else would have left a new hall for me to travel down.


    Nevertheless, I had already shimmied down the narrow space for a while, and I was now determined to get out.


    As if to answer my determination, I finally caught a glimpse of some light. My speed increased as much as possible.


    I finally pushed out of the narrow space into a large cavern. Torches lined the walls to dimly light the cave, though I had been in darkness for so long that it appeared much brighter than it was for a brief moment.


    I looked around the ample space. In the center, a pedestal was built on top of a flat platform. Four steps on all sides gave access to the spot. Along the back wall, a large waterfall seemed to pour out of a crack in the ceiling and descended down a large hole. Moving closer to the spot showed what looked like an endless abyss that the water fell into. Uncharacteristically, the water was grey like everything else in the cavern, save from the warm glow of the torches. It must have been real water and not the substance that led to many worlds, but the hole was so large that I could not reach out to the water and touch it to be sure.


    I saw no exit, and my head hung. The narrow pass was the only way back, and I might have made my way to it again if I hadn¡¯t seen a large shadow in the waterfall.


    I could tell it was enormous since it seemed big, even though I saw it just appearing out of the darkness below.


    Very quickly, it grew even larger in scale as it made it¡¯s way up to where I stood. I didn¡¯t have to wait any longer before I knew I ought to run. I turned and headed to the opening in the cavern wall that I had come from. A large splash echoed from behind me, and I heard a crash as whatever that thing was emerged. I didn¡¯t reach the opening before a long tail crashed in front of me.


    It was reptilian in nature and had a mild blue tint. Some frills grew out of it, and I traced them around the dim cavern to the waterfall.


    The head of the beast was like a dragon, with sharp teeth and eyes that appeared frightening as they stared down at me. Its frills went to the head, and something like fins jutted out the side. I suppose it was some kind of aquatic serpent, at least that seemed to be the easiest way to describe it.


    Under its head, a little way around its neck, two scars lined its belly; what had been cut off, I could not tell.


    The monster smiled at me with sharp fangs; the very act sent a shiver through my spine. Before I realized it, my now golden daggers were pressed firmly in my hands and pointed to the beast.


    It looked down at me with slit pupils and laughed. The laughter shook me more than an attack could; it was grating and seemed to strike something at my core.


    ¡°So, there are humans still in this world. An interesting one at that!¡± the words sounded as if they had a sneer underlying them.


    I scanned the room, the exit was blocked by the beast''s long body, and I saw no cover where I could take refuge.


    I turned to the beast and pointed my golden daggers at it as I took a defensive stance.


    The creature chuckled.


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    ¡°Take it easy, dear; if I wanted to hurt you, I would have by now,¡± it spoke. The voice still rang with insincerity, but I would have to take them at face value. I lowered my arms but did not loosen my grip.


    ¡°What are you?¡± I asked.


    The beast laughed.


    ¡°I wish it were something I could do easily articulate to you.¡± My face must have shown that I was not amused, or maybe the creature was willing to share more. Either way, it continued: ¡°I suppose you could call me a dragon of sorts. That doesn¡¯t quite catch it, but I have a feeling it¡¯s the best I can do.¡±


    What was a dragon doing here? And what did it mean by it not being enough? I had a feeling I wasn¡¯t going to get answers.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± For now, it was best to keep the dragon speaking.


    ¡°hmm, I¡¯ve been called many names over the years¡­ I suppose, for now, you can just call me Azul.¡±


    The giant serpentine dragon, Azul, shifted slightly as if to get more comfortable. It slid its body some and lowered its head to my height.


    ¡°What about your name, dear?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure I should tell the beast my name, but I suppose the answer was fair, given that I asked.


    ¡°Hana,¡± I replied. I must have been good at lying before I lost my memory; either that or the beast was incapable of picking it up.


    ¡°Hana, a beautiful name. If I ever had a daughter, I would like to name her that!¡± he chuckled. I could not get any kind of understanding of this dragon. ¡°Tell me, how many worlds are there to this date?¡±


    His question raised some in me, but I wasn¡¯t sure the best way to ask them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I replied. Perhaps Orrin or Pythagoras knew the count, but it was not something I would have been aware of, ¡°are you implying the number changes?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hmm, I suppose that is something a human might not know. Well then, there were about five when I found myself here. Would you say that number is higher now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, likely many more than five,¡± I answered with no attempt to hide the confusion in my tone.


    ¡°I see; I have been trapped in this little cave for a great many years. My brothers and sisters are bound similarly around this location.¡±


    ¡°In the temple?¡± I pressed. Whatever this creature was, it sure liked to talk. I could probably learn much from it; whether the information was useful would be another matter. Still, I could feel something, perhaps an old buried thought, in me that seemed to say, ¡®information is vital for the mission¡¯ I wasn¡¯t sure what the mission was, however.


    ¡°Temple? I see¡­ No, my family and I are an ancient kind¡­ of dragon that once ran free throughout the worlds. We were a family of seven or so, you see, and we would frolic and play without a care. ¡°


    The serpent monster seemed to smile as it spoke. I think I triggered a happy memory.


    ¡°However, the humans, and some other races to be fair, grew jealous of us. I think they feared our power without paying attention to our good nature. They took it into their own hands to seal us away. I admit some of our siblings were misled and betrayed us.¡± The dragon beast sighed in a disappointed way.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked. I slid my daggers back into their sheathes to show I was not violent. My hands remained on the hilts all the same, but the gesture seemed to be enough to make the beast smile.


    ¡°Two of my brothers found themselves siding with the humans; I believe some form of magic may have been employed to control them. Nevertheless, four of us were ambushed in this place between worlds. The battle was something else, but you can see what happened in the end.¡±


    The serpent''s tail tapped the wall as if to highlight the prison.


    ¡°You said seven before but only mentioned 6?¡±


    ¡°One of our siblings was not ambushed; I don¡¯t know what befell after. I suspect the temple you saw was built after by those that forgot what happened, generations going by can do that to a people.¡±


    The story spun was sad, and the beast made sure its tone matched as it spoke. Still, I was trained to be suspicious of newcomers, at least I think I was, and remained cautious of what could happen next.


    ¡°Do you know what this world is?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I do, but not in a way that I could explain it to you.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what the monsters from the myst are?¡±


    ¡°Mist? Oh, you mean at the edge. I don¡¯t recall any monsters from there, but perhaps the occasional crying from my siblings draws them in.¡±


    The dragon appeared to know a lot but didn¡¯t seem to know anything relevant to me or wasn¡¯t willing to elaborate further. I wasn¡¯t sure there was much else I could learn.


    ¡°Do you know how to get out of here?¡±


    ¡°For me, or for you, dear?¡± the words had a rumble that made me tighten the grip on my daggers.


    ¡°I guess both?¡± I replied. I had meant for me, but it was best to retain friendly relations for the time being.


    ¡°Well, I will be imprisoned until released. I suspect a large enough monster could break open a hole, but they take a while to grow that big. For you, I would think you simply need to open that box. ¡°


    I turned to where the dragon''s eyes pointed. An ornate wooden box sat on the pedestal in the middle of the room. It retained a brown color and was decorated with golden trimmings, which showed brightly against the grey background.


    It had not been there before.

 26 – A Box

    I made my way across the grey tavern with only the dimly lit orange torches providing a way for me to see. As I got near, I could tell the pedestal was just slightly above my waist, and the wooden box¡¯s latch sat near my stomach. It was ornate, a reddish brown, and gave off an aromatic scent that was pleasant but unfamiliar. It was carved into two parts with a gold trim that ran around where the box snapped shut. The clasp and hinges were also fashioned from gold, and it didn¡¯t look like it was locked.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked as I stood an arm''s length away. I did not loosen the grips on my daggers.


    ¡°It is a box of knowledge; I was regarded as a provider of such in my day, simply open it, and you will find your way out.¡± The beast explained.


    ¡°Will I know how to get out?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I suspect you will simply find yourself at the exit.¡± The dragon answered. It wasn¡¯t a helpful answer, but I suppose it was all I was getting. After speaking, the beast moved its head a little farther back. It watched closely and waited.


    I took a deep breath and stepped closer to the box. My left hand loosened from the dagger at my side but kept the right firmly in my grip. I could not be sure something would jump out as soon as I opened it.


    Gently, the box lid was moved up. The hinges in the back made a creak that suggested it needed oil. Almost immediately, a black smoke seemed to pour out. I tried to back up but found myself enveloped in the substance. My daggers were pulled out as dark shadows in the smoke seemed to fly around me. I couldn¡¯t determine what they were, but I felt they weren¡¯t friendly.


    I swiped in front of me, the golden blade seemed to cut an opening through the smoke, but it only felt like cutting through the air. The gash soon closed. One of the black forms flew at my face, I tried to defend myself, but it was too quick. The thing wrapped around my neck and face. My vision was utterly cut off. In a panic, I ran forward.


    My blades were slid back into their sheaths as I reached for whatever was wrapped around my neck and face. Suddenly, I found myself moving through what felt like honey. The sensation lasted only a moment before I fell down into grass. I reached for my head, but there was nothing there. After taking a few deep breaths, I realized my eyes had closed. As I opened them, I saw a world lake in the familiar grey world.


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    Behind me was the stone structure, or perhaps a similar one, that I had seen when Enas and I walked around. Two stones stood parallel with a third rest on top to make some sort of gate. Unlike before, a glowing multicolored substance seemed to flow inside the stones like waves.


    I didn¡¯t stare at it too long before Orrin suddenly came bursting through the stuff. He was in the middle of a sprint, and his green eyes grew wide as he looked at the new scene. Without slowing, he grabbed me by my arm; I think he meant to grab my hand, but in his haste grasped around my wrist and pulled me up and to the side.


    Seconds later, a plume of fire shot out from the gate. It flew a great distance over the world lake and seemed to shake up the faux water below.


    Eventually, the flames died down, and Orrin leaned his head in front of the gate.


    ¡°Nice try, but it¡¯s going to take more than that!¡±


    He ducked back to avoid another burst of flame. After a moment, the substance in the gate began to dissolve, and the fire was cut short as the apparent doorway closed. It was back to being a structure of stacked stones once again.


    ¡°Dragons, what are you going to do with them,¡± Orrin said with a laugh as he brushed off his arm.


    ¡°You met a dragon?¡± I asked. I do recall the blue one I met mentioning it had siblings.


    ¡°Yep, and an unfriendly one at that. Started to attack as soon as it saw me.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I replied. The one I met was undoubtedly different.


    ¡°Well, we need to get back to the base right away; this gate thing working could be trouble!¡± he pointed to the stones as he spoke.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t work before?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not at all; I worry something must have happened to open it.¡±


    My mind quickly turned to the box. It certainly got me out of the cavern, but was another caveat to opening the doorway? Without certainty, I wasn¡¯t going to share what I knew. I needed more information before possibly incriminating myself before the others.


    We turned to head back to the camp when a shaking started. The normally still trees rustled their leaves as the grey world shuddered. In the distance, a loud blast echoed across the world; from what I could only figure was the source of the sound, five streams of blue shot into the air and across the grey sky.


    One, in particular, flew over our heads before dipping down into the world lake close to us. It made an enormous splash as waves shook across the faux water. Before going in, I could swear I saw a human form within the stream of water.


    We didn¡¯t have much time to contemplate what happened since a flash of light also flew into the sky from the source. Someone had signaled us.


    ¡°Things sure have been busy lately,¡± Orrin commented before running into the woods toward the light.


    I chased after. A few moments later, I realized my daggers had already returned to be firmly in my grip.

 27 – A Hunger

    It didn¡¯t take long before we reached the source of the flare. The clearing from the woods was open and gave access to a large blue lake. At the shore of the lake stood Lerato in his shining armor, which emerged from his power. Opposite him was¡­ a monster.


    Its body was like a large ball, and two thick¡ªresembling tree trunks¡ªlegs shot out from its bottom. The thing was taller than Lerato by about a head. Most of it was made up of a large mouth; it might be appropriate to say its mouth was more significant than the rest. The portions of the body that did remain¡ªmainly its back and legs¡ª were covered in a rough yellowy skin. It had no eyes but seemed to be looking at Lerato.


    The mouth outline was decorated with a series of sharp teeth. Four slimy tongues protruded from within and seemed to sway around like separate entities. The rest of the mouth was dark, like staring into an abyss.


    The sight of it caused a horrible shudder to well up from deep within me. By the reaction of Orrin and Pythagoras, who just showed up, my initial response to the creature was far worse than any of the others. It seemed the odd foe was nothing but a mild annoyance to them.


    ¡°It sure is ugly!¡± the short goblin shouted as he hoisted a long device over his shoulder. His large machine was likely still in the process of being repaired.


    ¡°Indeed, and stubborn!¡± Lerato shouted back as he held up his forearm to block a lash of the tongues. They seemed to crack like whips across his armor. Before pulling back, the tongues suddenly wrapped around his arm like tentacles. Lerato was pulled forward off his feet and into the mouth of the monster.


    He caught himself on the large teeth and grunted as he tried to avoid being pulled in.


    ¡°Lerato, duck!¡± the goblin shouted as he aimed his weapon at the beast. It let out a boom as something was fired from the end. Smoke trailed behind as it slammed into the side of the monster. The creature was pushed back like it was hit with a heavy punch. I think I saw a large chuck of metal fall into the grey grass. The tongues loosened, and Lerato was able to leap away.


    The creature stopped just short of falling back into the lake where I assume it came. It hissed as it turned in the direction of Pythagoras, who stood next to Orrin and me. I readied my daggers to strike.


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    The four tongues erupted from its dark mouth and flew across the lakeshore. Pythagoras stumbled back as his weapon was grabbed by the beast. Orrin made an odd movement, which luckily got him out of the way enough for the attack to miss. I steadied my breath and ran forward.


    As I lowered my body, the tongue flew over my head. As a second tongue aimed for my face, I made a swift leap to the right. The creature''s attention turned solely to me as it swallowed Pythagoras¡¯ weapon hole.


    I began a dance of swift movements as the attacks bent and wrapped in complex ways. I couldn¡¯t let any strike land for risk of being eaten whole.


    The creature pulled all its tongues back before seemingly firing all four together like a single appendage. I slid to the side and let the attack sail past my shoulder. It bent in the air behind me, likely planning to wrap me in a bind, but I retaliated before the ugly beast was finished.


    With a slash, I cut two of the four tongues clean off. Burn marks were left where the blade had gone through. My daggers cut through like there was nothing but air, and the creature let out a cry as it pulled its tongues back.


    I kept a close eye on the beast as I sought to catch my breath. It hissed at me but didn¡¯t risk making another attack.


    A flash of light sailed in from the side and hit the beast. Enas had come and was firing at the creature with his weapon. Casey joined in from the other side with a carved grey wooden spear. We had it trapped, but it didn¡¯t back down.


    Instead, it only seemed more enraged. The four tongues shot out again in a wide pattern¡ªall aimed at me. It rightly figured dividing the attacks into several sides would be harder for me to defend against.


    I managed to duck from one and slash another, but the slimy attack snatched a leg and arm.


    The beast wasted no time pulling me in with two tongues as the other two appendages waited by the mouth of darkness, likely to stop me from clinging to the teeth. I suppose this was it, yet I didn¡¯t feel too upset. I closed my eyes. I had a good run, or at least I liked to think I did before I lost my memory.


    There was a loud cry, and I felt the beast''s grip fail. My eyes shot open to see Casey stabbing one tongue in the ground and Lerato smashing his hands into its flesh.


    I still had the forward thrust from being pulled and used it to break into a sprint. My daggers were held ready as I closed into the beast, then I proceeded to run around it. All the while, I slide both golden blades into it. When I finished my sprint, I pulled the blades out and held them ready. Casey and Lerato pulled back as well, and we all watched the beast¡¯s cut top slide slightly before it completely fell over. We all made a sigh of relief. I suppose it was safe to assume it was dead.

 28 – A Name and Plan

    After the beast was felled, the group split up and began to look around. Lerato stuck his hand in the world-lake; I suppose to check the status of the place the monster had come from. Enas and Casey began to search the remaining area as if they expected more to appear. Pythagoras and Orrin crept closer to the dead beast and began to poke it. The goblin defended his actions by saying they were purely for scientific research. He quickly gathered several jars of monster parts.


    I think they also looked inside, where the stomach should have been, in an effort to recover the weapon the creature had eaten. As it turned out, the inside was empty. Not only was the weapon missing, but the goblin was surprised to see that it lacked organs and didn¡¯t follow basic principles of biology, from what Pythagoras explained. It seemed like whatever it ate was simply lost; where it was lost to was a mystery that the goblin began to rub his chin and ponder.


    Lerato stood up and shook his head while everyone gathered around him. I joined in but stood slightly behind the rest of the group members.


    ¡°That world is in dire straights,¡± Lerato explained. ¡°looks like this one is a spawn of a much larger monster.¡±


    The mood was sullen. I quickly glanced at each face of the group. It seemed Lerato, and Enas were ready for a fight; perhaps they thought about jumping into the world. Casey frowned and gripped her spear tightly; quite possibly, she was on the fence. Pythagoras¡¯ eyes darted back and forth between the three; I suspect he didn¡¯t want to get involved and was worried the other three would.


    Orrin¡¯s face was covered with a wide grin, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going!¡± the goblin finally shouted. He began to collect the samples and tuck them away in his ratty clothes.


    Enas sighed. Lerato chuckled.


    ¡°No one said anything about going!¡± Orrin shouted in shock. Was he the only one who was oblivious?


    ¡°It¡¯s just an act,¡± a voice seemed to whisper. I jumped and turned around. There was no one nearby other than the group. A sigh escaped me as I shook my head. Likely, the wind, combined with my worries, led me to hear things. The others didn¡¯t notice my odd movements and continued.


    ¡°It would be wise for us to investigate this world. Trouble like this never seems to stay in one place.¡± Enas said as he pulled his weapon apart and began to inspect it. Though it was no blade, I recognized the actions of a warrior preparing their equipment for a battle.


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    Orrin hummed and rubbed his chin.


    ¡°Your probably right; how about Casey, Enas, and I go! Pythagoras, Lerato, and Kiko can hold down the fort!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure we shouldn¡¯t all go? That thing was dangerous,¡± I replied. I felt my brow furrow after speaking. Why was it that I offered myself to go on this dangerous mission? I owed the group for taking me in and being kind to me, but I hardly knew them enough to join a reckless run into danger.


    Orrin shook his head. His smiling expression gave no way for me to anticipate what he would say.


    ¡°We avoid having everyone go into a world at once,¡± the green-clad man explained.


    I suppose that made sense. There was a possibility of everyone dying.


    The others seemed to agree with Orrin¡¯s decision, so I didn¡¯t offer any objections.


    ¡°But, before we go,¡± Orrin continued, ¡° we need to name this thing!¡± he pointed to the dead monster.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see the point,¡± Enas said with a roll of his eyes.


    ¡°Hmm, well, it seemed like it would eat a lot, maybe something along those lines,¡± Lerato offered.


    ¡°Oh, I like that! Maybe an eater, or muncher, or consumer, or stomacher, or bellyer, or¡­.¡±


    Orrin continued throwing out names that followed a basic pattern of adding ¡®er¡¯ to the end of a word. The others didn¡¯t seem to mind Orrin¡¯s mumblings, so I left my opinions on his names unsaid.


    ¡°Or a hungerer¡­.¡± Orrin paused a moment on the last one. ¡°maybe the extra er on that one isn¡¯t needed, just a hunger then?¡±


    ¡°I like that!¡± Enas suddenly shouted.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go with that,¡± Casey added.


    The others quickly followed suit. I got the sense they were just waiting for a pause, then agreeing to the name Orrin landed on at that moment. He seemed satisfied, though, and made a thumbs up with his pale hand.


    ¡°Awesome! Now that we named it let¡¯s see what¡¯s going on!¡±


    They wasted no more time. Orrin grabbed Enas¡¯ and Casey¡¯s hands and, with a shout of '' geronimo,¡¯ leaped in.


    Once the splash of the world-lake settled, the grey scene got almost unnervingly quiet.


    Pythagoras broke the quiet with a grunt.


    ¡°Let''s get back to camp; I have a lot of samples to check before I can get back to more important things.¡± I suppose he meant his machine by'' more important things,¡¯ but I remained quiet.


    Lerato laughed.


    ¡°Well, let me know if you need any help!¡± the hero replied.


    We made our way back to the camp. All the way, Lerato, and Pythagoras bantered about experiments and how useless the hero was with them. I kept my distance and stared off into the grey woods.


    The invisible sun was beginning to set as we approached the camp. It seemed the others were starting to feel tired near the end of the day. I couldn¡¯t blame them. Pythagoras¡¯ words got shorter and less technical, and Lerato did his best to hide yawns while struggling to hold his shoulders up¡ªhis head was beginning to droop regardless. We parted ways as the sky got darker, and I retreated into my cabin. The bed was soft, and I quickly felt myself fade.

 29 – A New Memory

    I opened my eyes once I felt an unpleasant rocking. I was on a boat, though the scene looked more like an oil painting than real life. Or perhaps it was real life, and the grey world was the illusion?


    I looked out onto the water. The scene moved but not in what I thought was the usual way, but rather like a painter was quickly adding to the work as we drove through it. Looking carefully, some trees seemed to suggest they jumped from one location to the next, like a series of paintings stacked on top of each other with only the slightest differences to create movement.


    It took some getting used to, but eventually, I tuned the jumpy movements out and focused on who sat in the boat with me. Four men were present. Two rowed and were so indistinct that faces had been neglected to be painted. Another faceless one stared at a map, and the last wore a familiar smiling Oni mask. Nobuyuki, I believe, was his name. He smiled when I looked in his direction, though it was the mask that moved. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if his face was as blank as the rest on the boat underneath. I wanted to reach over and tear the mask off, but that was the least of my troubles. Every action I made, large or small, was fixed. I could not deviate from whatever path my body was linked to. I would have thought this a dream, but if it was, I would have expected to exercise some degree of control once I realized it.


    We reached a green-painted shore that butted up against a steep rock face. The scene was beautiful, but I didn¡¯t have time to dwell much longer. I began to move out of the ship automatically and against my wishes. I was wearing a dark black uniform, I think the same one I wore under my kimono, but the bright pink fabric was nowhere to be seen. Did this occur before I got it? The men in the boat left Nobuyuki and me on the sand and headed back to the sea. I walked with the Oni man along the painted scene.


    He said something, his masked smile moved like lips, but I heard nothing. I responded; though my lips moved, I heard nothing as well. It quickly became relevant that the entire scene was silent. There was no breeze among the swaying trees or cries of the birds as they flew through the air. It truly was like a painting; sound was not necessary.


    Nobuyuki and I continued along, exchanging words but not making any sounds. I wanted to scream and break the silence, but no opportunity was offered.


    Instead, we began to climb a hill and approach a large castle. Two samurai stood at the top and stared down at us. Though they lacked faces, I could tell they were glaring. They said something, there was no sound or even lips moving to indicate it, but somehow I knew. I rolled my eyes and kept moving without another word.


    In a short time, Nobuyuki and I reached a set of closed doors. We lowered to a kneeling position as they were slid open.


    I would have gasped if I could. The man sitting behind the doors was not part of the painting. He looked real, and his face was as clear as possible.


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    His clothes indicated his importance. A long grey sokutai was draped around his body, and a black kanmuri sat on his head. I knew in an instant. He was the young emperor. The one I would protect. The one I would use as a pawn. And the one I would kill if his usefulness ran out.


    A smile ran across a thin face. His hair was jet black, and his chin had a few short whiskers, likely his first considering his age¡ªthough I think I would have been relatively young at this moment as well. His eyes were a deep brown, and his skin was pale enough to suggest he spent much more time inside than out.


    ¡°Welcome!¡± he bellowed with excitement. A smile lined his face. I would have jumped at the sudden sound if I could.


    I said something; his voice was the only thing that broke the silence of the painting with an occasional ¡®mm-hmm¡¯ to my mute words.


    When I finished speaking, he jumped up and laughed. I could feel an immediate dislike.


    ¡°Well, no need to be so stuffy! We should get to know each other if you''re my new bodyguard.¡± He walked up and held out a hand, suggesting he would pull me up to my feet, but I didn¡¯t accept. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± he asked. I answered.


    ¡°Kiko, wonderful! You can call me Akimitsu!¡± some of the faceless figures in the scene moved and seemed to shout at the young emperor, but he waved his hands dismissively.


    ¡°Ignore them, Kiko; let¡¯s go see around the castle!¡±


    He didn¡¯t offer me a hand again but reached down and pulled me up. I stood slightly taller than him; he had likely not yet had his final growth spurt.


    The young emperor pulled me along, and we exited the room. I couldn¡¯t help but think he must have been excited to have someone the same age around. Though I am not sure why that feeling came to me.


    As we ran down a hall, the colors of the painted scene began to fade. Soon it was all grey, then the details lessened. Eventually, it went all black, and that was when my eyes opened. I gasped and sat up in a flash.


    ¡°Sleep well?¡± a voice said on my left side.


    I turned to the source.


    The face of a small blue dragon was a finger''s length away from mine. I jumped to get away, but It was no use.


    The blue serpentine body held tight around my neck like a scarf. I tried to grab for the scaly form, but my hands either couldn¡¯t find the creature or simply passed through like it was nothing. After several moments of struggle, my hands fell down to my waist.


    ¡°Done yet, Kiko?¡± the creature asked with what I could figure was an attempt to hold back a laugh.


    It was clear this creature was a miniature version of the giant dragon, Azul, whom I had met in the temple. I suspect opening the box is what allowed it to wrap around me.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked. I could only hope the dragon was as talkative now as he had been in the cavern.


    ¡°That¡¯s rather vague, my dear. Do you wish to know something about this moment? Or perhaps something else happening in another world? Or was it merely a friendly greeting to address me?¡±


    I think he liked the sound of his own voice.


    ¡°Why are you here, wrapped around my neck?¡± I didn¡¯t bother to hide the frustration in my tone.


    ¡°Why am I here? That is still a bit vague, but I suppose I can take a crack at what you probably are looking for. Opening the box in my prison opened the door, so to speak. Unfortunately, it was not meant for dragons to pass through, so I broke off a small part of myself to travel along.¡±


    I suspect the dragon knew this would happen or planned it when we encountered each other. Either way, it seemed I was stuck. Perhaps I could think of something in the morning? I did my best to lay back down. The dragon''s form did nothing to affect my posture. It was like it wasn¡¯t there; perhaps it was only in my head? Or maybe this was a dream as well? Was he still there, staring at me? I was in for a miserable night if my thoughts didn¡¯t calm down.

 30 – A New Companion

    Morning came quickly, but I didn¡¯t get much more sleep. I would feel myself cycle between a sense of falling asleep and being alert enough to fight. There was no middle ground in the movement between states.


    As I sat up, I rubbed my hands against my face. Being this tired would lead to a miserable day, but there wasn¡¯t much I could do about it.


    I pushed myself up and looked around the grey room. There was no mirror, but I wanted to check if Azul was still wrapped around my neck. I couldn¡¯t see when turning my head, but there was no reason to think that the small dragon wasn¡¯t avoiding my gaze. He seemed liable to do that. Perhaps to simply mess with me, or perhaps for some other purpose. Either way, I felt a hint of frustration at the idea.


    My search for a reflective surface ended in vain. I sighed before making my way outside the cabin; there would be something to check with; if I moved quickly enough, it could be done before anyone saw me.


    I hadn¡¯t even made it about five steps before Leratos voice called out.


    ¡°Good morning Kiko!¡± he said chipperly. I froze.


    His voice didn¡¯t have any strangeness I might have expected if he saw the blue dragon on me. I turned and did my best to greet Lerato. A nod in his direction and a neutral ¡®morning¡¯ was all I could manage.


    ¡°That¡¯s hardly a way to greet someone,¡± the voice of Azul suddenly said. I jumped and turned to the dragon. His sharp fangs were twisted into the shape of a smile. Now he was in plain sight. Perhaps the creature really did just want to mess with my head.


    ¡°Everything alright?¡± Lerato asked as he turned in the same direction I was staring, though off in the distance instead of at the head of the dragon that was a breath''s reach from my face.


    Does this mean he couldn¡¯t see the serpentine dragon wrapped around me? Clearly, it must, Azul stands out quite a bit, so I can¡¯t imagine he wouldn¡¯t say anything. He didn¡¯t seem like the type to deceive either. If anything, Lerato looked like the type that was so honest; he could easily become a pawn to others.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a little tired,¡± I said.


    Lerato nodded.


    ¡°Yeah, after yesterday, I can see that. Well, should we get breakfast?¡±


    ¡°What about Pythagoras?¡±


    ¡°He''s already up and working; says this time he¡¯ll build the true ultimate weapon¡­ or something like that,¡± Lerato said with a laugh.


    ¡°I see,¡± was all I replied with.


    We made our way to the campfire, and Lerato began to cook something.


    ¡°Well, we have the whole world to ourselves! Anything you wanted to explore?¡± he said while he flipped the food in a frying pan.


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    I shook my head at first but added a verbal reply once I saw he was staring at the food.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, well, we should be stocked up with food and supplies for a while longer. I was going to do some training myself, but I expect you wouldn¡¯t want to join in?¡±


    The word ¡®training¡¯ brought up the hallway from an earlier dream; I felt mixed about it.


    ¡°Could I just walk alone for a while?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Certainly!¡± Lerato said while his gaze was still fixed on the food. ¡°Just be careful while wandering; you never know where the world will take you.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a map I could see?¡± Maybe something would stand out as a spot to visit.


    Lerato made a hearty laugh in reply. It wasn¡¯t quite directed at me, but I noticed my hands and jaw clenching tightly. I took a deeper breath in an effort to relax as Lerato continued.


    ¡°Maps are pretty useless around here.¡± He added after his laughter calmed down.


    I suspect they tried to make one in the past, and it didn¡¯t go well. It was the only explanation I could come up with for his reaction. Or at least the one I wanted to think about since he might be considering me a fool otherwise.


    We were quiet for a moment as Lerato finished cooking and put food on two plates. Pythagoras must have had food in his cabin; that or he had no interest in eating while working.


    I silently ate the scrambled meal. Lerato tried a couple of times to chat, but I only answered with short replies that didn¡¯t leave much to continue with. They were little things I didn¡¯t have much to comment on, and I quickly forgot the topics.


    When he was finished, Lerato stood up and stretched.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m off. If you hear any loud sounds, it is probably just my training.¡±


    I nodded, and he headed out.


    ¡°I thought he¡¯d never leave,¡± Azul said with a sigh.


    ¡°What do you care?¡± I mumbled as I finished the last of my food.


    ¡°Pesky humans like that are always a bother. They think only with training and muscles. Try talking with him about some literature, and you¡¯ll see what I mean.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure why Azul was so judgemental, especially considering he had just met Lerato, but I let it go and finished eating.


    In no time at all, I was up and out of the camp. There was no telling where I would end up.


    The grey trees grew dense as I hiked through the world.


    ¡°If you have no destination in mind, I have somewhere I would like to visit!¡±Azul said with an odd amount of chipperness.


    ¡°Will you get off me if we go there?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, my dear, you and I will be together for a while yet! Till death do us part, as I think you humans like to say.¡±


    I rolled my eyes as I carefully stepped over some tree roots.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall inviting you to join me,¡± I muttered as I wrapped my fingers around the hilt of one of my daggers.


    ¡°Oh, but you did. The contract written on the box clearly stated as such!¡±


    ¡°There was nothing written on that box.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I forgot you might not be able to see the text! You must forgive me, humans back in the day could see just fine, so I always forget!¡±


    His voice didn¡¯t indicate that he was sorry in the slightest. In fact, it almost sounded like a suppressed laugh was just beneath his reply. I sighed as I stepped out of the woods. The blue dragon liked to talk and say lots of odd things. He might have been trying to change the subject. ¡®Humans back in the day¡¯ could easily be an attempt to pique my curiosity. Yet, I couldn¡¯t be sure anything he said was true; it was best to focus on what I could.


    ¡°If I couldn¡¯t see the contract, why should I be held to it?¡± I asked as I eyed the new scene. It was an open clearing, filled with knee-high grey grass but not much else.


    ¡°You still opened the box. Ignorance won¡¯t protect you from consequences, my dear Kiko. Think of it like pressing a button without knowing what it would trigger!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what the serpentine dragon meant with his analogy. Buttons were something I had only recently learned about from Pythagoras. Still, I think I got the gist.


    ¡°So I¡¯m stuck?¡±


    ¡°Till death do us part. And that¡¯s your death, by the way; I¡¯ll be living a while longer,¡± Azul replied.


    I sighed. I suppose I would have to get used to this new arrangement for the time being.

 31 – A Forest of Creatures

    I turned my attention away from the dragon wrapped around my neck and stared at the clearing.


    The tall grass swayed and danced in a gentle breeze, though there was no sensation on my skin or hair to indicate any wind was passing through. Not even my clothes moved from the draft like I was cut off from the scene itself. I shook my head and began walking through the grass.


    It brushed across my knees and might have tickled if they were bare, but otherwise offered little resistance to my movements. I kept my eyes low for anything odd. The tall grass was the perfect place for snakes to hide, and I already had had enough with serpentine creatures.


    Sure enough, several steps away from me, I saw a sudden shiver in the grass. Something had moved either closer to me or further away. I froze and drew both of my blades.


    ¡°Something the matter?¡± Azul asked. His voice told me that he wasn¡¯t the slightest bit surprised by my actions.


    Slowly and carefully, I backed away from where I saw the movement in the grass. Both my and the dragon''s eyes were trained on the spot.


    I wished I didn¡¯t have this pink kimono on; it made it very difficult to disappear. Whatever saw me would likely keep track of where I was without effort¡ªhardly fitting for a kunoichi. Yet, despite my misgivings, I continued to wear the clothes. It didn¡¯t feel right, but it didn¡¯t feel wrong either. Perhaps if I could recall something from my past, these feelings would be easier to articulate.


    I shook my head and focused back on the grass. There was another movement, this time, it appeared further away. Whatever was in there was leaving. I relaxed my shoulders. After taking a deep breath, I charged out of the grassy field. Once my knees were free of the soft blades, I turned and held my daggers at the ready.


    Nothing emerged from within, and I steadily backed into the woods. Azul chuckled. Whatever he found funny was beyond me.


    The field was almost out of sight when an intense rustling began. All at once, a myriad of small animals burst from the grass and in my direction.


    ¡°Better run, Kiko,¡± Azul said with an indifferent tone.


    ¡°Right,¡± I didn¡¯t argue with him. Both blades were slipped into their sheaths, and I began my sprint in the opposite direction.


    Where had all these creatures come from? I had not seen them before, but the cracking of branches behind me and sudden appearances in trees as I ran past made it clear I was surrounded. Each animal was a different type, a rabbit, several birds, lizards of all stripes, and many more. They were all small; I suspect I could carry any of them if they were a pet. While the colors retained were natural, they all glowed brightly and illuminated the grey forest.


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    I ran through the trees until the ground gave way to a cliff. My grip barely held me to a branch as I tried to stop the sudden fall. A burning sensation ran up it as I held on tightly. I was fairly close to the ground at this point. If I were twice as tall, my feet would be touching the ground. From above, the glowing animals all stared at me.


    Then the branch snapped, and I fell face first.


    I moved my arms so they would take the brunt of the impact as I slammed into a steep hill. My legs flipped over my head, and I rolled down to the bottom of a small valley. I quickly turned to look back up but saw none of the animals.


    ¡°That was one crazy ride,¡± Azul said with a laugh. I stood up and began to brush myself off.


    A sudden croak caught my attention, and my dagger''s hilts were soon pressed firmly within my hands.


    A glowing green frog sat on a tree stump. His black eyes looked at my face, then at Azuls.


    ¡°Quite a pickle you got yourself in, huh.¡± The frog spoke.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what shocked me more. The speaking frog, or the fact the voice did not match how I thought a frog should sound. How would I usually expect such a voice to be? High? Low? I couldn¡¯t quite describe it, but this voice was rough and crackled where intonation was meant to occur. It was like he was an adolescent in the middle of his voice changing.


    I held my blade up and pointed it at the creature.


    ¡°Stay back,¡± I warned.


    ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t stay away from someone pointing knives at them?¡± the frog replied while he rolled his eyes.


    Azul hissed at the creature.


    ¡°My dear Kiko, we should stay away from the likes of this one.¡±


    If I wasn¡¯t wary, I might have just done the opposite of what my undesired passenger said, just out of spite, but I wouldn¡¯t risk too much in this situation. I took a step back. A twig snapped under my foot, making the frog flinch.


    We both froze and stared at each other.


    ¡°What do you want, human?¡± the frog finally asked.


    ¡°I¡­ what are you?¡±


    ¡°Kiko, it is best to leave this matter alone. I will explain it to you as best as you can understand later,¡± Azul hissed in a low tone. His words only made me want to keep talking to the creature.


    I looked up; the other animals were standing up from where I had fallen and looked down. With their sudden reappearance, the color glowed brightly from above like a series of stars.


    ¡°I would hardly go telling a human.¡± The frog replied with a tone of righteous indignation. I wasn¡¯t sure what that was about, and hearing it from a frog was odd, so I let the moment pass by.


    ¡°He¡¯s nothing more than a minor passerby; there is no reason to continue,¡± Azul chimed in with a hiss that made the frog shudder. The green animal seemed to straighten up and stand in place.


    ¡°Human, it would be best if you and your cohorts left this place,¡± the frog said.


    ¡°Why¡¯s that? I replied while looking around at my surroundings. The trees were clear enough to pick from several paths if this encounter turned into a hostile one.


    If the frog could press a hand to his forehead, like one might with a headache, I am sure he would have done so. The frog face could only do so much to convey emotions, but I still had a feeling that I was picking up what he intended.


    ¡°This place is not for you to live in,¡± the frog replied.


    ¡°Whether that is true or not, it can be used rather conveniently,¡± Azul added with a laugh.


    The frog shook his head.


    ¡°I see no reason to continue; I will leave now. Be warned, human, a day will come when you will find yourself thrust from this world into another, and there is no guarantee that the world you land in will be pleasant.¡±


    With his final words, the frog hopped away and into the woods. The glow from his body slowly dimmed until it had vanished completely. Above, the other animals had disappeared as well.


    ¡°Well, shall we return, Kiko?¡± the dragon draped around me asked.


    I shook my head and walked into the woods, my next location was a mystery, but I just wanted time to think.

 32 – A New Ally

    ¡°What was that?¡± I asked after a moment of hiking through trees. I wasn¡¯t sure Azul could be trusted, but I could count on him to talk.


    ¡°You would best understand it as a fairy and a rather ballsy one at that, your world might have had a different name, but you can think of them as tricksters or pests.¡± Sure enough, the dragon liked the sound of his own voice. At least he was willing to freely give me information. ¡°It would be best to avoid them as much as possible; they can be a bit annoying.¡±


    I don¡¯t know what Azul meant; the creature seemed to want to stay away from me more than I did. Still, I almost wondered if I should do the opposite of the dragon''s advice.


    I suppose the worst thing that could happen would be having another companion riding on my shoulders. Though Azul was more than enough for that. Even though I could not feel the blue form wrapped around me, I still felt some stiffness around the shoulders, as if I had been carrying something heavy for a while. The feeling did not go away, no matter how often I tried to move or adjust them. It was best to ignore it; changing perspective always would help. A wound in the foot could distract from a training ache, after all. Though I had no idea why I was thinking like that. Had someone stabbed me in the foot before? I would have to inspect for scars later.


    The grey trees continued to get denser and denser; perhaps we were already going elsewhere in the world. I wish I had some idea of where I should go; wandering seemed like it was bound to get me wrapped up with more strange creatures. At the very least, Lerato or someone could have given me some ideas.


    Maybe they didn¡¯t know where I would want to go. Or perhaps they didn¡¯t think I would encounter anything strange. I did find it odd that no one warned me about the creatures in the world. If they were pests, as Azul said, then I would have thought they would be at least worth mentioning. There was a possibility, though.


    ¡°Where do those fairies hide?¡± I asked


    ¡°In plain sight, my dear; they tend to be hard for you humans to see, though.¡± Azul¡¯s answer confirmed what I was thinking. The others didn¡¯t mention the creatures because they hadn¡¯t seen them.


    Or, it was possible I was giving them too much credence. The words ¡®trust no person¡¯ floated into the forefront of my mind. They carried a particular sound to them as if it was someone else¡¯s voice planted within. ¡®Yes, mother¡¯ was the next thing I could come up with.


    I shook my head. Thoughts aside, there was a possibility that the others couldn¡¯t be trusted. Ulterior motives we¡¯re always possible.


    I stopped walking through the dense grey woods and Sat down on a root that bulged out of the ground.


    ¡°Are you wondering why your companions didn¡¯t warn you of the pests?¡±


    It was creepy how correct the dragon was. I hoped that he could not hear my thoughts.


    ¡°They couldn¡¯t see them,¡± I replied in a neutral tone.


    ¡°Or they neglected to tell you, but I¡¯m sure you have neglected to tell them things as well.¡± He chuckled as he talked. ¡°perhaps you aren¡¯t a good match for the others.¡± He added.


    I couldn¡¯t argue with the logic, I had been closed off, and I didn¡¯t share some of the cheeriness that everyone else seemed to have. The dragon may have been trying to manipulate me, but he was also correct.


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    ¡°And if I¡¯m not?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I know a good world we might be able to head into!¡± Azul replied.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Shot down so quickly, I suppose that is okay; how about another stop then?¡± he laughed as he spoke as if we were just having a casual conversation.


    ¡°If it will keep you quiet,¡± I replied as I stood up.


    ¡°Great! Just head straight.¡±


    I began to walk through the grey woods once again until we pushed through into a new location. It was an open section with a stony tiled ground. To my back and sides were the woods, and to the front was the wall of myst. In the center of the stones, there was a tall monolith. I walked up and inspected the stone.


    The monolith was carved with many shapes of people and animals. There were what I figured were words, but it was in a language I couldn¡¯t read if that was the case.


    ¡°Ah, wonderful!¡± Azul said. His head stretched out away from mine to get closer to the stone. The body coiled around me would have theoretically been getting smaller, and though I knew it wasn¡¯t the case, I felt a tightness around my neck as if the blue form was clamping down on my throat.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I asked mainly to distract from the suffocating sensation.


    ¡°An old artifact from a day long since passed.¡±


    That didn¡¯t clear up what the object was, but it did seem to relax some of the tension. At no point did I stop feeling like I couldn¡¯t breathe, but it suddenly returned to normal.


    ¡°And why did you want to see it?¡± I asked.


    The blue dragon chuckled.


    ¡°I have my reasons, dear,¡± he said. ¡°why don¡¯t we get a little closer.¡±


    I sighed and stepped up to the slab. My face was less than my arm''s length away.


    Up close, the shapes were easy to make out. A slew of beasts flew free in the air while people on the ground knelt before them


    ¡°The good old days, you see,¡± Azul explained. ¡°some humans made this as a gift to us back then before they betrayed us and locked us away.


    One of the dragons did look like Azul; a serpentine form was twisted in the air.


    ¡°Is that all you wanted to say?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not at all, dear Kiko; reach out and touch the stone for me!¡±


    My palm sat gently on the cold stone.


    There was a rumble, and then something dark like a shadow burst from the stone to me. I jumped back and pulled out my daggers, but nothing was there.


    ¡°Ease up,¡± Azul said, ¡°you were merely given a key!¡±


    ¡°A key?¡±


    ¡°Yes, seven keys were forged to imprison my brethren and me. You have just obtained the first. Once all seven are collected, you can free us!¡±


    It seemed that the serpentine dragon wanted to use this arrangement to get free. I suppose I couldn¡¯t blame him.


    ¡°Once you are free, what will you do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hmm, I think I might like to stretch out and sleep for a couple centuries, it¡¯s quite cramped in that little hole, but as thanks to you, I will assist with getting you back to where you belong,¡± Azul said with the best smile he could muster, it looked more like he was trying to snarl, but I suppose it was the thought that counted.


    ¡°Do you know what world I came from?¡±


    ¡°Not presently, but we could easily pass in and out of worlds until we found out!¡±


    It sounded like Azul could move in and out of worlds, which would be quite handy. I felt confident that my few memories were developed enough to recognize something.


    I suppose, in a way, this was a good deal, he would be free, and I could get back to where I left. Perhaps I was being overcautious after all.


    ¡°I will help you; on my honor, as a kunoichi, I will stand by your side,¡± I replied.


    The words felt natural; perhaps I had been trained to say them to show my allegiance to who I was working for. Yet, at the same time, they stung, like I had already betrayed them once before. There was no telling the reason, so I let the worry pass.


    Azul seemed happy.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to have you help! I also have a friend who can grant you a wish if you want!¡±


    ¡°Just getting home is enough,¡± I said with a laugh. I think it was the first one I made since, well, ever, as far as my memory told. Despite my initial caution, Azul seemed to be okay. Perhaps his draconic nature made him seem a little untrustworthy. Or maybe whatever I had been through before losing my memories influenced me. That could also be why I stayed cautious around the others. I imagine the closer someone resembled a person, the more difficult time I would have.


    ¡°Well, I think we¡¯ve had enough fun for today!¡± Azul said as he stared at the myst.


    ¡°We might be able to get another key¡­.¡±


    I turned in the same direction. A shadow was moving around in the foggy wall.

 33 – An Old Foe

    I steadied my breath and drew my blades. The golden tips pointed to the myst where the shadow moved. The rest of the space was clear and silent. Some grey grass was up to my ankles, but I did not hear the slightest rustle as I slowly backed up.


    I recalled the device the others used to signal each other, but it only just now occurred to me that I had never obtained one. I suppose I should have asked, but I doubt I would have thought to without this exact circumstance. Whether I would ask after wasn¡¯t clear, that is, if I got out of here.


    The creature emerged, seemingly slicing out of the myst smoothly and slowly.


    A familiar fleshy form stepped out, its body arranged into the shape of a human, though no distinct features marked the otherwise smooth skin. Whatever we had fought after what seemed like so long ago was back, or maybe this was another one. The fiery person, Cherry, had killed the first, after all. There was a significant difference, the humanoid form was disturbingly similar, but it stood at least twice my height.


    Its smooth face looked around the area, seemingly unaware of me standing below it. It seemed almost comical, but perhaps the creature didn¡¯t know how to look down. I might not have even considered it if I hadn¡¯t watched the odd movements of its body. It was like it was unfamiliar with the human form.


    This was an opportunity; I could give it one slice and pull back. Targeting the legs should at least give me time to put some distance between us. After which, I suppose I would have to get a hold of Lerato and Pythagoras for the next steps. The plan seemed promising, so I didn¡¯t waste another moment. I lunged forward and closed the gap between myself and the monster.


    It must have heard me, though without ears, who could tell. Either way, it took a step to the side as if to get out of the way; fortunately, the movements were clunky, and my attack easily slid through the fleshy left leg. The blade cut clean and with little resistance. I might have been surprised by that alone, but what came after was more shocking.


    The cut burst with flames, and the smooth skin of the monster was burnt around the region. It let out the most horrible sound one could imagine before falling down. Now it learned to turn its head downward, and the smooth face stared at me. If this thing had emotions, I could not tell, but I felt a pressure like all its anger was forced down on me.


    Dwelling on the fiery attack would have to come later. I spun the blades in my hands and readied for another blow. I could take this out on my own if the attacks were this effective.


    ¡°Careful, Kiko, this opponent isn¡¯t going to go down easily.¡±


    The blue dragon chimed in from atop my shoulder. Either he could read my mind, or my expressions and stance were giving away too much. If it was the latter, then I was letting my training slip, or at least I felt I was.


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    I ignored the thoughts and rushed forward for another strike. My blades were going to be driven into the creature¡¯s chest, but it had other plans.


    Several parts of its arm exploded into vines or something comparable to them. They wrapped around my arms and waist, locking me in place. I struggled to move as the creature awkwardly stood back up. I couldn¡¯t break free as more of the amorphous body seemed to grow around my own. In a matter of moments, my arms and torso were encased¡ªand it was clear it was headed to my mouth and ears.


    I was forced to move like a puppet. My arms jerked around, and my waist turned. My grip tightened on my blades, but I had no way to attack.


    As the creature moved up to my neck, Azul made an odd sound. It seemed somewhere between a sigh and a chuckle, but maybe I imagined things in my panic.


    He bit down on the clay-like flesh around my shoulder. The monster let out what I could only figure was a yelp. The body was immediately pulled back and the blob reformed into a humanoid shape. It scratched the section the dragon had bit. Meanwhile, Azul spat several times as if he had gotten some dust in his mouth.


    I turned back to the monster and held up my blades. It surprised me, but that would not happen again. Before I could move, the form shifted closer to something with four legs and charged back to the myst.


    I ran after but stopped just short of entering the foggy wall. It was a breath''s length away from my face, and I could feel something shaking in my core. A cold sweat began to form, and I could tell that only one who wanted to die, or someone extremely powerful, would be able to walk in without a care. As far as I could tell, I was neither, so I backed up.


    It occurred to me that I started holding my breath, and I let out a gasp. With that realization, I fell to a seated position and stared into space for a moment.


    Azul was the one to bring me out of it.


    ¡°I do believe the creature has been driven off, but only for a moment. It would be best to leave here in case that moment is short.¡±


    I didn¡¯t argue with the dragon and quickly sprinted through the woods.


    ¡°What is that thing?¡± I asked as I pushed past grey trees and bushes. There was a moment of pause before Azul gave an answer


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit past what I expect you would understand. I suppose the best way is to consider it an unformed¡­ dragon. Unlike myself, it has been stunted in growth and never developed a charming or witty personality.¡±


    ¡°So, it¡¯s like a relative to you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but very distant. Some of you humans have a concept called evolution. Are you familiar?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I answered.


    ¡°For the best, I suppose, now that I think about it, that would have been a misleading analogy. I¡¯ll see if I can think of anything else.¡±


    Despite his words, the dragon around my neck fell silent. I didn¡¯t bother adding anything as well. The dense grey trees were beginning to thin, and I could hear loud banging coming from up ahead.


    I pushed out of the woods and entered a clearing.


    What awaited me was a sight I did not expect.


    Several oddly shaped metal sculptures were positioned around a circle. At one of the shapes lay Lerato, who held a long metal bar with giant disks on either end. He moved it up and down in a motion that seemed more likely to exhaust than anything else.


    ¡°Four hundred forty-two,¡± he grunted as he moved the bar in the air. As he lifted, he must have noticed me out of the corner of his eye. My pink clothes were likely to be a dead giveaway. They were the opposite of stealthy. Why I wore them, I had no idea. ¡°Ah! Hello Kiko,¡± Lerato said in a casual voice as he moved the heavy metal bar onto some hooks of the sculpture. He sat up and smiled.

 34 – A Chat

    Lerato rolled his shoulders a moment before standing up. He made his way to a small table between the metal contraptions and picked up a bottle to drink from. With a satisfied ¡®ah¡¯ from the drink, he turned back to me.


    ¡°Guess you stumbled on my training ground!¡± he said.


    Training, he said. I could not see how this was training. There wasn¡¯t even a target to throw knives at or a poisoned spear to dodge. It was probably best not to raise such concerns to Lerato; however, he was large enough to easily throw me into a random world-lake.


    ¡°I see,¡± I replied. ¡°Do you¡­ train often?¡±


    Lerato made a proud smile.


    ¡°Of course! It is a hero¡¯s duty to be in top shape at all times.¡±


    ¡°To do what?¡± my eyes grew wide after I spoke. I had meant to keep that in my mind but spoke freely instead. This time in this grey world had severely hurt my discipline.


    Lerato chuckled.


    ¡°Well, the ultimate hero will risk life and limb to protect others! You must be ready to face any foe at any time and have the strength to back up your will,¡± he answered as he grabbed a towel and began to wipe his bulky neck.


    His idea was odd; I¡¯ll give him that. I pondered for a moment about whether I ought to respond. He wanted to be strong enough to protect people head-on, with brute force, which didn¡¯t make any sense¡ªit would be much easier to stay in the shadows and stab from behind, and even more logical, everyone would be protected, and he wouldn¡¯t have to risk a thing. I suppose it was a good chance for conversation, but I had little desire to start one. There was no telling what such a discussion would lead to. In the worst case, we might grow closer, and a voice similar to the mother in my dreams seemed to say, ¡®that is what assassins should not do.¡¯


    It was odd being disconnected from my memories but still hearing the possible echoes from them.


    I nodded to show I had received what Lerato said, even though that was furthest from the truth, and quickly changed the subject.


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    ¡°The blob thing came back out of the myst.¡±


    What I said might have been jarring, but Lerato seemed to understand the severity enough to not care about how it was delivered. His brown eyes grew wide a moment, and his smile fell into a frown.


    ¡°I see,¡± he said after a moment of silent contemplation, ¡°that is not good. Do you know where it went?¡±


    ¡°It went back into the myst.¡±


    Lerato rubbed his chin while looking off into the distance. It took him a moment to reply.


    ¡°Did it get driven off, or simply come out and retreat?¡±


    ¡°I fought it, and my daggers burned it,¡± I explained. I had a feeling that I knew what Lerato was thinking. If it came in and ran, it might have been scouting, but if it had been chased off, then:


    ¡°We should have some time before it comes back,¡± he finished my thoughts.


    I nodded in agreement. Whatever that thing was, unformed dragon or not, it had some intelligence. Scary as the thought was, I would expect that the fight with it would keep it away, at least until the creature thought it had a plan to counter me.


    Still, there was no telling how long that would be, and the creature had given us much trouble the first time.


    Honestly, it might just be best to leave it alone. The monster could drop into a world somewhere and be their problem. At the very least, I didn¡¯t see why I had to fight it. I should just be able to slip away.


    I say that, but when faced with the monster earlier, I still attacked. My thoughts and actions were certainly not aligned. Was this due to my memory loss or just a part of my nature?


    Fortunately, Lerato pulled me out of my thoughts.


    ¡°We should head back and inform Pythagoras. Without the others, we could be in for a hard battle if attacked.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it will attack?¡±


    ¡°I hope not, but¡­.¡± Lerato¡¯s voice trailed off as he stared at the grey sky. As if to answer his gaze, a stream of water from a world lake flew overhead at that exact moment. The timing should have surprised him, it did for me, but instead, he frowned. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s head back right away. We will set up a perimeter around the base camp and hold out there until the others return.¡± His voice was calm, but he spoke faster than usual as if he needed to rush.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t say for certain, but my hero sense tells me something major is about to occur.¡±


    What In any world was a ¡®hero sense¡¯? I held my tongue a moment before blurting out my thoughts. It wasn¡¯t easy; I would have to get back into a disciplined cycle once Azul got me home.


    ¡°I don¡¯t quite follow,¡± I finally said.


    ¡°It feels like there is a crisis about to occur.¡± Lerato attempted to elaborate, I think he had something in mind, but it was still unclear. At the very least, I understood what a crisis meant in the ordinary sense.


    I didn¡¯t get a chance to ask another question. He waved that we should leave, and we returned to the base in silence.

 35 – A Fortification

    We filled Pythagoras in and spent the next few days building a fence around the camp. A frown accompanied his yellow-orange face as we worked; likely, he wanted to finish tinkering with his machine, but Pythagoras didn¡¯t complain.


    The group had some posts which could be nailed down into the grey ground and a loose metal weaving with barbed ends. It went up easily enough, but the defense seemed lacking. Nevertheless, we wrapped the fence around the camp, leaving only a small opening for an entrance and exit.


    After finishing, I sat down to relax on one of the tree stumps and looked at our handiwork. It stood maybe as high as my waist. The poles were uneven, and the weaved metal sagged in several spots. To say it was done poorly or ugly would be an understatement.


    By the entrance, Lerato and Pythagoras were tinkering with a small box hooked to the fence with wires.


    ¡°Clever.¡± Azul mused from my shoulder. He had been largely silent during the heavy work, I suppose construction was not his forte, or perhaps he was to upset by the bad job we were doing to comment? Either way, what there were doing now interested him.


    I made my way over to the duo and looked at the box. It was made from wood and poorly nailed together. Inside the box sat a stone of some kind. The other ends of the wires attached to the fence were glued on the rock.


    ¡°What is this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The final touches!¡± Lerato answered as Pythagoras finished attaching the wires to the fence. He took a few steps back and motioned me to do so. I obliged but kept my eyes trained on the stone.


    Lerato put a hand on the stone. Glowing armor appeared on his body as he activated his power. At the same time, the stone glowed a bright silver. Lerato¡¯s armor disappeared, and in the next second, the fence began to change.


    The weak wires were replaced with a towering smooth wall that glowed the same color as Lerato¡¯s armor. Each grew in a section like a stiff monolith jumping out of the ground. The transformation happened in a circular motion, moving away from where we stood around the perimeter.


    As the change was completed on the other side of the entrance, a large door seemed to fall in between. It was as if a castle wall was built in an instant.


    Lerato let go of the stone and smiled.


    ¡°It''s magic, you see!¡± the hero explained.


    Pythagoras rolled his eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing impressive!¡± he shouted back.


    I looked back and forth between the two. Lerato seemed to shake his head and chuckle as if he recalled something amusing. Pythagoras¡¯ face wore a frown. He wiggled his claws like he was trying to drum them on a flat surface.


    ¡°Forgive our goblin friend; he doesn¡¯t like to discuss magical things.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s nothing special; I just haven¡¯t cracked the code yet!¡±


    Pythagoras pointed to the box with the rock. Like the rest of the fence, the box had transformed so that the stone looked like it was placed on a pedestal.


    Perhaps seeing confusion in my expression, Lerato elaborated:


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    ¡°We once had a wizard of sorts come through and show us how to use this type of stone. Had some magical mumbo jumbo to cover how it worked, but it can transform my power as long as there is a base to build upon!¡±


    I nodded, but Lerato¡¯s explanation still felt lacking. Based on his expressions as he tried to explain the stone, I suspected he didn¡¯t understand thoroughly enough to articulate any better.


    ¡°And that¡¯s the thing!¡± Pythagoras butted in. ¡°Your power is not magic! It has an understanding to it! I will solve it!¡±


    Lerato laughed. I did not see what was so funny.


    ¡°Excuse him; he doesn¡¯t like mystery all that much. I think that¡¯s the only reason he hangs around.¡±


    ¡°Of course! If I wasn¡¯t studying, your people¡¯s crazy theories would be unchallenged!¡±


    The conversation seemed to be shifting.


    ¡°How else do you explain this world?¡± Lerato asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve gone over this with you so many times!¡±


    They seemed like they were arguing. Pythagoras, at least, was getting energetic and throwing his arms around as he spoke. Lerato stood stiff like a statue. He smiled as he crossed his arms. Though, it didn¡¯t look like either resented the other at the moment. A simultaneous friendly and unfriendly banter between friends? It was an odd thing to watch, and I kept my mouth shut.


    Or, at least, I would have if Lerato did not speak to me next.


    ¡°What about you, Kiko? What do you think this world is?¡±


    That was quite a question. I stared blankly as both waited for an answer.


    ¡°Shall I tell you what to say? I imagine anything I provided would be shocking to both,¡± Azul asked from my shoulder with a devious chuckle


    I resisted the urge to tell him to be quiet; the others would only be confused if they didn¡¯t see or hear the blue dragon slung over my shoulders and around my neck.


    ¡°It¡¯s, uh, a grey world that takes you to other worlds. And whatever happens here affects the other places.¡± I gave my answer with an awkward tone. After finishing, Pythagoras confidently put his hands on his hips.


    ¡°See, just like I said!¡±


    ¡°Grey world?... Anyway, that¡¯s not quite what you say.¡± Lerato replied. Why he repeated the grey part was overlooked by the goblin. Though I could not tell what was special about it.


    ¡°Close enough!¡± the goblin shot back. Perhaps seeing my confusion, Pythagoras went into more depth. ¡°You see, I have a theory that this world acts as the gears in a clock might. We are in the mechanics that run the other worlds, and once I crack the code, we will be free from the constraints!¡±


    ¡°Free to do what?¡± I asked, but a shrug was the only reply I was given.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know; we¡¯ll cross that bridge when we get there!¡±


    Lerato shook his head.


    ¡°He¡¯s got it all wrong, though. This place is closer to a dream.¡± I could see they were not aligned on this as Lerato spoke. ¡°Everything we see here is different from one another; if we chat long enough, we find differences with what we see. Uh. We need to interpret it like a dream to discover ourselves.¡±


    He spoke ineloquently, and I suspected he was repeating someone else¡¯s thoughts. I wasn¡¯t sure what he was talking about with the dream idea but mentioning everything we see here as being different was something interesting. As if to further expound on the concept, Lerato continued. ¡°For example, Kiko, what does Cherry look like to you.¡±


    ¡°A fire in the shape of a human,¡± I replied while thinking of the strange guard on the staircase.


    ¡°Exactly! I see him as a bird, but whatever happened in the past makes it so we can only see him a certain way.¡±


    ¡°Bah, nonsense!¡± Pythagoras chimed in. He pointed to a grey tree trapped in our newly created fortress. ¡°What is that?¡¯ he asked me.


    ¡°A tree,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Exactly, and Lerato, what do you see?¡±


    ¡°A tree,¡± Lerato answered with a chuckle.


    ¡°So, we all see it as a tree. And we all see the houses as houses. And grass as grass. And so on. Just because Cherry is an odd being doesn¡¯t mean we can ascribe your dream-like theory to the whole world.¡±


    ¡°I could say the same about your idea as well. You came up with it after looking at the dam-ed world, but we have no idea what is happening inside.¡±


    From my shoulder, I heard Azul chuckle. What he meant by the laugh was beyond me. It sounded like one that might be made when watching a baby play with simple toys. Was one idea correct, both incorrect, or perhaps one or both were close. I couldn¡¯t tell, nor could I ask the dragon invisible to the others.


    They bickered a while longer, but in the end, it seemed like a truce was made on the principle that they would agree to disagree. Afterward, the discussion quickly switched to casual banter about some food I had never eaten, and we carried on with readying supplies to stay in our base for a long time. It seemed we were making sure we had enough to last winter, which I hoped wouldn¡¯t be the case.

 36 – A Mine

    The next day and a half were focused on gathering supplies and scouting. I found it oddly comforting to jump through trees and hide in shadows as I quickly made my way around the world. It was likely due to training; whatever that had been like was severe enough to become ingrained without memory.


    The creature did not appear again, and I could not tell if that made the other two more or less nervous. Lerato joked that it must be too scared to return, but on the second day, he hauled some of his supposed ¡®training equipment¡¯ to the camp and began spending his free time moving the odd machines. Pythagoras spent most of his free time couped up in his cabin working on his project. If the bags around his yellow eyes were any indication, I don¡¯t think he slept at all, but I didn¡¯t see much of it since we would quickly part ways to continue working.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Lerato said upon my asking. ¡°He¡¯ll rest when he¡¯s done; there¡¯s nothing we can say to change his mind until then.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t reassured. Having a tired ally would be detrimental in any upcoming battle, but my attempts to speak to the short goblin were brushed off as he remained in his own little world.


    As the end of the day approached, I made my way into my cabin and fell on the grey bed. It was exhausting, to say the least, and I had no idea why I was working so hard.


    ¡°Good work today!¡± Azul said. He had it lucky to be able to ride wherever I went. For my part, my shoulders felt stiffer than they ought to have; I must have been working too hard.


    I mainly had ignored Azul the last few days; at first, it was due to his secretness about this grey world. As I was away from the others, I asked about their theories, but he chuckled and said, ¡®it was more fun to watch us spin our wheels¡¯ or something to that extent. After that, we began working on our fortress, and I became too busy to even notice he was there.


    ¡°Shut up and let me sleep,¡± I groaned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you will get as much time to rest as you would like¡­ that aside, I wanted to return to the topic from several days ago, of the nature of this world.¡±


    ¡°What brought this up?¡±


    ¡°Nothing of importance. I just wanted to clarify that I will tell you all I can once we find the keys.¡±


    I rubbed my eyes and sat up. Was he trying to pique my curiosity to get me searching? Or perhaps, there was some sort of constraint on when he could tell me.


    ¡°So you won¡¯t say anything until then?¡±


    ¡°A little bit of won¡¯t. A little bit of can¡¯t. The devil is in the details, or so they say.¡±


    ¡°So, where are the keys?¡±


    Azul smiled with a sharp toothy grin. As he did, there was a knock at the door. I pushed myself off the bed and opened it just enough to peak out. Pythagoras was standing in front. A large sack, at least two times his size, was tied to his back. He tapped his foot impatiently until he noticed I had opened the door.


    ¡°Kiko! I need you to come with me!¡± he said quickly. Getting sleep tonight would only be a dream.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, making no effort to hide my disinterest. My eyes squinted, and my voice was the least bit friendly as I leaned on the doorframe. My expression, tone, and posture were ignored or simply went over the short goblin''s head.


    ¡°The mines! I¡¯m ready to go, but I need some help!¡±


    I had no idea what he was talking about.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just ask Lerato?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s asleep, and nothing will wake him for at least three more hours!¡±


    ¡°Can it wait?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! The inspiration will be lost!¡±


    ¡°You ought to go,¡± Azul added.


    I sighed.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    After my short reply, Pythagoras led the way into the dark and dense woods. Whatever light the world used had already faded, and we needed the orange glow of a torch to light our way.


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    We emerged from the trees in front of a steep rock face. It would be mistaken to call it a mountain since it was much too short to be labeled as such. Still, the rocky terrain was not of an unimpressive size.


    A large opening had been smoothed unnaturally in the side, and a grey wooden structure had been placed around the edges, making it look like a gate. As we entered, Pythagoras used our torch to light a series of lanterns that guided the path. They were hung low and seemed much newer than the mines themselves. Likely he had added them when he discovered the place.


    We stopped at every torch to light it while moving deeper into the dark depths.


    It took some time, but we eventually reached the end to the dark tunnel. Pythagoras set the torch near the wall, and a plume of fire suddenly began running around a large cavern''s perimeter. As I looked into the space, my eyes took a minute to adjust to the new sight. We stood at the top of a staircase that descended into the site.


    What Pythagoras lit was a long stony shelf that now held up a fire. It was an unnatural addition about halfway up the cave wall. Down below, all manners of tools and materials were laid out and scattered around a giant metal skeleton.


    Pythagoras ran down the steps to the large form much quicker than I would have expected his short stature to allow. He pressed a clawed hand to the arm, which must have been 50 times the size of his own, and smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m back!¡± he said to the metal structure. Did talking to it help? I certainly wasn¡¯t going to say anything.


    The short goblin began to climb up on the arm and to the chest of the giant form. A hatch opened, and he lowered the large sack onto the machine. ¡°Ah, Kiko, I¡¯ll be working here for a while. Just stand a little further back, and if something blows up, run and get help!¡± he said before disappearing into the inside of the skeleton.


    I took several steps back. His words did not do much to instill confidence in me. How was I supposed to get help when only, apparently unwakeable, Lerato was waiting at the camp? It was also frustrating to think I came all this way to stand around. I wasn¡¯t sure what I could do, but he could have at least tried to make it seem like I had a more substantial role.


    I let out a sigh and looked around the cavern. Other than the metal skeleton and equipment that Pythagoras had obviously brought at one time or another, the place was empty. Above me, at the top, it looked like there was a small crack in the grey sky above. If it was busted through, one might be able to escape that way.


    Several more openings were littered around the cavern¡¯s outmost wall. I walked up to the closest one and looked down into the tunnel. It was not smoothed out like the mines we entered; the rough walls seemed to sway back and forth into a zigzag, preventing me from seeing just how far it went.


    ¡°Not that opening, Kiko,¡± Azul chimed in from my shoulders. ¡°Go down the path to the left of this one.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked. Despite my words, I began to walk to the spot.


    ¡°There is a key in these mines!¡± the blue dragon explained. His voice had a tiny bit of inflection like he was having trouble containing his excitement. I peered around the wall into the dark opening. The cave curved down, making it impossible to tell what might be below. Still, I pressed on and began to descend into the darkness.


    My vision was quickly lost, and if the path hadn¡¯t been so narrow that I could feel both sides simultaneously, I wouldn¡¯t have known what to do. I fumbled around in the dark for a while, with the occasional comment from Azul to go right or left when we reached a fork. The longer it went on, the more I felt like something was slipping away. It was like I wanted to shout with all my might but felt I couldn¡¯t. I shook my head and continued to keep my mind on the task at hand.


    We emerged from the dark pathway into a dimly lit space. I blinked several times as I waited for my eyes to adjust to the sudden burst of light. The shapes came in fuzzy for a moment, but there appeared to be something painted on the wall and a floor of glowing objects.


    Eventually, it became clear the light was coming from some plants on the ground¡ªsomething between moss and vines that glowed with an eerie blue light.


    The mural on the wall faded over time, and the ambiance did not do much to clear anything up. All I could make out was the dark shapes of a serpent wrapped around a ball. What appeared to be people were pointing spears at it with poses somewhere between defensive and aggressive.


    I stepped forward and put my hand on the mural. In an instant, I felt a rumbling. Either the cave was shaking, or I was. I stepped back and looked around, but the sensation did not fade. It took at least three minutes before things seemed to calm down.


    The painting began to make noise after, and a clawed hand from the serpent started to stretch off the wall. Between two clawed fingers sat a black metal key. I hesitated a moment, then approached and accepted the object. It weighed more than I expected and felt cold in my hands. When I looked back up, the painting was normal; nothing was out of the ordinary except for the new key I possessed.


    My left arm immediately felt heavy, and I quickly took notice of a weaved string, around my wrist, with an additional key hanging on it. I brought the new one close, and threads suddenly jumped around the head. They tied themselves in a knot I suspect would be difficult to undo.


    The new key fell free from my hand and rang as it hit the first one. An instant later and they were gone. I blinked several times before I was sure I had seen things right.


    The experience had been different from the first time. I could not tell if there was a reason behind it. Was it due to thinking of the object as keys that I saw them that way? Or would each one be a little different? I didn¡¯t have much more time to think before Azul spoke.


    ¡°Excellent, Kiko! We are on a good trajectory.¡±


    ¡°If you say so,¡± I replied as I began to go back through the narrow and dark path.


    ¡°Oh, I know so! There are much happier days coming soon!¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer and continued my way through the dark pathway. I ended up returning before Pythagoras ever left the metal body. After some time of standing, I found a comfortable patch of wall¡ªwhat made it more comfortable than the rest of the stone, I could not tell¡ªand fell asleep.


    Pythagoras eventually woke me in the morning, and we headed back.

 37 – A Group Returns

    Several more days passed without much occurring. Pythagoras spent his time in the mines with either of the two of us accompanying him or in his cabin. I doubt anything could tear him away from his work. When Lerato wasn¡¯t helping Pythagoras, he would use his equipment to ¡®train.¡¯ Apparently, it was an effective way to build ¡®muscle mass,¡¯ or so he said, but the whole endeavor seemed like it would be a vain pursuit when fighting came.


    I spent most of my time scouting through the grey world and talking with Azul. It seemed he was a storehouse of knowledge. I could walk up to any world-lake, and he would tell me about the world, what creatures lived on it, what magic they used, the ¡®technology level,¡¯ and so much more. I doubt I picked up on everything, but the serpentine dragon was patient with me, and I could increase my knowledge tenfold¡ªor at least it felt like that. The only trouble I had was getting him to explain the grey world as I moved around it. He would always say he didn¡¯t have a way to tell me yet and would later. I decided to let the topic go after a while.


    Once or twice, we walked by the mountain where Cherry guarded the staircase; Azul hissed at the fiery being every time and warned me not to go near it. I decided to withhold the fact that the staircase guardian had been the one to turn my blades gold. I suppose of my strolls through the grey world that was the oddest occurrence for several days.


    It was around the fourth day or so after the team left, during one of my random walks, when I happened upon a world-lake that was bubbling. My daggers were in my hands before I knew it, and my attention was fixed on the spot where the crystal blue faux-water was most disturbed.


    I held my breath and waited for whatever might come out.


    After a minute or so, something green came flying out of the water; the person was immediately recognizable as he shot from the lake. Orrin flew at least three times my height over my head, with Casey holding onto his left arm and Enas holding onto his right. He laughed like a child as they came flying to the grey shore¡ªthe other two did not seem as amused. Enas¡¯ face was stern, and Casey¡¯s eyes were wide.


    To call their landing graceful would be a lie; the two hanging onto Orrin¡¯s arms hit first and stumbled, Casey forward and Enas backward. The green man himself tripped and smacked his face into the ground. I could only hope there was grass in the spot and not a stone; nevertheless, Orrin was otherwise unfazed.


    His green eyes were the first to spot me as he tried to push himself up from the ground.


    ¡°Oh, hi, Kiko!¡± he said. I could have sworn his eyes narrowed for a split second as he looked at me¡ª as if he saw something odd¡ªbut if his expression did change, it happened so fast that I chalked it up to my imagination. ¡°Well, we have bad news and really bad news.¡± Despite Orrin¡¯s words, his tone was remarkably upbeat. I sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we have bad news as well¡­ let¡¯s just go to the camp.¡±


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    A short walk through the woods later and we emerged in front of the energy wall Pythagoras, and Lerato had whipped up. Orrin whistled at the sight of the fortress.


    ¡°Never thought we¡¯d have to set it up,¡± Enas grumbled as he rubbed his bald head.


    Fortunately, the other two were inside. Lerato was lifting some of his weights, and Pythagoras carrying a box of supplies to his room. I didn¡¯t need to say anything to get either of their attention.


    ¡°Hey, guys!¡± Orrin shouted.


    Immediately the other two set what they were doing aside and came over to us. The meeting started before I even realized it.


    ¡°Everyone, we have some bad news,¡± Lerato began.


    ¡°I¡¯d imagine, given the wall was set up,¡± Casey replied. ¡°Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have much better news.¡±


    They paused the conversation long enough to light a campfire and have everyone sit around it. It was questionable how bad the news could be, but I held my tongue and sat just outside the circle the rest of the group formed.


    ¡°Well, you guys go first!¡± Orrin said. Pythagoras took up the mantle to quickly explain the return of the monster I had seen several days ago. The others nodded; Casey and Enas showed concern about it, while Orrin seemed unfazed. ¡°Well, that isn¡¯t good!¡± he added at the end of Pythagoras¡¯ story.


    ¡°Not at all, and the timing couldn¡¯t be worse¡­.¡± Casey grumbled. A pointed ear on her head flicked several times as she spoke.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the sound of that,¡± Lerato said as he looked at each of the trio who returned. Orrin nodded and, with a smile, began to tell us.


    ¡°That world is in dire straits. To make a long story short, they have two major problems. The first is that there are more of that hunger we fought before¡­ a lot more, and they are quite literally eating that world. The second is due to some political upheaval. It seems that the monsters began to run rampant right around the time a couple of royal big shots disappeared. There are many dueling factions which makes fighting the hungers even harder.¡±


    ¡°Bad, but what does it have to do with us?¡± Pythagoras asked. His words were cold but calculating. Monsters trapped in a world were less of a problem than the one at our doorstep. Lerato, on the other hand, seemed to shift uncomfortably in his seat.


    ¡°The problem is not with the little hungers, but with their source¡­.¡± Casey began to explain. ¡°They have some kind of¡­ mother.¡± The tall beast woman stopped to shiver for a moment, ¡°Everything the smaller hungers eat becomes¡­ incorporated into her. If they were a hive, she would be the queen.¡± Whatever this monster was, it still didn¡¯t make sense why we should be worried.


    Enas rolled his eyes and took over, explaining.


    ¡°The long and short of it is that the mother won¡¯t be staying too much longer, and when she passes to another world, you can guess where she will stop in first.¡±


    Pythagoras nodded.


    ¡°I see, so a giant monster is coming. Will we have until that world is eaten?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t just leave that world alone!¡± Lerato added. ¡°We have to save them!¡± His words were only heard by the wind as Orrin continued.


    ¡°The smaller hungers can continue to eat the world indefinitely as long as the mother remains alive. They won¡¯t stop until the whole world is consumed, but she can leave freely. If we stop her here, that world will also be saved.¡± He explained. His words carried certainty, even with his more casual demeanor. How he was confident in them, I could not tell, but the others seemed to trust what he said. I decided to let it go as Orrin continued: ¡°So, we need to get prepping!¡± He seemed almost excited at the suggestion. The others nodded in agreement. They quickly made arrangements for what to do as the sky grew darker and darker.


    I zoned out for most of it and, before long, was lying on my bed to turn in for the night.

 38 – A Memory of Happier Times

    ¡°Kiko.¡±


    A voice spoke through darkness. It was strong but with gentle tones that would make it suitable for reading aloud. ¡°Kiko.¡± Again, the voice said my name. I groaned and slowly sat up. My eyes flicked open, and I took in the scene.


    I lay in a patch of green grass under a beautiful blooming cherry blossom. The pink contrasted intensely with a clear blue sky, and a gentle breeze created a soft rustle. I gawked at the beauty before it occurred to me that someone had been talking.


    My hands wrapped around the handles of my daggers as my head snapped to the source of the words.


    Emperor Akimitsu stood before me with a grin stretched from ear to ear.


    ¡°Awake now, I see?¡± he said as he tried to suppress a slight chuckle. ¡°You looked so photogenic; I almost had a royal painter run out to capture the scene.¡±


    I frowned and brushed my black clothes off as I stood up.


    ¡°I find your humor to be unpleasant, Your Majesty.¡± My tone should have contained a hiss, but the emperor either didn¡¯t notice or didn¡¯t care. He simply laughed infectiously. My face remained stone cold; it was a good thing my training prepared me for encountering all kinds of toxins and diseases.


    The once boy emperor had grown into a fully-fledged man over the last couple of years. His face had become slender, and his frame wider so rapidly that I could hardly imagine he was the same boy I knew when I first arrived. Still, his carefree attitude was the one thing that never changed and the one thing I couldn¡¯t stand.


    ¡°Come, Kiko! We have to prepare for the visit!¡± he said as he walked away. I had to dart across the grass before letting him get too far. The emperor tended to walk around alone; he was confident in his own, admittedly impressive, strength.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you should not be walking around without a guard, especially with our neighbors coming to visit,¡± I sharply stated. The nation to the north of us had agreed to a peace settlement after two years of war.


    ¡°Not to worry! I have you here after all,¡± Emperor </a>Akimitsu replied with a trusting smile. It was the type of expression that stabbed more than any knife could¡ªconsidering that my mother was getting close to ordering his assassination.


    ¡°With all due respect, I was asle¨C on a break moments ago.¡±


    ¡°I know; I had no idea that your face could look so peaceful!¡±


    One of my daggers slid from its sheath, and the point pressed close to the emperor''s neck. He did not slow down his pace but only laughed at my aggression. I clicked my tongue and put the blade back.


    Initially, I figured it was best to let the emperor get used to my blade being close to him; the assassination could come easier if needed. From the outset, however, not only was he unfazed, but he seemed to find the whole thing amusing. A year after we first met, he gave me two larger blades to use primarily, possibly as a joke, for all my threats. At this point, I could not be sure if my continued aggression was conditioning or from a desire to throw him off at least once in his life. The emperor always seemed to have his head in the clouds, like he was in another world, and any threats to his life were mere amusements to pass the time.


    ¡°I would ask that you scrub that image from your mind immediately.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, you need to face the consequences of sleeping out in the open,¡± he replied with a smile.


    ¡°From this day forward, I will not rest in front of another person.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s unfortunate,¡± Emperor Akimitsu chuckled as he reached the castle door. It was a small building near the border for meetings like the one we waited for, hardly anything when comparing it to the massive palace we normally resided in. ¡°Then, after the peace talks, would you be willing to sit under the tree again? I really think a painter would capture something beautiful!¡±


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    I rolled my eyes as I watched the doors suddenly flung open.


    ¡°My liege, where have you been?¡± a guard asked through heavy breaths. He was clearly the one who was supposed to walk around with the emperor.


    ¡°Oh, here and there, and I found Kiko too!¡±


    ¡°My apologies Miss Kiko! He was gone before I knew it- and- and¡­.¡±


    I held a hand so the guard knew he should quiet down, and he immediately clammed up.


    ¡°I understand how slippery our Emperor can be; please be more attentive the next time.¡±


    Somehow, I had become the head of all the royal guards. It was not official, but everyone seemed to agree unanimously I was the only one who could keep up with Emperor Akimitsu. It was a bit annoying, but it did let me keep good tabs on him¡ªfor the most part. The guard was relieved by my words and saluted us as we walked through.


    Inside the castle, a table had been set up for us to discuss. Standing next to it, in bulky armor, stood the samurai Nobuyuki. As always, he wore an Oni mask with a smiling face. Though I had known him my whole life, I had never seen what lay underneath.


    The Oni samurai slid a massive sword on his back as we approached; he had a habit of cleaning it to pass the time.


    ¡°Your Majesty! We were waiting for you!¡± he cried as he finished fitting the sword into its sheath.


    ¡°Apologies, Nobuyuki. Kiko wanted to go on a scenic walk!¡±


    ¡°I did nothing of the sort,¡± I replied dryly.


    Nobuyuki sighed and shook his head. His hand scratched on the forehead of his mask.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get back on track.¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± Emperor Akimitsu chirped. ¡°They should be here in several hours. We will set up the table on the west side, by the cliff where we can overlook the forest, and Nobuyuki will stand behind me. Kiko will hide in the cherry blossom trees, and everyone else will remain by the castle walls.¡±


    With his words alone, it would be possible to believe that the emperor was serious, if only for a small moment, but his intonation and expression displayed a carefree attitude. It was as if nothing could go wrong in his eyes.


    ¡°One problem,¡± I objected. ¡°They will be able to see me in the tree.¡± My black armor did little to help hide in a pink tree against a blue backdrop.


    If it was possible for his smile to get wider, I think it might have. He was waiting for me to say something like that¡ªI had walked into a trap.


    From under the table, Emperor Akimitsu pulled out a box that had been wrapped with paper. He held it to me. Usually, I would have refused with the claim that it might be a bomb, but such excuses didn¡¯t work on him.


    I accepted and opened the package. A beautiful cherry blossom patterned kimono greeted me. I sighed.


    ¡°It¡¯s the perfect camouflage for hiding!¡± the Emperor said.


    I shook my head and began to wrap the clothes around me; putting it on properly would take some time, so I settled for simply draping it over my shoulder and putting my arms through the sleeves. The words ¡®how is it¡¯ might have been appropriate, but I resisted saying them. There was no need.


    ¡°It¡¯s lovely,¡± Nobuyuki said. I¡¯d like to have imagined there was a smile that matched the one on his mask, but the cover made it impossible to tell. Given his comments, I suspect he gave some input on the new clothes. I sighed. The samurai was always one to treat me like a child.


    ¡°Indeed! The color looks great! Maybe we should call you Pinky from now on!¡± Emperor Akimitsu added.


    If we didn¡¯t have anyone else around, I might have threatened him with my daggers, but I resisted the urge and simply looked away.


    He began to cover what would be discussed for the coming meeting. I zoned it out; I didn¡¯t need to know anything about the political details; this discussion was doomed to fail anyway. Mother had made sure that nothing the emperor said would be of concern to the neighbors.


    Once our meeting was over, I slipped to the side and began to properly put the kimono on over my black armor. As I fastened the cloth, Nobuyuki came over to me.


    ¡°If this peace talk doesn¡¯t go the way we would like, I fear the young emperor¡¯s life will be in danger,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Not to worry, Mother has already seen to everything,¡± I replied in an equally hushed tone.


    ¡°The mistress may be underestimating his abilities...¡± Nobuyuki paused a moment to give me a chance to reply. When I didn¡¯t, he sighed. ¡°If the time of his death comes, I will take care of it. No need for you¡­.¡±


    ¡°Are you doubting my ability?¡± my voice was hushed but stern.


    ¡°Not at all.¡±


    ¡°Mother entrusted me with this mission.¡±


    Nobuyuki sighed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t yet know the pain of killing someone you¡¯ve spent years with. I¡¯d rather you never have to. Leave it to me.¡±


    The masked samurai didn¡¯t wait around for my reply. He walked to some other guards and began to make small talk. I was impressed at how quickly he could switch from a hardened killer to a friendly companion.


    I sighed. He technically was my superior, but he must be going senile as he aged. I would have to express some concerns in my next report.


    The emperor called my from name across the room, and I followed him out the door. Then, everything went black. My eyes slowly opened and focused on the grey roof of my cabin.

 39 – A Calm Moment

    It was frustrating to see the grey cabin walls once again. I felt unexpectedly tense as I realized I was back in the world between worlds. I took a couple of deep breaths in an effort to make the feeling go away.


    I could hardly understand what was going on. Why was I feeling this way? A dream shouldn¡¯t have so much effect on me. As I took deep breaths, I silently mouthed, ¡®just a dream¡¯ over and over again.


    It took a while before I even realized that Azul was trying to speak to me.


    ¡°Kiko. Kiko,¡± he said in a soft voice.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°It seems you had an interesting dream; would you like to talk about it?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    I stood up and pushed my way outside the door without a second thought. The day was already underway, and the others were out and about.


    ¡°Hey, Kiko!¡± Orrin cried in a cheery voice. For some reason, it annoyed me very much today¡ªmuch more than usual. I probably owed my frustration to the dream, which made it all the more aggravating. I don¡¯t think I hid my emotions very well; I could feel tension on my face, but that did not stop Orrin from making his way over happily. ¡°We¡¯re about to head out and see what we can get done before everything goes down! You¡¯re welcome to do whatever you need to prep!¡±


    He seemed to count me as a member of this group. If he knew more about me, he would likely keep away. My hand tightened into a fist before I could instinctually grab my dagger. The dream was too vivid; I couldn¡¯t get anything out of my head. Did I kill him? I was cold in the dream. I¡¯m not sure I wasn¡¯t any colder now.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I said to Orrin as soon as I realized he was still standing there. He seemed satisfied, so I excused myself and walked away. It took all I had to not dash out of the camp; I suspect the green man behind me might have shouted something along the lines of ¡®where¡¯s the fire?¡¯ if I did.


    Upon exiting and entering the grey woods, I considered letting out a frustrated cry. I settled for stabbing a blade into a grey tree. All my might went into the motion as its golden tip easily pierced the grey wood.


    ¡°Hey now, the tree didn¡¯t do anything to you!¡± a voice shouted from a branch above. Azul hissed as I looked up. The glowing frog was sitting up top and looking down at us. He seemed to shake his head in disappointment.


    ¡°Kiko, best to ignore this one,¡± Azul warned.


    ¡°No need to worry,¡± I replied. My dagger came out with a yank, and I, with a quick spin on a heel, made my way into the dense woods.


    ¡°Wait!¡± the frog shouted. ¡°This is why I hate humans¡­.¡±


    I quickly broke into a sprint and dashed through the grey foliage. It felt good to burn some energy, at least.


    I¡¯m unsure how long it took, but I slowed down as the forest began to thin. I broke from the trees to a section of tree stumps. The sight might have been something to take in, but my attention was immediately turned to the stump right in front of me. The frog sat in the middle, tapping his back foot impatiently.


    ¡°How can a frog move so fast?¡± I asked as my hands wrapped around my dagger¡¯s hilts like arms around old friends.


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    ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯m really¨C I need to speak with you concerning the discussion you lot had last night.¡±


    ¡°What discussion?¡± I stepped back. I suspect the creature spoke of the battle the others were expecting, but we were well inside the wall when we talked about it.


    ¡°The monster coming. Are you too low of intellect to realize!¡±


    ¡°Kiko, it is best not to listen to things that insult you this way,¡± Azul hissed. The blue dragon bared his fangs at the frog.


    ¡°What is your concern?¡±


    ¡°You will not fare well in this upcoming battle.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    The frog sighed.


    ¡°I came to offer some help if you are willing to accept,¡± the frog held out a green leg to me like the small animal was trying to offer a handshake.


    ¡°Kiko, this thing is a trickster by nature,¡± Azul cautioned.


    Clearly, he didn¡¯t like the glowing frog creature, but given that I didn¡¯t know much, some caution was justified. Still, if I was going to get wrapped up in this coming fight, I didn¡¯t want to add another enemy to the mix.


    ¡°I won¡¯t interfere with your help, but I won¡¯t do anything more than that,¡± I replied. The frog shook his head.


    ¡°Fair enough, but loathe it as I may, I have been tasked with sticking close to you.¡± The glow on the frog suddenly shone so brightly that I had to cover my eyes. When my vision cleared up, he was gone. I looked around the space, but he was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Up top, Kiko,¡± Azul grumbled.


    I instinctively reached for my head, but there was no sensation of anything on me. I turned my eyes upward and saw what Azul spoke about. A ball of green light floated out of arms reach above me. Whenever I took a step, it followed after.


    I sprinted back into the woods¡ªleaping over bushes and sliding under branches. He could follow if he wanted, but I was free to test how well the odd creature could keep up. I didn¡¯t stop until I broke free into a familiar clearing. Lerato¡¯s training equipment was littered about, with the hero repetitively moving some heavy weights up and down.


    My gaze turned up once again. The ball of green light continued to float above me. The frog was tenacious; I¡¯ll give him that.


    ¡°You can¡¯t get away that easily, for better or worse; I am in charge of watching you,¡± the weird voice rang out from the orb.


    ¡°Best to ignore him, Kiko; I will stay on guard just in case,¡± Azul said.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I quietly replied as I turned back to the training spot.


    A little past where Lerato was lifting, as the hero had told me it was called, Enas stood as stiff as a statue. I made my way over to the bald man.


    ¡°Hey, Kiko, want to give something a try?¡± Lerato asked as I walked past.


    ¡°No, thank you.¡± He laughed at my reply, which was impressive considering the heavy mass of metal held right above his head.


    I silently approached Enas and stopped at his side. His gun was trained to some round targets placed on trees. Three blue bursts fired from the weapon in quick succession before he addressed me.


    ¡°Yes, Kiko?¡±


    I jumped. I had thought he was too focused to notice me, but I guess it was best not to assume. Perhaps I took him less seriously due to the nature of everyone else. Given all in the grey world, he was the best candidate for someone who had killed in the past.


    It bothered me how confident I was in that assessment¡ªas if I was well-equipped to identify a killer. My odd dreams were starting to get to me. I needed to push them away from the forefront of my mind.


    The targets became my focus. The centers of three had been burned away.


    ¡°I think you are a good enough shot. Is this training worth it?¡±


    ¡°I am hardly a good shot. Those holes are barely concentric to the rest of the circle. If I cannot hit something still with precision, what good will it be when it moves?¡±


    His words made little sense, both in the fact I didn¡¯t quite follow what he meant and that I didn¡¯t see why he felt he was lackluster. Either way, there wasn¡¯t use in the target practice, to begin with. It was essential to keep a regiment so skills wouldn¡¯t get rusty, but as far as I could tell, Enas was only improving his aim¡ªa skill I would say he was proficient in already.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you both feel that this training is a bit lacking for the battle ahead?¡± I was surprised I said it, but the words were out now.


    ¡°Hardly!¡± Lerato piped in from his machine. He didn¡¯t offer anything else to reply to, but I couldn¡¯t help wondering if it would be better to train with his supernatural abilities over the weird metal contraption. I turned to Enas, but his expression told me we didn¡¯t see eye to eye in this matter.


    I sighed and began to walk away. The others continued their ¡®training¡¯ as I slipped back into the woods.

 40 – A Beginning of the End

    When I emerged from the woods, I was greeted by the sight of the giant furred warrior, Casey. Her unique fur patterns seemed to flow and sway as she thoroughly examined a pile of spears before her.


    She picked up a spear and tried stabbing the air in front of her. After which, she spun it around like a baton before piercing the ground and picking up the next. She must have had twenty different ones in front of her that her ¡®test¡¯ process was used on. I watched silently until a ring of spears stuck around the tall warrior like a series of posts. She sat down and crossed her arms.


    ¡°H-hello, Casey,¡± I said. To my surprise, her shoulders twitched like I had surprised her. Either she was very focused on her task, or I was moving very quietly.


    ¡°Ah, Kiko, good timing,¡± she said as she jumped to her feet. I looked up to keep my focus on her face. ¡°I am trying to get a new spear for the battle ahead.¡±


    She picked up a metal spear with a blade that seemed long enough to be a sword.


    ¡°I picked this one up in that last world, and it worked well enough, but it didn¡¯t feel right.¡±


    ¡°Where did you get these?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They are from my collection¡­. I am remiss in using one in battle, but I suspect we will need to be as prepared as possible with the foe ahead.¡±


    ¡°You have a spear collection?¡±


    ¡°Is that so strange? You have a knife collection.¡± She gestured to the blades at my side, then to the rest of me. I had multiple small hidden blades within my kimono, but she was the first to point them out.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a collection¡­ at least, I don¡¯t think it is.¡±


    ¡°I see; well, I apologize for assuming. However, the matter still stands.¡±


    I could tell that she was torn. I suspect her best spears were the ones she wanted least to fight with, but the spears she might use would be the worst. I pointed to a golden spear with an emerald green tip. It almost seemed like a crystal had been fastened to the end, which likely meant it had a property that made it good in battle; otherwise, the stone would be at risk of damage.


    ¡°How about that one?¡± I asked. Casey frowned.


    ¡°That might be my most powerful one¡­ but I would hate to get it too roughed up from a fight.¡± She picked up an iron spear and spun it in her hand. ¡°It might be best to keep it simple.¡±


    Given that a monster was coming, I would think her most powerful weapon might have been an asset. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t such a big deal for her fighting prowess, but I could not shake the feeling that she was wrong.


    I nodded in reply and then made a small wave to excuse myself. Casey didn¡¯t seem to mind as she swung her chosen spear around more vigorously. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why she asked for my input if she wasn¡¯t going to use it, but dwelling on it would get me nowhere.


    With a sigh, I began to wander. After a minute, I stood in front of the giant myst wall that circled the world. I suppose this was the danger of wandering; I had ended up right on the edge of this grey place. One rock nearby seemed flat enough to use as a chair.


    ¡°Exhausted, Kiko?¡± Azul asked as I set my arms behind my back and stretched out as best I could while sitting.


    ¡°In a certain sense,¡± I answered. What sense that was, I wasn¡¯t sure of.


    ¡°You have some difficult battles ahead; you ought to take this moment to rest before it is too late.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, but I¡¯ll be alright,¡± I replied.


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    ¡°Good to hear! I¡¯d be remiss if you were unable to help me collect the keys. You are a great travel partner, after all.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear it¡­.¡± My voice grew low as I finished talking. A rustle in the foliage behind me had caught my attention. A quick inspection above showed the green orb still over my head; the frog had remained silent since transforming.


    I jumped up and drew both of my golden daggers. Seconds later, Orrin pushed out from the trees. He stumbled forward like he had been walking through a dense patch before arriving here.


    ¡°Ah, Kiko!¡± he said in a cherry voice.


    ¡°Orrin,¡± I replied as I put my blades back. I could only hope he didn¡¯t hear me talking to Azul; as far as he would be able to tell, I would have been talking to myself. Maybe I was talking to myself either way.


    ¡°What brings you to this secluded spot?¡± he asked. I thought I saw his Green eyes look up over my head for a second, but it seemed he was just looking at the myst wall behind me.


    ¡°Just ended up here; what about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been patrolling around in case that monster pops out again!¡± my eyes narrowed. It was impossible to tell just how big the myst wall was, but it seemed nearly impossible to patrol.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried you¡¯re wasting time? Surely, there is something else more useful than trying to find the monster by chance.¡± I asked. There was no effort to sugarcoat my tone, which dripped with piercing scorn. Everyone in this world seemed to waste their time. Azul chuckled at my response; I wasn¡¯t sure where the humor was.


    Orrin, wholly unfazed and bearing a smile, replied graciously:


    ¡°I think my odds are pretty good! Besides, there¡¯s not much else the others would want me to help with anyway.¡±


    I held back my comments about their wasting of time as well. All I could settle for was to shake my head in disapproval. What was going on in Orrin¡¯s mind was a mystery.


    ¡°He¡¯s a strange one for sure,¡± Azul said as if he heard my thoughts; given my body language, it must have been plainly evident to all, save for the green man who stood there obliviously.


    ¡°Anyway! I don¡¯t think we ever named that first monster! We better do it quickly before things start to get rough!¡± Orrin chirped.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see the point of naming it; we just need to kill it.¡±


    Orrin shook his head.


    ¡°No, no. We need to call it something. It will help us fight it!¡± His suggestion was just another waste of time.


    ¡°You fool! Your breath is wasted.¡± Azul muttered from my shoulders with a hiss. Even if Orrin could see and hear him, I doubt the green man would be phased by it in the slightest.


    ¡°I was thinking we call it something that had to do with clay since it seemed to change shape like it¡¯s made of the stuff.¡± Orrin continued. He stood silent and stared at me. I tapped my fingers on the hilt of my sheathed dagger as I waited for him to say more.


    It occurred to me that he was waiting for my reply only after an awkward silence filled the clearing.


    ¡°Sure, call them Clays or something,¡± I replied. It was best to just end the discussion quickly


    Orrin looked like he was about to reply, but he leaned to look behind me instead. For a second, I thought his expression had changed to a sour one, but it must have been a trick of the light.


    I turned around to look at the myst. I didn¡¯t even have to assume the worst. The creature we had just spoken about walked out of the foggy edge.


    Its form remained human-esk, but it now was standing very tall. My gaze started at the feet and slowly turned to the head that was at least four times higher than mine. It had grown into a full-fledged giant.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a problem!¡± Orrin chimed in. I¡¯m glad he wasn¡¯t the type to say, ¡®I told you so.¡¯ The smooth fleshy head turned down to look at us. Though it had no eyes, I could feel a cold glare which made me shiver. The body began to split in two¡ªfrom the center of the head to between the legs. Each half fell over, but while falling, it became amorphous and changed shape into two individual and large, humanoid forms. Orrin whistled. ¡°Bet you can¡¯t do that infinitely!¡± He said with a laugh. Though his words were not serious, the green-clad man slowly backed away from the creatures. He motioned for me to do the same.


    As we slowly moved back, the blank faces followed us as if they had eyes to track with. It made it all the more disturbing. My hands curled tighter around my dagger¡¯s hilts. The golden blades had been effective the last time, but that was only against one foe. Now that I had two to contend with, I couldn¡¯t be sure I would even get a hit in, at least not without risking injury to myself.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± I whispered to Orrin. My low voice may not have been necessary, but caution would be best.


    ¡°Slowly back away and hope nothing gets worse,¡± Orrin replied.


    Before I could answer, the grey world began to rumble. It was small, like a mild quake, but noticeable enough to throw the uncoordinated fleshy creatures off balance.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I shouted.


    ¡°It got worse,¡± Azul chimed in. His tone was cold, but not in a way with animosity. Instead, it was like he was distant; perhaps he could see the scene that caused the shaking.


    The creatures each wrapped an arm around a tree to hold steady as the world jostled them,


    ¡°Run!¡± Orrin shouted, and we both sprinted into the grey woods. Neither of us turned back to see what the monsters were doing.

 41 – A Mother of Hunger

    It didn¡¯t take long for a wailing screech to pollute the sky above us. I was tempted to put my hands over my ears in an attempt to blot out the horrible sound, but I kept my daggers held close instead for whatever may come.


    From our left, several ball-shaped monsters were slowly consuming the grey scene. Their long tongues would wrap around whatever they came across and pull it into the black abyss of their mouths. Bushes and foliage we¡¯re sucked in, and trees became uprooted as they were swallowed whole.


    The world itself seemed to cry as it was slowly being ripped apart.


    ¡°Not good,¡± Orrin said as he looked to the few hungers who consumed the grey woods. ¡°We need to get back to the others before things get too crazy.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t ¡®too crazy¡¯?


    The trees gave way to a canyon with a narrow rope bridge. Orrin took the lead and carefully began to tiptoe across. The wood structure seemed liable to fall off at any moment, but I followed after without second thought.


    We were about halfway across when the wail rang again across the grey sky. Heavy footsteps began to shake everything, including the bridge. Orrin and I both turned. The canyon stretched a good distance until it ended in a sharp cliff. A world lake lay beyond, with a long stretch of grey grass in between. The river that fed the lake ran through the canyon and under our feet.


    A shadow first crept in from the side of the canyon wall, but soon the whole opening was blocked as the monster walked by. It must have been taller than any building I had ever stood at the base of¡ªnot even the palaces in my dreams could match the beast in scale. It stood on four legs, with a head and tail that most closely resembled a wolf, though the comparison was a far cry from the actual creature.


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    The body itself was the most disturbing part of all. The creature had no fur or skin or features to make out. The surface was simply a collection of what the smaller beings had eaten, and where it all went suddenly made sense. I saw grey trees and foliage flow across its body like many rivers running next to each other. The source I could not see, but all would flow down to the stomach where they would be sucked below the surface, presumably never to be seen again.


    In addition to the things in the grey world, I could also make out wood from buildings, weapons, armor from fighters, and a great many other items from the world the monster had just come from. And mixed in with all the collection of objects and goods, I could make out hands, feet, and the occasional head. They all squirmed just enough to show that they were still alive before reaching the end and getting absorbed deeper into the beast.


    I shuddered as the giant creature turned its head in our direction. Its jaw opened, and as it wailed, the smaller four-tongued creatures flew out from the mouth straight at us. My feet shifted, but the rope bridge gave me little support to flee quickly.


    Orrin suddenly grabbed my arm. Before I could respond, he threw me over the rest of the bridge to the other side. I had hardly any time to ponder where his burst of strength came from as I landed and rolled in the grey dirt.


    I turned my head to him. A happy smile painted his face, and he posed with a thumbs-up. Behind him, the hungers we saw in the woods began to cross the bridge.


    My mouth opened to let out a cry, but the hungers that the mother had fired like cannonballs crashed into the weak bridge at that moment. I stumbled forward and looked over the edge just in time to see the monsters fall into the river below. Orrin landed in a narrow patch of grass on the side like he was some kind of cat.


    ¡°Keep going; I¡¯ll catch up!¡± he shouted before running away from three hungers who had escaped the river as well.


    ¡°Maybe, he¡¯ll get eaten,¡± Azul said. I couldn¡¯t tell if the dragon was joking or serious, but it didn¡¯t matter for the moment.


    In the distance, I could see several flares shining brightly over the grey trees. The others had also encountered the beasts and were likely hard at the battle. I focused on the closest light and began my charge through the woods.

 42 – A Struggle

    The grey foliage and branches gave way quickly as I burst into a long field that must have been used for some sport, considering how low the grass was cut. Casey stood with her spear pressed through a hunger and into the ground. The round form deflated as the beast let out a final grunt.


    Behind the tall warrior, another hunger prepared to launch its tongues for binding. With a flick of my golden blades, I rushed forward and cut all four of the appendages as they were an arm''s length away from Casey. She pulled her iron spear from the ground and nodded as she turned to me. The beast whose tongues had just been dismembered took a step back and hissed. Casey quickly moved past me and pierced the round form¡ªraising it into the air and flicking it so that the instantly deflated body was tossed aside.


    ¡°Thanks for the support; we might be in a bit of trouble, though,¡± Casey said as her tortie-patterned hand pointed to the source of all the smaller beasts. Even though I had moved further away, the mother of hunger still loomed high above the trees, and the ground shook with every step. Every now and then, a fresh set of the smaller creatures would be spewed out, presumably in a repeated pattern that would continue until they consumed the whole world.


    ¡°You don¡¯t say,¡± I replied as my gaze was directed to the treelined on the side. Two hungers had come out of the woods but were stalled as they fell into a pit of grey sand. It might be easy to kill them off as the beasts frantically began to eat the sand while seeking better footing; they were clearly not intelligent, but killing each individual seemed pointless¡ªor at least a waste of energy¡ªwhen the larger monster was the guide.


    Casey seemed to agree. She glanced at the struggling monsters for a second before turning back to me.


    ¡°We ought to get moving; that large one will be the problem.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any way to stop it?¡± I asked. Casey took a deep breath and looked at the giant monstrosity.


    ¡°We need to direct it; there is a world full of monsters that it could be dumped into,¡± I recalled seeing the world from when Orrin walked me around. Though the plan could hardly be called elegant, it did seem like the best way to get rid of the beast¡ªfor a minute, at least.


    ¡°If it can leave worlds on its own, wouldn¡¯t it just come back?¡± I asked. Casey shook her head.


    ¡°Before leaving a world, it wants to leave a good amount of the smaller ones, but they will die rapidly inside that particular hell, I hope.¡± Her words weren¡¯t reassuring.


    ¡°I concur,¡± Azul said from atop my shoulders. ¡°This beast is only a minor threat in the grand scheme of the cosmos; it will not live for too long there.¡±


    If this creature was only a minor threat, I¡¯d hate to see a major one. Still, Azul¡¯s words were reassuring enough. We had a plan but no way to enact it.


    From the grey woods, a stampede of hungers came running forth¡ªeating through the dense foliage as they came. It was possible that they were made to swarm areas where another of their kind had fallen, but there was little time to ponder the possibility. We both began to run down the long field as the mob chased after us.


    From the woods in the distance, Enas burst out. His running form was stiff and efficient, not wasting energy on unnecessary movements. The bald soldier trained his gun in our direction and fired several beams of blue energy. I looked back to see three hungers fall as his shots burned holes in them.


    Casey seemed to see an advantage and jumped slightly as she spun around. Lines of dirt were left in the short grass as she skidded backward while the momentum lessened. With a cry, the warrior ran a charging hunger through as Enas felled another one from a distance.


    The tide was shifting with the arrival of our ally, and I quickly ran in a ¡®U¡¯ shape to head back into the fray. I sliced through one hunger after another. Without overwhelming numbers, their simple movements were easy enough to see coming once you got used to them. In a matter of moments, the field was filled with dead monsters.


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    ¡°Thanks for the support Enas!¡± Casey shouted.


    ¡°Do not thank me yet!¡± he replied with something between a shout and grunt.


    Behind Enas was another hunger, but something was different.


    The fleshy form which Orrin and I had encountered was spread across the tongued beast and wrapped around its large legs. The smooth body had burst out of the hunger¡¯s inside and encased the whole things in vine-like appendages, and the body of the captured beast hissed in a low and constant manner. Atop the ball-shaped body, a giant humanoid torso with arms and a head sat and stared at us. The hunger had tried to eat it but became consumed in the process, which made it all the more difficult for us.


    Casey let out an unfamiliar word, which I could only imagine was a curse on her world. I held my golden blades up as the next group came in close to attack. Enas stopped and spun on his heel to face the new threat with the rest of us.


    ¡°Where are the others?¡± Casey asked him.


    ¡°Pythagoras had some kind of idea, and Lerato went to help. I have not seen Orrin.¡±


    ¡°He was with me and got separated,¡± I added.


    We didn¡¯t have much longer for words as the fused monster came in close. It threw a punch our way, and the fleshy arm extended out. I dodged at the last possible minute as the force of the attack left a small crater in the ground.


    Casey moved in close and ran her spear through the lower leg of the creature while Enas shot several holes in the head. The fleshy clay immediately grabbed onto the spear before the giant warrior could pull it back. She let go moments before the body of the monster extended¡ªlike a spiral of snakes¡ªdown to her hands. Enas frowned as the holes in the head of the creature began to close; the featureless face was restored.


    A tongue shot out from the beast. I slid to the side and slashed it before it could bind me. Before the monster could have a second to think, I charged forward with my blade cutting down the center of the extended tongue. If the fleshy form could sigh, I think it might have. The clay-like body suddenly grew and covered the whole form of the hunger, compressing it in and cutting off the extended tongue before retracting back into a set of legs; one of which kicked me directly in the stomach.


    I tumbled across the ground with several rolls before I managed to stop. As I held a hand over my stomach, I looked up at the monster. Now that it had returned to a humanoid form, it made the tall Casey look tiny in comparison. If I had to guess, it was even larger than before.


    The face began to twitch and writhe for a moment as Enas and Casey backed up. A round mouth opened low on its head, and four long tongues of its clay-like body poured out and began to squirm like worms. It let out a hiss at us as it moved closer to us.


    To our backs, the stomping feet of the mother became louder and more intense. It was getting closer. My teeth pressed together so tightly I might shatter them.


    Casey and Enas moved close to me as they assessed the situation.


    ¡°We¡¯re in a bit of trouble here,¡± Casey muttered. Her hands opened and closed like she was hoping the spear would still be there.


    ¡°A bit,¡± Enas replied. ¡°But we should have stalled long enough.¡±


    We were silent momentarily as we anticipated what would come from the bald man¡¯s words. The giant steps of the mother booming behind us and hissing from the fleshy thing in front were only matched by the pounding of my heart as I held my breath in anticipation.


    The sounds were finally broken by a new set of footsteps on my right. I turned, and my mouth fell open.


    A giant that resembled the metal forms I had seen with Pythagoras and Orrin in the other world was charging in our direction. Perhaps it was the skeleton I saw before? Instead of metal, however, the giant was covered in glowing silver armor that resembled Lerato¡¯s ability. On top of the head, Orrin sat and waved to us. He seemed to shout something but was too far away for the words to carry.


    ¡°About time,¡± Casey happily mused as the giant swung a fist at the monster behind us. The giant beast dug a gash into the ground as it was thrust into the tree line to our side. It cried as it spewed out more of the smaller scions and slowly stood up.


    The fleshy monstrosity took several steps back as it looked at the support we had received. It let out another hiss before running back to the woods.


    ¡°That one will be trouble if it escapes!¡± Azul said to me.


    ¡°Should we pursue?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It would be best to kill it while we can; it will continue to grow until it interferes with¡­ the search for the keys.¡±


    I nodded and ran after the monster.


    ¡°Where are you going, Kiko?¡± Casey shouted to me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill this one!¡± I hollered back.


    As I spoke, the mother of hunger suddenly lunged at the giant machine. Its armored hands grabbed the mouth, and one leg moved back to prevent it from being knocked over. The others on the ground began to fend off the smaller beasts that had just been created. I turned away from the sight and focused on my new target.

 43 – A Fight and Kimono Dropped

    The monster was easy to pursue as it had grown large enough to knock down a clear path through the woods. I chased after with ease with my daggers held close to my chest¡ªthe blades sticking out and ready to slash.


    After several sharp turns where the creature must have changed directions, I finally caught up with the giant mass of fleshy clay. Its head rotated around completely so it could look at me while running away. A loud hiss came from the four-tongued mouth as if to warn me that I should not get closer. My grip tightened around my blades and picked up my pace.


    Just as I was getting near striking range, we pushed out of the forest. We were running straight for a glowing blue river. I gritted my teeth and slid to a halt while the beast leaped over the river with ease. It landed on the other side and turned its head back on straight. We stared at each other for a moment. Perhaps the beast was waiting to see if I would pursue it. Or, it was waiting for me to make a move before striking. I could not tell how intelligent this thing was, but it certainly was cautious.


    There was no way I could clear the river in a single bound, and there were no bridges to cross, but it continued staring at me.


    In the distance, loud crashes indicated the intense battle between the giant armor and the mother of hunger. It sounded like they would tear the world apart in the fight alone. My opponent and I stood and listened to the clash for a moment before it began to run down the river. I followed after on the other side. Behind the monster was another patch of forest, but it did not retreat into it. I think it wanted me to follow. To what end, I could not tell.


    A piece of glowing armor sailed through the sky and crashed into some trees in the distance. The sight did not bode well for the battle in the distance, but I did my best to keep focusing on the monster.


    It came to a sudden halt and turned in my direction. I held both blades at the ready as I watched from the other side. The river had grown narrower in the spot, but it was still too much for an ordinary person to jump across. I watched as the form leaned back, then suddenly, several vines of fleshy clay shot in my direction. I barely managed to avoid the attack as one of the tendrils tore the sleeve of my pink kimono.


    A burst of energy filled my chest as I felt the new hole. The desire to stab the creature intensified, and I gritted my teeth. My dagger just barely missed slashing the vines before they were pulled back.


    The monster grew to full size as the extended portions of it were pulled back in. It made the same motion for an attack, but this time I was ready. As the tendrils shot out like a storm of spears, I set one of my golden daggers in its sheath and dropped the kimono to the ground. The attack tore through my black armor and cut into my skin as I dodged only enough to avoid a lethal blow.


    Before it could be pulled back, I grabbed onto some of the vines. They were squishy but covered with sharp barbs that dug into my hand. My palm was probably bloody, but that didn¡¯t matter. A sudden jerk pulled me into the air above the river. The creature was in no way prepared for me to come flying at it. The portion that stood on the river bank took a step away as I flew in close. The vine I held onto was quickly detached and fell to the ground, but I had already gotten enough momentum.


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    I flew in close, and my blade cut cleanly through the neck of the monster. It let out a cry as the blade burned the skin across the whole spot. I landed roughly and began to roll across the ground; luckily, a grey tree was able to stop me. My legs were shaky, but I did my best to push to my feet as I eyed the creature. No head regrew from the cut spot, but it still stood.


    The monster turned in my direction and picked up the dismembered head. It held the missing part like it was staring at it, even without a head attached. It grunted, and the head was thrown in my direction. The four tongues still moved as the dismembered section soared through the air. I lunged back while cutting the head in half, then in fourths, and so on, until many tiny burnt sections rained down on the ground. They slowly began to disintegrate. My breath was heavy from the feat, but I think I had chopped it up enough to keep it from moving. Still, the prospect of chopping the thing into so many tiny pieces to defeat it was disconcerting.


    I turned back to the still giant mass of the remaining creature. A new head emerged from its shoulders, each with the four-tongued mouth it had copied from the hungers.


    ¡°You don¡¯t happen to know any magic, do you, Kiko?¡± Azul asked. He must have been getting concerned with the direction the fight was taking. At this rate, I would be exhausted long before I could defeat the monster.


    ¡°Knives are all I have,¡± I replied through heavy breaths. The blue dragon made a ¡®hmm¡¯ but didn¡¯t say anything more.


    The creature began to shudder; I pulled out my second dagger and held both up for the next attack. Instead, two large, misshapen wings stretched out of the creature¡¯s back. It was trying to retreat; there was still hope for a win.


    I charged forward as the wings flapped. Stabbing my blades into its smooth leg, I was pulled into the sky with it. The fleshy monster screeched as burns appeared around the stabbed sections. It flew frantically¡ªgoing up and down like a wave and spinning in a spiral. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was trying to throw me off or couldn¡¯t fly well, but I held on tightly all the same as the grey trees grew small under us.


    From the sky, I could see the battle between the giants. The glowing armor revealed the metal skeleton underneath from its tears and gashes. The left arm had been smashed to the point where I suspected it would not be useable. The mother of hunger didn¡¯t fare well either. The beast had been beaten and cut in the battle. Something flowed from its cuts like blood, but I think they were bones.


    I turned back from the fight below and focused on my opponent in the air. With a twist, I lodged on dagger into it and pulled the other dagger out. It was difficult with the flailing, but I managed to stab my blade higher on the body. My arms burned as I began to slowly pull myself up the side.


    The beast must have figured out what I was doing rather quickly. I didn¡¯t get very far before several sharp points shot out and pierced my whole body. I grunted and held tight. They were not very deep wounds. The monster likely could not get enough thrust when I was so close.


    I continued up until I reached my target¡ªone of the wings. With as much force as possible, I slashed a burnt gash in the center. We immediately began to fall. I did my best to position the monster to hit first, but it struggled in a frantic way that was hard to manipulate.


    We hit something inclined and began to roll on an uneven surface. I pulled my blades free and pushed away from the monster. Only after I had stopped did I realize where we had landed.


    I stood up on the back of the mother of hunger and faced the fleshy beast as its two heads stared back at me.

 44 – A Fall Into…

    The body underneath my feet flowed faster than a river, yet I was standing like there was only solid ground. Occasionally an object protruding further out would brush past and risk snagging my black clothes. The fleshy form in front of me had a couple of branches lodged into its clay-like skin. It might have been pulled along if the creature didn¡¯t tear its body to escape.


    It took the two of us a moment to get used to this new spot. Having to dodge the objects while keeping my attention on the opponent was difficult, but I felt I didn¡¯t want to let the monster out of my sight. It must have agreed with the sentiment since it worked to slowly creep closer to me as we got accustomed to the odd battlefield.


    The mother of hunger let out a roar at the giant armor. The suit had been torn so much that I could now see Pythagoras and Lerato sitting inside. The goblin pointed to me and shouted to Orrin, who still rode on the head, but I couldn¡¯t make out any words. Nor did I have time to try and read lips.


    The clay-like monster reached striking distance and didn¡¯t hesitate to attack. Dagger-shaped hands were thrust at my chest.


    I parried with my own blades and took several steps away. I must have stabbed it enough times for it to learn how effective attacking in that manner was. With my blades at the ready, I waited for the next charge.


    The fleshy creature lunged my way but fell to the side as the whole ¡®arena¡¯ began to run through the woods. Sounds of falling trees were drowned out by the massive beast¡¯s roar. It was fleeing from the others. The damaged armor chased after while I slid my foot to keep standing.


    My opponent fell over and was quickly snagged by the top of a tree, which must have been swallowed whole. It became frayed in the branches and was pulled away from me. I wished that would be the end of it, but I wouldn¡¯t take any chances. My daggers remained out and at the ready for an attack as I watched the monster try to untie its flesh from the treetop.


    My attention was diverted, and that was a mistake. Not even a minute after my opponent got swept away, something wrapped around my leg. I was pulled off my feet and began to slide down the mother of hungers back.


    I stopped short of slashing as I realized what had gotten hold of me. A single arm, a human arm, stuck out from underneath the river of eaten objects that made up the outside of the giant monster. Some poor soul likely eaten in the world the mother had come from. I stabbed a blade into the beast¡¯s odd hide and held it in place even though the ¡®river¡¯ continued to flow. How it worked, I could not make a guess, but I had managed to stop. The hand''s grip began to weaken as it pulled my leg. In a matter of moments, they would have to let go.


    ¡°Hold steady, Kiko,¡± Azul shouted. ¡°Your opponent is almost free. As soon as you escape from the grip, you must attack.¡±


    I turned to confirm, and sure enough, the clay-like body was slowly emerging from the moving tree like a swarm of snakes. The smaller bodies moved up and fused into the smooth humanoid form. I shook my leg to try to shake the grip off faster.


    In front of me, the green light floated down in front of my head. It said nothing but hung there a moment. A second later, I could swear I heard a crying voice. It was muted but clear. I stopped shaking my leg and turned back to the arm.


    I slid my free dagger back into its sheath and grabbed the hand as it finally broke free. Between the blade stuck into the giant''s back and my arm being pulled by the hand, I felt as if I might be ripped in two. Even though it was against my better judgment, I held on. I should have let go; I had no obligations. The green sphere floated away, and the crying stopped; I might have been manipulated, but I began to pull the arm close to me.


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    At the same time, I moved my feet so that I was in a crouched position.


    ¡°Kiko, your opponent is almost back together,¡± Azul warned.


    I didn¡¯t pay too much attention; the arm had begun to give way. I could only hope that this person was a great warrior.


    With all my strength, I pulled. I could see the shoulder. Then a head.


    It was a girl, maybe a year younger than me, with long burgundy hair and an expression of fear I didn¡¯t know was possible. She coughed like she had been drowning, and I continued to pull.


    The softness of her hands had already been an indication, and as more of her body came out, I could tell she was only a simple, sheltered girl. I ought to have given up as soon as I realized, but I didn¡¯t stop until her feet were free of the river-like flow.


    I about fell back as she was no longer pulled by the consumed objects. She wept bitterly as I turned around. My opponent had put itself back together, and now I had some stranger to protect. Had I made a mistake? What possessed me to do that? I didn¡¯t have time to contemplate as the fleshy monster ran to me. I charged in, and we met in the center of the back.


    The thing swung a knife-shaped hand at my face. It sliced the air just short of shaving off my nose as I ducked underneath. My own daggers were driven into the smooth legs. The creature screeched, and three points shot out from its body like spears. I barely managed to dodge as they flew past my face. Pulling out my daggers, I retreated several steps back. The creature shook its heads and looked back at the giant suit chasing after us, then to the girl who had managed to break from her crying. Her white eyes were wide with horror at the sight.


    The monster charged at her, perhaps seeing another potential threat before it could take me out. I burst into a sprint. Taking the girl by the arm, I pulled her out of harm¡¯s way before a pointed hand was driven into her skull.


    ¡°Kiko,¡± Orrin¡¯s voice cried out from the glowing machine that chased after us. They had gotten close enough for his voice to carry, but still just out of the giant arms reach. ¡°Pythagoras thinks you might be able to direct it if you stab an eye. Try getting it to go right!¡±


    It sounded like they had a plan, but I could hardly do anything if I had to fight the other monster and protect the useless girl. Perhaps, I could alleviate one of those problems.


    The girl let out a cry as I suddenly lifted her off her feet and threw her to Orrin.


    ¡°Catch!¡± I shouted to the green-clad man. I¡¯d like to imagine his expression changed to one that was wide-eyed by my sudden actions, but he was too far away to be certain. Orrin leaped to the intact shoulder of the armor and went down the arm like a slide. Near the elbow, he leaped off, doing a flip in the air, before catching the confused girl in his arms. He landed softly on the top of a grey tree as I was carried away by the mother of hunger.


    I didn¡¯t have much time to contemplate what I just saw; seconds after, the fleshy monster swung a long arm at my face. I avoided the part where it had morphed its body to act like a sharp blade, but the stretched-out arm hit me like a club. I flew across the back and landed somewhere in the middle.


    The creature charged at me as I had to avoid a long spear in the moving ¡®river¡¯¡ªpossibly Casey¡¯s, but I didn¡¯t have time to double check¡ªthat had the pointed end sticking out. My eyes grew wide, and before the weapon moved out of arms reach, I grabbed the spear. I didn¡¯t pull, but I moved it like a lever so the point was aimed at the monster. It ran itself through and began to get pulled away by the flow.


    I didn¡¯t waste another minute and charged to the head. I could not see an eye, but I made my best guess before pressing a dagger into the spot.


    The giant let out a roar and immediately changed course. I stumbled as we charged through the forest to a large pit. The glowing armor fell face down in the sudden drop as the spot became familiar to me. The dried-up world lake. The mother of hunger stepped right through the dam as it charged ahead. I looked back to see the glowing armor swept up in the flood of faux water before vanishing into the world. There was no telling if Pythagoras or Lerato were still inside as we quickly left it behind.


    I grunted and tried twisting my blade. The creature let out another roar and changed directions again. There was no telling how I could possibly get this where the others wanted.


    I pulled the blade out and prepared to make another strike.


    ¡°Kiko, look out!¡± Azul cried. I ducked to the side as two textureless hands grabbed where my throat had been. The clay-like monster had freed itself faster than I would have liked.


    My blades were held up and ready to strike when the mother of hungers front went downward. In a panic, it had walked into a world lake, and I was going with it. A vine of flesh wrapped around my throat as we went under the sparkling water. I quickly cut it before my senses were muddled from the sensation of entering the world.

 45 – A World or Hell?

    We broke from the sensation of entering the world, not on land but free falling in the sky. I stabbed both of my blades where I could as the giant crashed through a mountain. The stones gave way easily, causing a rather large rockslide to assist in felling a forest of dead trees.


    When everything finally stopped, I pulled my blades out and prepared to jump off the beast. A snag around my throat stopped me. A familiar-looking vine had stretched out from my opponent. I slashed at the appendage, but it bent out of the way just enough for the blade''s tip to narrowly pass it by.


    ¡°Kiko, run,¡± Azul shouted before biting into the flesh. The creature let out a howl as it loosened its grip. I didn¡¯t wait another moment before dashing from the giant beast we stood on.


    As my feet landed hard on stony ground, the mother of hunger began to stand back up. It looked down at me and let out a cry. Several of it¡¯s smaller minions burst from the mouth.


    I didn¡¯t waste another moment and fled through the dead forest. Loud footsteps echoed behind me as the beast gave chase. Looking back, I saw the clay-like monster had chosen to stay on, now using the beast to quickly close the gap between us. My footing gave way as I burst from the forest into an ample space of sand. I tumbled down in the dune, helpless to defend myself as the giant approached.


    It never got the chance to approach.


    As I turned to look up at my killer face-to-face, something burst from the ground. Describing it was difficult. The new beast was long, with what must have been millions of sharp knife-like legs. A hard red shell covered it¡¯s back, and a black belly wrapped around my pursuer. The head of the new beast split into four parts and bit the head of its prey off in one motion. I could only assume the fleshy creature was consumed along with it.


    I would have liked to run, but my legs instantly felt numb. My whole body was like a statue as I watched the new beast finish its meal; not one bit was left behind.


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    The smaller scions which had been belted out began to slow and freeze. Without the command of their mother, they had little purpose in being.


    The new monster turned to me and screeched. It was clear what it had in mind. I was dessert. The threat gave me the strength I needed to stand up, but there was no cover to run to.


    Fortunately, at least, I hoped that was the case; the beast was only a tiny predator. Just before it could skewer me on one of its sharp legs, a large reptilian bird swooped down and caught the long creature in its talons.


    It was lifted to the sky, where the red creature struggled to escape. I could not tell the outcome, as the dueling pair soon became nothing more than a dot in a crimson sky.


    I fell to my knees.


    ¡°The monster world.¡±


    My words came out as almost a whisper. What had all that struggle been for if I was going to fall into this mad place?


    ¡°Kiko, we best get out of the open,¡± Azul warned.


    I suppose he was drug along with me. In a way, that serves him right for binding onto my shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s over.¡±


    The blue dragon groaned.


    ¡°It¡¯s not over until I say so, dear Kiko. You need to get somewhere safe and then get some rest. We can discuss how we will escape once you are well.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t escape, not without Orrin, and he wouldn¡¯t risk coming here.¡±


    ¡°You are right that he wouldn¡¯t risk it, but that does not mean we cannot escape! I do not wish to be eaten, so let us find somewhere safe, and I can elaborate further.¡±


    He seemed confident in his words, and for better or worse, I had no choice but to go along with his plan. I stood up and brushed the sand off my black armor.


    The pink kimono was now long gone; I had left it in the world between worlds. I would be dead before I could ever see it again. My fists clenched at the thought, though I had no idea why I was so frustrated. Taking a deep breath, I loosened my hands as I exhaled.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I let myself get caught in despair for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Despairing is just fine, but it is best to do it somewhere isolated.¡±


    ¡°Where should we go?¡± I asked as I looked around the sandy desert. The suns of this world, five in total, were beginning to drop down below a mountain range.


    ¡°I suspect there will be good places to hide in the valleys,¡± Azul said as I fixed my sight on them.


    The walk through the loose sand was challenging, but my feet began to march toward the mountains. There was no telling what would come afterward.

 46 – A Regret Before Sleep

    I wasn¡¯t sure how long I walked, but my feet felt like they were beginning to blister as I trudged through the unsteady sand. Behind me, I could only see the last ten or so steps I had taken. Everything else was quickly buried by sand as it was whipped up by a whistling wind.


    A couple times through the desert, I had seen giant monsters running across or flying through the sky. I was lucky to be so much smaller. Either they didn¡¯t see me as a worthwhile meal or just didn¡¯t see me at all. I hoped it was the latter.


    By the time the last sun was setting, the sand had given way to rock, and I began to walk up the dead hillside of a mountain. There was no telling what had happened in this world, but other than the giants, I saw no signs of life. Even smaller monsters were absent, as far as I could tell. I doubt anything could live in this harsh environment. I wiped sweat from my brow, the world was far too hot, and I looked for some sign of an edible plant. I was probably immune to enough poisons, if my dream-memory was accurate, to eat something risky. Still, nothing stood out in the dead scene.


    ¡°I see a cave up ahead,¡± Azul chimed in. How the blue dragon could see so far away escaped me. There was no reason to argue at this point; I was nowhere close to finding any better options, so I marched ahead without objections. A desire to sit down, even for a minute, burned in me, which I didn¡¯t know was possible. Perhaps the whole scenario was draining me more than I realized. Whatever the reason, I almost shouted with glee¡ªI hardly had the energy to actually do it¡ªwhen my eyes laid on the cave. My face still lit up at the sight until I noticed and corrected it, instead making a neutral expression.


    I peered around the entrance edge. The hole was small, but the inside was about as large as my cabin in the world between worlds¡ªthe one I would never see again. I pushed through jagged rocks and quickly sat on the stone. Never in my life did rock feel so comfortable, at least for the parts I could remember.


    ¡°Well, we made it!¡± Azul said happily. I suppose even this world would take a toll on him, at least when he was in such a small form. The large dragon I had met in the temple likely could have eaten anything I had seen in this world.


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    ¡°We¡¯re here, but now what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°For now, you should rest.¡±


    ¡°But afterward? How do we get out of here?¡±


    ¡°That will come later. Rest assured, there are multiple ways to leave, and I can easily teach you a technique or two.¡± Azul said with confidence.


    ¡°Easily?¡± I asked while tilting my head.


    ¡°Well, easy for me. Perhaps you will have trouble, but we can cross that bridge when we get there. For now, rest and think.¡±


    ¡°Think about what?¡±


    ¡°Whatever is on your mind.¡±


    I sighed. The serpentine dragon was hardly helpful.


    Yet now that I had a moment to sit, my memory turned to the events that had just transpired. The clash between the monsters and the subsequent walk through the desert had taken too much of my attention. Now that I had a minute to breathe, I could think about what had gone wrong. The monster was vanquished, but I, along with it.


    My fighting had been sloppy against the unknown foe, but where I went wrong had to have been the moment I saved the random girl. As soon as her arm grabbed me, I was thrown off.


    ¡°Do you think the girl is okay?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Was all Azul replied with. His silence was unnerving, and I felt the need to say something to fill the cave.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have tried to protect her. I shouldn¡¯t have-¡± I stopped before I said too much. Unfortunately, Azul finished for me.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have saved her.¡±


    His words stung, but I wasn¡¯t sure if it was due to their intensity of them or due to how much I agreed with them. Given what I recalled, I was cold and ruthless. Was that just who I was? Would it have been more in line with myself to shake off her hand without another thought?


    ¡°Is that wrong?¡±


    ¡°There was a giant monster; you couldn¡¯t possibly expect to be aware of everything in that sort of situation. Still, you did manage to vanquish the monster, so it might be best to leave well and good alone.¡±


    I was hoping Azul would tell me I was wrong to regret my actions, but perhaps he had a point. That monster likely consumed many lives, but it was more important to kill it at that moment. Perhaps now that it was dead, it was best to call the whole thing water under the bridge. I took a deep breath and felt my posture relax. Sleepiness instantly washed over me like it had been dumped from a bucket. I yawned.


    ¡°I might need to get some sleep,¡± I said, almost surprised at the sudden change.


    ¡°Take as much time as you need. I will alert you of trouble,¡± the blue dragon reassured. I lay on my back and stared at the dark cave ceiling.


    The glowing green sphere that had once been a frog had disappeared. Where it went was a mystery, but I didn¡¯t care. My eyelids grew too heavy to stay up, and I drifted away.

 47 – An Arrival at a Ghost Town

    A monstrous crow lulled me from sleep. Despite the harsh sound, it did not bother me as I sat up from the stony cave floor. I rubbed my eyes and smiled. My mood was high, though I had no idea of the cause. It felt like maybe I had a dream, but the memory of it was long gone as soon as my eyes opened. Try as I may, I could not recapture it.


    ¡°Good morning!¡± Azul chirped, interrupting my thoughts. If there was a chance to recall it, the opportunity slipped away.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I said while I stretched my arms, ¡°how many hours was I asleep?¡±


    ¡°A day and then some.¡±


    I blinked several times. Was he serious or joking? The dragon was hard to understand. I decided to let it go and peered outside the cave. The white suns of the world were rising¡ªone, the apparent leader, led the pack over the horizon into the crimson sky.


    Despite the whole scene having color, everything was dull and dead. The ground was a mix of browns and greys, the plants were a scorched black, and even the red sky was almost the shade of blood, which was more unnerving than anything. Still, it was better than the grey of where I had come.


    ¡°Where to?¡± I asked Azul, who had been polite enough to let me take in the scene.


    ¡°Away from the suns.¡± He replied.


    It was the most sensible decision; I probably wouldn¡¯t want to walk with the light blinding me. Given that a monster could come from anywhere, I needed to be sure my sight was at full capacity.


    I checked my blades were firmly set at my sides and departing from the cave. The sky in front of me was still dark from the previous night and the wind brought an uncomfortable chill with it. I shivered and rubbed my arms. My black armor was decent for the weather, but an extra layer might have been ideal.


    ¡°Say, Azul,¡± I asked.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What do you suppose happened to this world?¡±


    Azul was quiet for a moment as I began to trudge up a steep hill. It wasn¡¯t until I reached the top that he chimed back in.


    ¡°Hard to say. I¡¯ve been locked away for so long I could only guess.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any guesses?¡± I asked as I looked to my left. A river of hot lava was running down in the distance, and the heat was strong enough to reach me. Nice as the warmth felt, I changed course to get away.


    ¡°Oh, humans being humans.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°One monster created, or allowed in, then they couldn¡¯t control it. So, they got bigger monsters to kill the first, and so on and so on. It¡¯s a rather predictable story. Only humans would be willfully stupid enou¨C but of course, this is all speculation.¡±


    I suppose his assessment was fair enough. If it was true or not was another case entirely, he was just guessing, after all¡ªwith a clear bias at that. Either way, I didn¡¯t press further and continued to march along the dead ground of the world. Whatever caused it probably didn¡¯t matter as much at the moment.


    My hike eventually took me away from the mountainous path across a dead plain. Some grass still held on but had been yellowed by an evident lack of rain. Accompanied by the red-tinted sky, the scene was starting to take a toll. Maybe seeing a bunch of greys wasn¡¯t so bad, or perhaps I had just gotten too used to it.


    As I walked across the unnerving scene, I could see two monsters clashing in the distance. Keeping my pace steady, I turned away from the bloody brawl and focused on the empty plain ahead. If I ignored them, I could remain somewhat blissful, at least, I hoped.


    My mind turned to the others who remained in the world between worlds. They must have recovered from the clash by now. I imagined they were happily continuing on with their lives. Perhaps the girl I had saved had become the new person they welcomed in; maybe she was a suitable replacement for me. She had undoubtedly been more emotional, but considering the trauma, I might have been the same.


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    Pythagoras probably was crying to her about his broken machine, Lerato would regale her with stories of the heroism in his world, Enas might scare her with his cold frown, Casey would do her best to not let her height be unnerving, and Orrin was likely still continuing on with his goofy smile and happy tone. I sighed.


    Either way, it no longer mattered. Azul had a way to escape, and I could easily sneak into a more stable world. At the very least, I was confident in my stealth, and I no longer had the bright pink clothes that made me easy to spot. Perhaps this all was a benefit. I was free now to do what I wanted, but did I want anything?


    ¡°There¡¯s a tree up ahead; you should stop and rest for a moment.¡± Azul broke me from my thoughts. As expected, I could only see a faint dot of the tree he saw. Noticing it was quiet, I turned and looked toward where the battle had ensued. One monster had vanished, save for a few inedible bones, and the other curled up to nap. A relatively confident display given the state of this whole world.


    I didn¡¯t bother looking again as I closed in on the tree. It was dead, but the branches were thick enough to offer a little shelter from the suns. I rubbed my legs as I sat down; it was only at this moment I realized just how much I walked. It was noon, or whatever was close to that in this world, going off the position of the suns over my head.


    Some pangs in my stomach and dryness in my mouth reminded me of how long I had gone without anything to eat or drink. It was strange to think that I might die of starvation in a world where monsters constantly eat each other, but the reality was becoming possible. At the very least, I would have liked some water.


    As if to answer my gripes, some black clouds began to drift in, black streaks underneath told me a heavy rainfall was occurring. I stood up and started to walk in that direction.


    ¡°Kiko, no,¡± Azul cautioned. ¡°That is not water falling from those clouds.¡±


    ¡°What is it then?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Acid. It is mild, like vinegar, but still unpleasant for you none the same.¡±


    I sighed and shook my head. Was everything in this world unpleasant? If I did not find something soon, I would become weak. Still, whatever kind of rain was there did not seem like a good option. I turned away and continued to walk across the dead plains.


    The suns slowly drifted across the sky as I carried on. Azul kept me engaged with some banter about various topics, but the talk was meaningless, considering I didn¡¯t understand half of it. Eventually, he pointed out a new location.


    ¡°Ah, Kiko, there is a town to your left!¡±


    The prospects of possible civilization piqued my interest enough. I quickly changed course and headed in the direction Azul had indicated. My spirits quickly dropped as it came into view.


    It was a town for sure, square buildings were neatly laid out along a road, and signs indicated all sorts of stores and services. But it was dead. The entire town was in ruins, and no sounds of life carried through the empty streets. I entered nonetheless and made my way to a familiar-looking store. It resembled the same place we had gone to in the world of metal giants, where there ought to be food.


    The door didn¡¯t slide open as I approached¡ªit didn¡¯t need to; the glass had been broken long ago. I carefully slid past the sharp edges. The building was lined with shelves, but unlike the one in the other world, this did not have any food or drink. I did my best not to show disappointment as I weaved up and down the rows of empty shelves. There were signs of a struggle, people fighting over food from a time that had long since passed. Shreds of a few plastic wrappers lay in the open as if to mock me with what was once there.


    I didn¡¯t spend much longer in the building and began exploring the empty streets. Cracked stones seemed to want to shout what had happened to a once busy place and a still wind invited me to speak over the silence.


    ¡°It would be best to find a bed,¡± I said after a moment of walking. My voice hung low, weak, and depressed, even though I had not meant to let it.


    ¡°Agreed!¡± Azul replied. The blue dragon had not noticed my tone or ignored it.


    My search for an intact bed ended quickly as a surprising noise snapped through the quiet town. They were reins like someone was riding a horse through. ¡°Kiko,¡± Azul hissed in a tone to indicate we should be cautious. I nodded but moved closer to the sound.


    It didn¡¯t take long until footsteps, and creaky wheels filled the empty town. Someone was here in this dead world.


    I would have liked to leap up to a rooftop and peer down from above, but my empty stomach disagreed with the idea. Instead, I slowly leaned around a corner, taking care that my long hair did not hang out further than I would have liked.


    A wooden carriage stopped in front of the empty building I had just explored. I might have called it horse-drawn, but the creature pulling the cart was anything but. It stood on two legs and had a long snout with sharp fangs. A few feathers lined its arms and back, and the rest of the body was scaly. The reins I had heard linked the carriage to the monster. It looked around and scratched its stomach with short arms as I quietly moved closer. Azul warned we should stay back, but if they had food, I might be able to steal it. The beast at the front looked like a predator, but it didn¡¯t seem like it would be all that clever. I expect it would be safe to approach if I was careful.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t be shy! Come on over here!¡± A man¡¯s voice shouted out. I froze. His face popped out from the back, and he smiled at me. With one hand held on my dagger¡¯s hilt, I moved closer to the stranger. He clearly saw my threatening posture but didn¡¯t back down in the slightest. As if he knew I wasn¡¯t going to stab him. He might have been right; I didn¡¯t have the strength, or maybe the will, to try and attack. I would have to take a risk that he might be friendly, at least for a moment.


    Maybe I was too weak to think clearly, but I took another step closer all the same.

 48 – An Unknown Person

    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked the stranger. He made a gentle smile, perhaps made more gentle by how his eyes betrayed his view of me; I must have looked weak and pathetic at this point¡ªlike I was some puppy on the side of the road.


    ¡°Just a traveler.¡± The stranger didn¡¯t give me much to go on as I stopped several steps from the back of his wagon. Inside I could see several boxes and barrels, hopefully containing food. He looked back to his supplies and chuckled.


    ¡°Would you like something to eat? I have plenty to spare.¡± With a motion, he invited me into the covered wagon.


    ¡°Careful, Kiko,¡± Azul cautioned, but he didn¡¯t need to say anything. I had already pulled out one of my golden daggers and held it close to my side. A little caution wouldn¡¯t hurt, even if he didn¡¯t seem big enough to be a threat.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind if I keep this out,¡± I said. The man laughed at my words.


    ¡°Fair enough, as long as you tell me how you got gold on the blades.¡±


    I climbed into the wagon and accepted his food. It was simple bread and water but going so long without anything made it taste like the best meal in the world. The stranger watched quietly as I chowed down. Once I realized I may have been tearing into my meal the same way the monsters of this world did, I paused a moment. My throat cleared as I regained my bearings, though I had no idea why, before eating the meal more slowly and calmly. A smile sat on his face like he was seeing something joyful. I turned away slightly and finished my food.


    When I finished, he offered me a bag of flat brown candies covered with sprinkles. I put the first one in my mouth cautiously, but the sudden burst of sweet flavor convinced me to eat more. As I ate two more, the stranger spoke:


    ¡°So, may I get your name?¡±


    I turned away and looked to the front of the cart. The monster that pulled it might have taken my attention if I didn¡¯t see something else. Sitting near the edge of the carriage was a familiar green frog. It shook its head at the sight of me and turned away. Considering the stranger probably couldn¡¯t see it, I held in a shout and turned back to him.


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    ¡°Kiko. Would you mind telling me yours?¡±


    He rubbed his bare chin for a moment before replying.


    ¡°You can just call me Nonpareil for now.¡±


    ¡°Nonpareil?¡± I said as my eyes grew narrow. What an odd name.


    Azul pointed to the candy in my hands with his blue tail.


    ¡°Those treats you are eating; he thinks he¡¯s being clever.¡± As I realized this, I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Non,¡± I said. He didn¡¯t seem taken aback at my dismissal of his fake name and instead laughed.


    ¡°Mister makes me sound like an old man!¡± he replied.


    In fairness, he looked to be pretty young, maybe around my age. The solid black hair on his head had not yet given way to grey, and his chin was smooth and free of any hair that might add more years in any observer''s mind.


    ¡°Well, thank you for the food.¡± I began to move to the back of the wagon.


    ¡°Wait! You haven¡¯t told me about the gold!¡±


    I sighed. Telling him the truth might sound like a bit much, even in this monster world. Then again, perhaps, I could humor him and escape all at once. I turned back and began my story.


    ¡°It started when I washed ashore on a grey world¡­.¡± I began to regale him with my tale. Leaving almost no detail out¡ªI wasn¡¯t about to tell him everything¡ªI did my best to describe the grey world and the strange inhabitants. At some point, he would think I was out of my mind and I could slip away easily.


    As I finished describing falling into this world while on the back of the monster, he nodded knowingly.


    ¡°I see you have had quite the adventure,¡± he said with a gentle smile. That was not the reaction I had hoped to see. Was this man just as insane? ¡°If you¡¯d like, you can join me on a trip I am taking.¡±


    ¡°Kiko, we ought to excuse ourselves,¡± Azul said from my shoulders.


    ¡°And before you can make any excuses of where to go, let me remind you that there is hardly any food or water out there,¡± Mr. Non replied before I could say anything. Azul spat.


    ¡°Kiko, we will be able to find plenty of food elsewhere. This man is not to be trusted.¡±


    ¡°I can understand your mistrust, given I¡¯m not someone you recognize. What can I do to change that?¡± he added.


    If I didn¡¯t know better, it was almost like Azul and Mr. Non were speaking to each other. I pushed the odd thought away and opened my mouth to answer the stranger. No words came out as I pondered what to say. He didn¡¯t feel threatening, and the food wasn¡¯t poisoned¡ªI would have tasted it otherwise. I sensed no danger from the strange man, he was more the sort of fool I could take advantage of, yet he had a niceness that annoyed me. Perhaps he was similar to Orrin in some sense; the green-clad man¡¯s smile didn¡¯t seem too different from this man¡¯s at a glance, and, at the same time, it felt different. I sighed and responded.


    ¡°I can travel with you for a while.¡± What was the harm?


    ¡°Kiko!¡± Azul hissed. His voice suggested frustration, though I could not tell why he was so opposed.


    ¡°Fantastic!¡± Mr. Non said through a laugh. His face was lit with joy at my agreeing to come. Hopefully, I would not regret this in the future.

 49 – A Place of Life on a Dead World

    With a snap of the reigns, the giant lizard-like monster, a ¡®raptor¡¯ as the strange man called it, began to pull the carriage. We had slept through the night in the wagon, and it wasn¡¯t until the vehicle started to shake that I awoke. I shot up in an instant and looked around. It took a moment to remember, but I eventually recalled the previous day''s events. Mr. Non had tried to chat with me about pointless things, and I answered with one or two-word replies. It was amazing how patient he was; I suppose the others in the grey world also had been the same.


    I sat up and rubbed my eyes as I looked around. We were heading toward the rising suns, but the strange man didn¡¯t seem bothered by the light in his eyes. He blissfully guided the monster pulling the cart with the green frog sitting on his head¡ªI wonder what he might say if I told him about the strange creature on him.


    ¡°Good morning Kiko!¡± he shouted even though his back was turned to me.


    ¡°Morning.¡±


    ¡°You can pull something out of the barrels to eat if you want.¡±


    I didn¡¯t hesitate at his suggestion and quickly began to scarf down some bread.


    ¡°Where are we going,¡± I asked after finishing my meal.


    ¡°Where do you think we would go in this strange world?¡±


    ¡°Please, just tell me.¡± I made no effort to hide the annoyance in my tone. He laughed.


    ¡°To find some friends, of course!¡± I wasn¡¯t sure how credible his words were, but I was starting to think they were careless and not worth listening to.


    ¡°There are others in this world?¡± I asked halfheartedly.


    ¡°I¡¯d guess we can at least find five or so,¡± Mr. Non said as he cracked the reins. As we pulled out of the abandoned town, the monster began to change direction slightly¡ªprobably so we weren¡¯t directly looking at the suns. My eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Are you certain, or are you saying a number at random?¡± His laugh gave me my reply. This was not something he took seriously. I was the fool for giving in for even a moment.


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll be lucky, and we¡¯ll find your friends from the other world!¡±


    I regretted going into details immediately. Too much was said the prior day.


    ¡°They won¡¯t be coming. It is too risky to enter this world.¡±


    ¡°I can see that!¡± Mr. Non said with a laugh. ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t be so negative about it; it will only lead to despair.¡±


    ¡°Ignore him, Kiko,¡± Azul chimed in from my shoulders. ¡°We should be getting away soon.¡±


    My back pressed against the side of the wagon, and I stretched out my legs; the posture might have looked like I was getting complacent and relaxing¡ªand in a sense, I was¡ªbut I kept my hands close to my daggers in case they needed to be drawn.


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    ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush; we should get more food while we can,¡± I whispered. Since Azul never ate, I at least had not seen it; I imagined he didn¡¯t understand what it was like to be hungry. The dragon grumbled as he retreated out of my field of vision.


    His concern was valid to a point; we shouldn¡¯t offer too much trust to this stranger. If anything, it was an oddity how relaxed I felt around this person. Sad as it was to admit, it was quite unlike me.


    ¡°So, tell me, Kiko,¡± Mr. Non said as he focused on guiding the cart, ¡°What do you want to do from now on?¡±


    ¡°Right now, I just want to get out of this world.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    I kept my mouth shut. Through my retelling of the story, I neglected to mention Azul. Though I had wanted to sound a little crazy, I felt bringing up an invisible blue dragon coiled around my neck like a scarf might be too much for some random guy. At the very least, I couldn¡¯t tell him about my search for the keys¡ªat least not directly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be searching for something.¡±


    ¡°Oh, for what?¡±


    ¡°My lost memories.¡± A half-truth should suffice.


    ¡°Just memories? You don¡¯t need to look; they could come back here if you wanted.¡±


    ¡°Unless you know a trick to it, I doubt they would.¡±


    ¡°I could try giving a bonk on the head with a rubber mallet under the cart,¡± Mr. Non said with a laugh. I sighed and shook my head.


    ¡°Why would you have that in the first place?¡±


    ¡°To help amnesiacs, why else?¡± Though he didn¡¯t look at me, I could see the grin on his face in my mind.


    ¡°Surely you don¡¯t run into people who lose their memories all the time?¡±


    ¡°Actually, you are the first, but that doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll be the last.¡±


    ¡°What if I hit you in the head with the hammer?¡± I threatened.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t; head trauma can be a serious condition.¡± He deflected with a laugh.


    ¡°But you have no problem hitting me? That would be considered a crime.¡±


    Mr. Non pointed out into the vast wasteland of the world.


    ¡°No authorities mean no crimes! The tradeoff is we all get eaten!¡± he said with a laugh.


    I opened my mouth to reply when my eyes grew wide. We had been going back and forth like it was nothing, and I had no idea why I was being so open. Where had that come from? My hands even moved away from my daggers, and my posture grew more relaxed. I shrunk back and turned my gaze to the wooden floor of the cart. Sure enough, there was a hatch to an undersection. He very well could have some hammer down there, or he could have simply been joking.


    ¡°Whatever you say¡­.¡± I grumbled while grabbing one of the hilts to ensure my hand stayed in place.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be like that. Look ahead; we¡¯re coming close to some of the only life left in this sad world!¡± I turned to look at what Mr. Non was talking about. It was green, not a bleak green with hints of yellow; the spot was truly green.


    A tall tree shot up in the center, like a tower that might even touch the clouds. Its green-covered branches stretched out over a wide area, making almost a large umbrella to protect the trees above. It had to be ancient. I didn¡¯t think a tree could ever get so large.


    Under the canopy of the giant tree, a collection of relatively smaller trees gathered around like children. They were a bright pink color which forced an involuntary roll of my eyes. Cherry blossoms¡ªwhy couldn¡¯t it be anything else?


    ¡°Are we going there?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course! I think you¡¯ll find it quite nice. Plus, It¡¯s the only place left in this world that the monsters leave alone.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Mr. Non shrugged.


    ¡°Ask the monsters, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Kiko, it may be unwise to go into that forest!¡± Azul warned. His words weren¡¯t convincing. I doubt he could make a good case for not entering. It was the only place that was safe. ¡°If you are so concerned with eating, you should stab that man and just run away with the food! His back is wide open!¡± he added. I shook my head. That was most certainly not an option, and I think the glare I gave the blue dragon made my intent clear. If Mr. Non proved untrustworthy, that might be a different case, but I certainly couldn¡¯t just stab anyone; at least, I hope I couldn¡¯t.


    The blue dragon grumbled as our cart reached the base of the first trees. He didn¡¯t offer any more complaints as we slipped into the serene woods.

 50 – A Space to Think

    Mr. Non stopped the cart at the outskirts of the forest, we could still clearly see the dead ground not too far from where we stood, and he tied the monster to a tree. The raptor clearly wouldn¡¯t go another step in. I hopped off and followed Mr. Non inside; behind me, the suns were beginning to say their farewell to the day. Azul shuddered. I suppose this could be a small revenge, in a way, for him latching on to me like he had.


    The trees were densely packed together, more tightly than I would have expected from a distance. Underneath them was an array of green plants and shrubbery. With no path carved out, we had to weave and bob through the thicket as best we could. I did my best to keep up with the strange man. He passed through with such ease it was like the plants didn¡¯t even touch him. Steeling my resolve to not be left behind, I sped up my pace.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stay here forever, can we?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, but we will only need to be here a little while. The suns will be back before you know it.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Some nights in this world are shorter than others. One of those funny things about having so many suns,¡± he replied with a shrug. Considering he lived in this world, I couldn¡¯t blame him for being so nonchalant about it.


    ¡°So, what do we do in the meantime?¡±


    Mr. Non pushed through some tall bushes and disappeared. I sighed and followed after, emerging in a large clearing at the base of the giant tree. My guide held out his hand in a gesture to direct my gaze at the scene.


    A calm light from the leaves, or maybe some flowers, above illuminated the scene in a gentle glow. The trunk was larger than I could imagine. It easily stretched out to be more expansive than the wall Lerato and Pythagoras had created to protect the camp and likely anything else I had seen since I had lost my memory. A pool of the cleanest water circled around the base, and the wind was so still that no ripple disturbed the top. I walked close and looked down; the bottom was clear as day through the water.


    ¡°For now, I¡¯m going to pick some nuts and berries to munch on. You can rest here, but don¡¯t mess with anything!¡± The strange man disappeared into the woods as he left. I sat on the ground and stared at the water. The calmness of it was soothing, somehow.


    A croak to my right caught my attention. The green frog sat off to the side and watched silently.


    ¡°It would be best for you to leave!¡± Azul shouted to the frog. The creature shook its head and stayed in place.


    ¡°Azul, please. Let¡¯s just rest for a moment.¡± I moved my hands behind me and leaned back. My legs stretched out parallel to the water¡¯s edge.


    ¡°No, Kiko, we need to get going!¡±


    ¡°Azul, when the time is right, we can go. It seems the monsters don¡¯t like this forest for some reason.¡±


    The blue dragon shook his head.


    ¡°He will not help you to escape this world. You will be left to your doom.¡± I felt a tightness around my throat as Azul spoke.


    ¡°And how exactly do you plan to escape this world? You¡¯re just arguing for the sake of arguing!¡±


    ¡°Kiko, I will tell you once the time is right,¡± he dodged the question. I had let him avoid it before, but something felt different this time. Perhaps owing to the setting I found myself in, I didn¡¯t let his words pass away so quickly.


    It was like I could think clearly¡ªso much so that I wondered what state I had been previously thinking. Either Azul was lying about his ability to help me escape, or he planned to have me do something odd in order to do it. I¡¯m not sure why, but it was at this point that I finally wanted to know for sure. I had to get some answers here and now. If he could convince me, I might just leave this forest while Mr. Non was away. I was willing to hear him out but felt like the blue dragon wouldn¡¯t be one to talk. If only there was a way.


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    A jingle came from my wrist. The two collected keys which had been invisible for some time, were now hanging off my wrist.


    I sat in silence for a couple of minutes, maybe longer. It wasn¡¯t until the sun was starting to rise that I spoke again.


    ¡°Now seems like a good time.¡± I fiddled with one key until it was pulled off my wrist. I would have thought it might have taken more to pull it off, but the binds on the key gave way rather quickly once I put my mind to it.


    ¡°Calm down, Kiko.¡± His voice had a hint of nervousness. Perhaps it was a little harsh, but I might be able to move his lips if I seemed like I parted with one of the black keys. I tossed it to the side, in the middle of the clearing, where the grass was short enough to find it again. To my surprise, a long tongue shot out of the frog and pulled the key into its stomach.


    ¡°See what you¡¯ve done now? Now we have lost a key.¡± Azul spoke calmly, but there was an underlying quiver in his words.


    ¡°I can always cut the key out of the frog¡¯s stomach if needed,¡± I replied callously.


    ¡°I can hear you¡­.¡± the frog added.


    The second black key was pulled off my wrist.


    ¡°I just want to know.¡±


    It sounded for a second like Azul hissed, but his following words came out so calmly I must have imagined it.


    ¡°Very well, there were some humans in the direction I had you going; this world still has some hanging on. If you killed them in the right way, it would have you from this world.¡±


    I tossed the key into the air. The frog¡¯s tongue collected it once again. The blue dragon might have well as screamed in shock. ¡°What are you doing!¡± The first key was thrown with hesitancy; I just wanted to make Azul cooperate a little, then pick it back up. The second key might have been pitched as hard as possible had I not known the frog would try to eat it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of you having me kill someone,¡± I said the words calmly, but I couldn¡¯t shake the horror I felt inside. Not because he might have had me try to kill someone to escape¡ªthough that idea was disagreeable in itself¡ªbut, for a split second before I tossed the key, I felt as if I might have been okay with it. As if it was a good plan.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you are against this plan. Surely you must understand that your hands have been stained with blood before,¡± Azul replied. His voice was one of genuine confusion as if he could not comprehend why I was opposed. To be honest, a part of me wanted to agree with what he said.


    Given the memories that had been restored, I could see that being the case. Yet, I had no recollection of actually killing anyone since going to the grey world. It felt possible but not something I wanted to dwell on for too long. I had an inkling I might start to remember the feeling of a dagger pressed into a back or chest, and I shuddered at the possibility of that occurring.


    Had I continued along with only Azul, I might have stumbled across those supposed people and killed them. If it was the only way to escape, it was sensible to do so, after all. My callous words about dissecting the frog earlier were enough to show some instinct of an assassin remained; I¡¯m not sure if that could ever be removed. I shuddered at my thoughts.


    A small memory returned. I blinked as I recalled standing before the clan''s leaders, my mother in the center. They all stood tall like giants over my tiny body.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill anyone,¡± I repeated the words I said to them then.


    Azul grunted.


    ¡°You will never escape this world otherwise,¡± he sighed, ¡°but that is okay; I will stay with you until you change your mind.¡±


    It was true that the blue dragon was wrapped around my neck. I reached for the scaly body, but my hands couldn¡¯t find it¡ªmy fingers clawed against the skin of my neck instead. ¡°Kiko, it is pointless,¡± the words carried a mocking tone. I was starting to wonder how much of it was in my imagination.


    ¡°Kiko,¡± the voice of Mr. Non called from behind. I jumped; I must have been so distracted I didn¡¯t hear him walking up. I hoped he didn¡¯t hear too much of that conversation with Azul.


    Putting my hands down on my lap, I turned to the stranger.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    The odd man stood with a relaxed posture. One hand was outstretched and held the nuts and berries he went to collect. With his other, he pointed to the items as if I might miss them otherwise.


    ¡°Want something to eat?¡± he asked. Whatever he picked must not have been that good since he wasn¡¯t bothering to eat any of the haul.


    I took some of the berries and popped them into my mouth. My face was aimed down as I avoided looking him in the eye.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said quietly.


    ¡°Also, would you like help getting rid of that dragon?¡±


    I jumped at his words and looked back up. The same man was there, but he had suddenly become serious. His smile had flattened, and his eyes narrowed as he stared at Azul. The blue dragon hissed in reply.

 51 – A Final Memory

    I stared blankly for a moment as I contemplated what Mr. Non had said. He crossed his arms and sat down next to me¡ªhis eyes never stopped glaring at Azul.


    ¡°You can see him?¡± I asked in shock.


    ¡°Unfortunately. I¡¯m more surprised that you can. I suppose your time in between worlds has affected you,¡± his words were gentle but firm.


    ¡°Who are you really?¡± I pressed.


    ¡°Hmm, you will come to know once your memories come back.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell me now?¡± His words were too cryptic for my liking. I didn¡¯t need more of that; Azul was already enough.


    ¡°I cannot.¡±


    ¡°Kiko, he is trying to deceive you,¡± Azul hissed.


    I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.


    It was possible both were trying to deceive me. At the very least, I knew Azul wanted me to kill, though he seemed to not understand why I was so opposed. I had no idea of Mr. Non¡¯s intentions; trusting him was also a stretch. I, at the very least, had to get away from them and make a decision. If I could have just a few moments of silence, I might be able to think it through. They both tried to speak to me, but the voices combined into a mess of noise. My brow surely was furrowed.


    ¡°If you know how to remove him, I would like to make a decision alone,¡± I said as I looked at the stranger. He rubbed his chin.


    ¡°An interesting proposition. Very well.¡±


    Azul tried to retreat, but Mr. Non suddenly lunged forward and grabbed him by the back of his head. The serpentine dragon squirmed as he was uncoiled from around my neck. My jaw fell open as my shoulders loosened. I didn¡¯t know what to say.


    The strange man stepped back as Azul squirmed in his hand and tried to bite him. Had they been a normal human and normal dragon, he may have succeeded in a venomous strike.


    I rolled my shoulders as I tried to contemplate what was happening. Mr. Non waved to me and disappeared into the forest¡¯s foliage; the last thing I saw was him looking at the blue dragon and shaking his head. His expression almost looked like one might give before talking to a child as if the dragon was not consequential to the strange man.


    Then everything went black.


    I was suddenly crouched in a pink tree, my kimono securely fastened around my body. Below was a simple table with a short cloth over the top and two piping hot cups of tea. Closest to me sat Emperor Akimitsu; behind him stood Nobuyuki. Across the table was the princess of the opposing nation. She was an annoying girl with round white eyes and a cute smile, which seemed tailor-made to seduce our emperor into making a bad decision.


    The events came back to me as clear as day. I could remember it all, but unlike before I knew it wasn¡¯t just a dream.


    The princess had two guards behind her, inconsequential muscle by the looks of it, and one lady who appeared to be her main advisor. None of the persons present would be enough to stop us if the emperor ordered a kill. I wished he would just get it over with; the war would be well fed from such a choice.


    As the memories flooded back into me, I shuddered. In my old thoughts, I was ready to kill so easily; just as I feared.


    I had not paid attention to the conversation, but when the emperor and princess stood up and politely bowed to one another, I knew enough. Peace had been agreed upon. This was not according to the plan; he was only supposed to be a puppet¡ªthis was the last strike against the young emperor. It was clear what I had to do, and the princess could take the blame. I felt the large daggers at my side. They would be the most effective to do the job, but they were also gifts from the person I would be stabbing. A moment of hesitation, but not enough to stop me.


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    Was there a way to stop this? Could this flow of memories be shut off before it was too late?


    As the sun began to set, the princess went to rest in a spare room prepared within the castle. She would be leaving the following day with news from the peace talk. Emperor Akimitsu stood on the cliff''s edge behind the castle and watched the sun go down¡ªhis clothes peacefully swayed in the wind as he stared. I dismissed the other guards and peered at the distant emperor from the side of the castle.


    ¡°He was always so sentimental, huh?¡± A gruff voice said from behind me.


    ¡°You are correct, Nobuyuki,¡± I replied without turning back. My voice sounded more solemn than I would have liked. A large, but gentle, hand rested on my shoulder.


    ¡°Do you remember that time when we all went down to the river? He was trying to show off, and reel in the river spirit,¡± the large man behind me said with a soft laugh. I chuckled in a sad sort of way.


    ¡°I do; he ended up being pulled in by some common trout.¡±


    ¡°In his defense, it was an abnormally large trout.¡±


    We savored the memory for a moment before I spoke again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of his death; would you be willing to set up evidence of the princess''s involvement?¡±


    ¡°Already done. Why don¡¯t you get some rest? I¡¯ll take care of¡­ the other matters.¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°My orders are to be the one who kills him if word gets out¡­.¡±


    I was determined to follow what mother said. I should have let Nobuyuki convince me to do otherwise. He went back and forth with me, trying to convince me, but I was stubborn to follow how I had been raised. I argued that it wasn¡¯t my first kill and dismissed my large friend. As silently as possible, I made my way to the emporer¡¯s side. He didn¡¯t look my way but smiled as I stepped close to him.


    ¡°It was a beautiful day, huh, Kiko. Part of me wishes it lasted forever, but if it had, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to see such a lovely sunset at the end.¡± The sky was a painting of color and clouds¡ªas if a masterful artist had brushed the color in such a vivid way that you could not help but be sucked into the work. I could see why the Emperor liked it, the poor sap.


    ¡°There are sunsets every day; why is this one so special?¡± I asked. He laughed.


    ¡°This will be the last sunset I see before the world changes!¡± He spoke highly about the peace treaty as if everything would be different.


    Or maybe he was considering what would come next.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see what you are getting at.¡±


    ¡°Not to worry. How is Princess Sakura doing?¡±


    I shrugged.


    ¡°I have hardly said a word to her.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I would have liked it if you had spent a little time with her. The next time you see her, please do try to get along.¡± He rubbed his bare chin as he spoke. His eyes never moved away from the scene in front of him.


    ¡°I would rather die,¡± I replied bluntly. The words inspired a laugh in the emperor.


    ¡°I always have appreciated your bluntness with me, Kiko. I¡¯m afraid we will have to cut this conversation short, though.¡± He pointed out, and I followed where he aimed; his eyes still looked at the sunset. The ground rumbled, and a large plume of smoke rose in the valley below the cliff. A fire had broken out. It was the perfect addition to the cover story.


    With fingers wrapped around one of my spare daggers, I took a deep breath and plunged the blade into his back. The emperor did not make a sound, nor did his expression change. He still calmly watched the setting sun. My eyes began to water, and I could not make them stop.


    I grabbed another spare and shoved it into his back. The world began to shake violently as spheres shot across the sky, but I was too preoccupied to notice. With the next dagger held close to my chest, I paused. My vision was fuzzy.


    Emperor Akimitsu turned to me and pulled me close in an embrace, I could hardly see his face anymore through my blurred vision, but I felt as if he smiled gently at me. The last dagger was driven into his heart.


    What had I done?


    ¡°Take care, Kiko. Live a happier life from now on.¡± He let me go and fell backward off the cliff. I fell to my knees and wept.


    He knew? He knew I would kill him, and he didn¡¯t fight back? He was a fool.


    My tears were interrupted by a projectile crashing into the castle. Looking up, I finally saw what was going on. Hundreds of hungers were flying across the sky and crashing into the world like falling stars. I turned and watched as castle guards were consumed along with the building. One of the ugly creatures charged at me. I weakly reached for my blade but could not pull it out.


    The large Nobuyuki slid between the monster. He shouted something, but I couldn¡¯t hear; everything had gone silent save for the sound of my thundering heart. I stared blankly at the scene before me. Monsters were slowly pulling apart and consuming everything.


    My feet were unsteady, but I tried to stand. It was not my intention, but I fell back to the cliff. The last thing I saw was Nobuyuki cutting a hunger cleanly in two. He looked back at me and shouted my name, or at least I assumed so, as I slipped just out of his arm''s reach.


    I got a good look at the colorful sky one last time as I descended, then everything went dark as I hit the moment my memories were lost.

 52 – A New Hello

    Gentle streams of light poured through the leaves of the giant tree as I opened my eyes. The vision knocked me off my feet, and I must have passed out at some point. I quickly wiped tears from them and sat up. Resting my forearms on my knees, I sat in silence. Holding my palms out, I stared blankly at them. They were clean, at least from the initial glance.


    Everything was back. My memories were fully returned. Kiko, the assassin, the kunoichi. Adopted daughter of the clan leader¡ªthough the adopted part was buried until just recently. I had killed many from a young age, and working with the emperor was my most important assignment. We had hoped he would be a pawn but expected I would be needed to act eventually. I wish that had not been the case.


    ¡°Welcome back!¡± a voice rang out. It was Mr. Non¡¯s, but it was also:


    ¡°Emperor Akimitsu!¡± I shouted as I spun in the seated position¡ªalmost falling into the calm water in the process. He smiled as I stuttered over my words. ¡°How¡­ you¡­¡± It was him, right in front of me. Doing well, considering I stabbed him three times. I had no idea how I did not recognize him. Now that I looked again, the few things I recalled should have given it away, but it seemed that memories weren¡¯t the thing that prevented me. A stubbornness in me? A lack of reason? I could not pin an explanation down.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost.¡± He said with a laugh. Azul, who the emperor still held in his hand, rolled his slitted eyes. I sighed and coughed into my fist. After standing up and brushing myself off, I crossed my arms and stared at the emperor. My foot may have tapped several times, but I didn¡¯t pay any mind to it.


    ¡°How long did you intend to let me go without telling me who you were?¡±


    Emperor Akimitsu rubbed his chin with a smirk painted on his face.


    ¡°With the state you were in, telling you might have been a problem. You wouldn¡¯t have believed me, correct?¡± He was being half serious; now that my memories had returned, I was sure of it. I expect the other half was either from a curiosity of how long it would take me or from wanting to see my surprised expression once it dawned on me.


    ¡°I suppose¡­.¡± I turned away. If I was being honest, I might have run away from him had he told me sooner, but I didn¡¯t want to freely admit that to Akimitsu¡¯s face. I did my best not to smile with joy at meeting him again before looking in his direction.


    ¡°Kiko, this doesn¡¯t mean this person is who you think he is. It could be a disguise!¡± Azul warned. The emperor rolled his eyes and tossed the blue dragon to the side. He cursed as he slithered into the bushes; I imagine having to move in such a way was a serious wound to his pride.


    The last thing I saw was his blue tail disappear into the woods. Even with the dragon gone, I could still feel his gaze on us. It felt odd having him leave. Was it really okay for him to just depart like that?


    ¡°Will he be okay on his own?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh, he won¡¯t go too far right away. He¡¯ll probably follow you around for some time, and if you don¡¯t give in, he¡¯ll bother someone else.¡±


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    I wasn¡¯t sure what the emperor meant, but it sounded like he thought the blue dragon was more of a minor nuisance than anything else. Now that my shoulders were free to move, it felt like it had been much more than that. In some small way, I think I had grown used to having Azul around. Now it almost felt like my neck was exposed and bare for all to see. If I was being honest, it felt almost a little uncomfortable.


    ¡°Can he latch back on to me?¡± I asked. Whether I wanted to continue traveling with Azul or not was unknown to me, but I felt I needed to ask the question.


    ¡°Certainly, but only if you let him. Just don¡¯t do what he says, and it should be alright.¡±


    The frog hopped past my legs and leaped onto Emperor Akimitsu¡¯s shoulders. He spit the black keys into the emperor¡¯s hand.


    ¡°My job is done here,¡± the frog said. That was it? The green creature didn¡¯t even do anything, but he sure sounded fairly proud of himself.


    ¡°Hold up!¡± Emperor Akimitsu moved his hand to prevent the frog from jumping off. The frog rolled his eyes. Both their heads turned to look at the moat of still water around the tree. I followed suit and watched as the gentle water shook. Distant footsteps¡ªgiant ones¡ªbecame apparent, and I could no longer miss hearing them. ¡°Kiko, we don¡¯t have much time to chat. It seems a friend you brought along has a strong enough desire to kill you, even when we are in this forest.


    A friend? Besides Azul and I, the only others who dropped into this world were dead. Then again, I thought the emperor was dead as well. I don¡¯t think the mother of hunger survived; the smaller scions froze after all, but I had no idea about that other thing. Could that clay-like body burst free from a stomach? It sounded possible.


    ¡°Are you saying we have to part ways?¡± Another step echoed in the distance. It was walking slowly, but it was moving in our direction.


    ¡°Yes, I will not be able to stay with you much longer. I have my own duties to attend to. We will have to catch up later; you won¡¯t believe some of the stories I have!¡± He paused and cleared his throat. ¡°Before you go, I wanted to take a moment to ask a request.¡±


    ¡°Is this an order from the emperor?¡±


    He laughed at my words.


    ¡°You can¡¯t stay an emperor after you¡¯ve died. This is just a request from your friend, Akimitsu. Our world has been freed of the monsters who invaded but is now ravaged. I would like you to help in restoring it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re asking for a big favor; I can¡¯t fix a whole world.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but that is why it is a request, not a demand. If you do, there is another potential emperor that I recommend supporting. However, you may do whatever you like, even stay in that grey, as you called it, world if you wish.¡±


    Another footquake reverberated through the woods. It was getting close. Akimitsu waved to me and began to walk off. He tossed the keys in the air and patted the frog on its head as he disappeared into the bushes¡ªleaving me alone. Or, not entirely alone as the eyes of Azul continued to watch from a distance.


    I sighed and began to run out of the forest. I ought to have chased after him, but a twist in my stomach told me I didn¡¯t have much time to escape. A large bang shook the forest violently.


    Sure enough, as I burst from the woods, my eyes quickly found the thing that was approaching.


    It was somewhere between a turtle and a rhino but towered into the sky higher than the ancient tree. Spikes jutted out of its back, and bulky legs were smashing some of the pink cherry blossoms of the forest. As I ran out, its large head turned in my direction.


    A familiar clay-like flesh covered the head and spread across the left side. It moved out the mouth and to an ear, where it entered back in. I could only imagine the giant was being assimilated from the inside out. A disturbing thought. The beast roared when it saw me and slowly began to turn my way.


    Its huge foot crossed a massive distance, and the whole ground quivered. Though it moved slowly, it was so large that it might catch up to me with several steps. This was not good. Not only had the thing stayed alive, but now it had some vendetta against me. Considering how many times I stabbed it, that made sense. I could not tell why Akimitsu had left me alone here, but I cursed him for it. All I could manage was to sprint as fast as I could away from the giant.

 53 – A Monster World Goodbye

    I ran with all my might as the beast slowly chased after me. Hot breath burned my back as it roared. Each step shook the ground and threatened to offset my balance¡ªif I stumbled even a little bit, my doom would be set. Maybe that was okay, but I struggled all the same. I didn¡¯t bother looking back to see how much distance had closed between us. I had a feeling I wouldn¡¯t like what I saw.


    My legs burned as I picked up the pace. There was no telling if I would hold out for much longer. The dead world¡¯s rocky ground gave me a wide view of where I could go, but there was no shelter to take. Even if I found a small hole to crawl into, couldn¡¯t the smaller foe just break off from its host to strike? Was it hopeless? It looked like the end had finally arrived.


    The ground began to decline, and I did my best to take advantage of the steep hill. It must have looked more like I was skipping down the hill as I tried to make the most out of the spot.


    It worked until my foot hit a rock. Losing control of my movement, I hit the ground hard and began to roll down the hill. Jagged rocks cut through my black armor multiple times, opening up several wounds from my fight with the same fleshy monster before I came to a stop. I weakly looked up to see the massive beast staring down at me. It likely wasn¡¯t sure how to descend the hill right away. This was a chance.


    My leg burst with pain as I stood up. I gritted my teeth and held my hand over the spot. It didn¡¯t feel broken but had been twisted from tripping. The sort of injury I might typically be rid of by walking it off, but I didn¡¯t have time for such issues. I started to limp away as fast as the pain would let me.


    The beast took a careful step down the hill. From its legs, the clay-like parasite burrowed out and dug into the ground like roots. It was not going to trip so easily. I suppose this was it. I fell to the ground and sighed¡ªmy fate had led me here. This was a good end as any for a cold assassin such as myself.


    But, I couldn¡¯t let it end so soon. Seeing Akimitsu again, doing well for a dead man, perhaps lit a fire in me, or maybe I was just being stupid. I grabbed at the ground and pulled myself forward, a small slide of my body, just to show final defiance to the monster. If I died, I at least wouldn¡¯t die in despair.


    ¡°Geronimo!¡± a voice rang from overhead. My mouth fell open as I turned upward.


    Free falling in the sky, hands linked together, so they were in a circle, were the others. Orrin gleefully laughed as they fell. Casey and Enas remained stern-faced.


    ¡°Why did you have us enter in the sky!¡± Pythagoras shouted. I suspect I might have seen tears flowing from his eyes if he was closer.


    ¡°Because the ground is dangerous!¡± Lerato replied with the tone of a warrior ready for battle.


    ¡°You fools,¡± I whispered.


    They let go of each other¡¯s hands and maneuvered in the air. Casey stabbed a golden spear into the creature¡¯s eye¡ªa burst of green energy took out the organ¡ªand Lerato threw his metal weights like disks at the other. The monster reeled back from the blows as the first two retreated back, leaving their items behind. Pythagoras threw a small device at the head next, and Enas shot it when it closed in. Whatever the goblin had created exploded in a fiery ball across the monster¡¯s face. He seemed to weep from the destroyed item more than the freefall.


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    Orrin landed next to me and helped me to my feet.


    ¡°Hey, Kiko! You¡¯re looking less blue!¡±


    I don¡¯t know what about this picture didn¡¯t look sad. Pathetic might have been a better word, but I didn¡¯t care to argue.


    ¡°What are you all doing here?¡± I shouted as I shoved his hand away. They ought to have been enjoying peace and quiet in the grey world.


    ¡°Coming to save you, obviously,¡± Pythagoras added as he came close. ¡°You should be grateful; those batteries don¡¯t grow on trees, you know!¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say, and I stared out into space as a ferocious fight to repel the beast began. Claylike tendrils moved like whips to knock back the fighters from the damaged host. I could hardly believe they came all this way, but what else would be the case? There was no other reason to enter this hellish world; it was more the case that it should be actively avoided.


    Still, what did I do to deserve their support? If anything, now that my memories were back, I knew I was the last person they should risk coming to help. My eyes began to burn, and I shut them tightly before any liquid could escape. Akimitsu, that idiot. He said something about finding five others; he could have been a little more direct after the fact. I guess, at the very least, I didn¡¯t give up¡ªeven without the knowledge, the others would drop in; maybe he wanted to give me a chance to do so. The next time I saw him, I would have to smack him on the head.


    I smiled. The one thing I was sure of was that I could never thank them enough, but I would need to find some words to show my gratitude.


    The others backed up close to us.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this thing is going down easily,¡± Enas warned.


    Orrin nodded.


    ¡°Alright! We didn¡¯t come here to fight; let¡¯s get going while the going is good!¡± The goofy tone never left his words, but he still seemed serious for once. Maybe it was my imagination. I opened my eyes and nodded to him.


    The others quickly locked hands¡ªforming a chain. Orrin reached out his free hand to me, and they all looked back at me. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here! Everyone! Kiko! Get ready!


    I took his hand, and the green man jumped in the air, shouting: ¡°Ominoreg!¡± To say we were lifted out of the world would be a lie. It was more like the ground gave way, and we fell while moving up at the same time. I saw the scene slowly dissolve, or maybe it would be more accurate to say it faded away, as my vision was overtaken by the process of leaving the world. Either way, the odd sensation made it clear we had escaped.


    The six of us linked together fell face forward onto the world-lake¡¯s shore. Mud splattered across our bodies, and I had to shut my eyes to keep them clean. The green-clad laughed as he let go and stood up; our landing did nothing to hinder his movements if the sounds were any indication. I began to wipe off the mud as the others complained.


    ¡°Orrin, that was the worst one yet!¡± Enas grumbled.


    ¡°I am inclined to agree,¡± Lerato added.


    ¡°Hey, we were short on time!¡± Orrin defended himself. ¡°But that isn¡¯t important right now. Quick, everyone, make sure you don¡¯t have a little piece of that monster on you!¡± I heard shuffling as the ones who got close must have checked themselves like they were looking for ticks.


    They all gave a sigh of relief once everything was confirmed to be safe. I pushed the last bit of mud away from my eyes and reeled back at the sight.


    The world was full of color.


    Once, grey trees were glowing with vivid browns and greens, unlike I had ever seen. How could I even describe it? The flowers were dyed with an assortment of bright shades, and the sky was a more clear blue than I had ever imagined possible. It was the world between worlds, but unlike I had seen before. I almost fell back into the monster world from shock. Luckily, Orrin caught me. I shut my eyes again.


    ¡°It¡¯s colorful,¡± I said quietly.


    ¡°Always has been!¡± Orrin replied. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get your leg fixed up!


    The green man offered to carry me, but I refused. I limped a couple of steps ahead to show I could move. The others shook their heads, and we walked back to the base camp.

 54 – A Group Together Again

    ¡°So, all your memories are back?¡± Lerato happily asked after I finished filling in some of the details. I was careful to leave out my encounter with Akimitsu; it would have required explaining even more, and Azul, but I freely told them of my wandering on the monster world and my memories returning.


    ¡°Yes, and it seems that the hungers originated from my world.¡±


    ¡°Well, they woke up on your world; they could have originated from anywhere,¡± Pythagoras added in a matter-of-fact tone.


    ¡°Anyway! Now that we are all back together let¡¯s have a party!¡± Orrin shouted.


    ¡°That sounds wonderful,¡± Casey added.


    ¡°I suppose,¡± Enas grunted.


    I shook my head and turned away from the others. They might have seen a slight smile on my face otherwise. I feared they were rubbing off on me, but that might not be a bad thing.


    The camp had been cleared of the glowing barrier, but they left the poorly made fence still standing. Maybe it had been a project that needed doing for a while, but I didn¡¯t like seeing the poor workmanship¡ªespecially when I was partially to blame for it. My comments were withheld; it might spoil the mood as we walked through the opening


    Behind the fence sat the girl I had pulled from the beast. The one I might be able to blame my whole adventure in the monster world on if I was trying to be spiteful. Considering I met the former emperor there, it might have been appropriate to thank her. The feeling was mixed and strange. As we got closer and she came more into view, my eyes trained on the pink fabric in her hands. The girl was sewing my kimono, and badly by the looks of it.


    ¡°We¡¯re back!¡± Orrin shouted as we walked through the opening in the fence. The girl turned in my direction, and her round, white eyes lit up. I recognized her in an instant. Of all the people? Princess Sakura.


    She shot to her feet and ran over to us.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you all doing well!¡± the girl spoke in a flowery voice, befitting her title. She looked at me, then looked away a moment before turning back. We had interacted very briefly during the peace talk, so I wasn¡¯t sure if she recognized me at all. I did my best to feign ignorance as the kimono was pressed into my palm.


    ¡°I tried my best to fix it¡­.¡± She said sheepishly. If I lied to myself, I would have said her tone was from shyness around a new person. However, the way her white eyes repeatedly looked my way before turning away, even though her head stayed in place, told me enough. I took the fabric and did my best to ignore the poor seam in the arm. Honestly, she didn¡¯t do too bad for a spoiled princess. It became even easier to overlook the quality once her hands were exposed from the kimono; all her fingers were wrapped in bandages from the many times she had stabbed herself.


    ¡°Th- thanks.¡± I stammered a reply.


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    ¡°So anyway, this is Sakura, and Sakura, this is Kiko!¡± Orrin handled introductions, but we just nodded in reply. There was little doubt in my mind. She knew who I was, but did she know the extent of what happened on the day I killed Akimitsu? Would I be able to explain something like that? ¡®I¡¯m sorry, but I had a mission, but you¡¯ll never guess what! He was actually alive in that monster world!¡¯ It didn¡¯t seem to cover it, and I hardly believed the princess would be convinced.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stay too long,¡± I said as I draped the kimono over my shoulders. ¡°I need to return to my world soon.¡± I could not tell whether I was making my claim due to my obligation to the former emperor or a desire to run away, I could not tell. A sudden pain shot up my injured leg, and I hunched low to grasp it. Pythagoras, who had kicked me, shook his head.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere if it hurts that bad,¡± the goblin said.


    ¡°I agree, don¡¯t take injuries lightly, Kiko,¡± Casey added. While Pythagoras¡¯ tone had been cold, the tall warrior spoke more gently. I could still tell that both were concerned.


    ¡°Very well, I will give it time to heal.¡± Their arguments were hard to disagree with, given how sore my leg was.


    The others were satisfied and quickly began cooking up whatever food they had on hand. A large bottle of liquor was carried out from Enas¡¯ ¡®secret stash,¡¯ and we engaged in lively banter well into the night. Well, the others did most of the talking, but I didn¡¯t find it as tiresome as before. I sat in place and swapped between heat and cold on my leg in an attempt to make it heal faster. The others couldn¡¯t agree on the best treatment, so to placate them, I chose both.


    ¡°So, the last battle went well. But Hypatia Ultimate will need to be even better!¡± Pythagoras said as he quickly drank a glass of liquor.


    ¡°No talk about mechs!¡± Casey said. ¡°We need to figure out where we get some more spears.¡±


    ¡°No weapons talk either!¡± Lerato added.


    ¡°Say, Mark, what should we call that monster anyway?¡± Orrin said to Enas. A vein on the bald man¡¯s head popped.


    ¡°We should get you to call me by a proper name first!¡± he shouted at Orrin. The green man ducked as Enas tried to grab him.


    ¡°You guya are grwat! I''m. gappy to bw jere!¡± Princess Sakura mumbled as she smiled. She clearly was not one to do well with alcohol.


    I kept my liquor light as the night carried on. Soon the drunkest, mainly Pythagoras and Orrin, had fallen asleep. Lerato and Casey carefully carried them back to their rooms and presumably crashed for the night, as I did not see them again. Sakura slept gently on my shoulder as Enas remained around our campfire. He looked sadly at his empty bottle and sighed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stay up too late,¡± the bald man cautioned as he stood up.


    ¡°Wait!¡± I whispered while pointing to the sleeping princess. Enas shrugged and left me. I had little chance to escape into the night without alerting Sakura. Maybe he knew that in some way. I sighed and relaxed my shoulders. Sleeping upright and in odd positions was one of the first things I was taught. The first step was to cut out distractions.


    The image of my destroyed world entered my mind, though I had not fallen asleep. Whether what I saw was precisely how it looked didn¡¯t matter so much. It was still my home, and it was as defenseless as the spoiled girl rudely using my arm as a pillow. Without Akimitsu, I didn¡¯t have much confidence that it would recover, and since I had killed him¡ªI needed to make things right. How could I do that?


    My eyes flicked open long enough to see the dying campfire. It was burning through the last of its wood and would soon go out. Perhaps it was like my world if it had someone to fix it¡­. I was thinking nonsense. I shook my head and stared at the dark sky. The introduction of color brought with it some odd shapes that moved around in the night. I would have liked to think they were stars; maybe the alcohol was stronger than I imagined.


    With a sigh, I closed my eyes once again. The time had come to stop all my idle thoughts and get to sleep. It was easy enough to drift away into a peaceful enough slumber. The colorful world went dark.

 55 – A Farewell

    It was still night when I came to, likely early morning, but who could tell in the weird world between worlds. The sleeping princess had shifted off my arm in my sleep, and my leg felt decent enough to walk. If I wanted to slip away, the time was now. I quickly wrote a farewell note on a piece of paper and left it folded under a rock. They would find it in the morning. Taking a few steps away, I checked that I had everything on me. My daggers and kimono were all I cared to check.


    Some rustling made me jump, and I spun around with my hands, ready to draw my weapons. Orrin stood by the spot and nodded as he read my note.


    ¡°I see, I see. Very interesting¡­ I have no idea what this says. You have terrible handwriting, you know,¡± he said with a smile.


    I relaxed my hands and shook my head. My first thought was to retort with something like ¡®assassins don¡¯t need to write well,¡¯ but that required admitting I was, at least at one time, an assassin. I settled for the obvious question.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you passed out drunk?¡±


    ¡°I got better!¡± He held up a bag and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not much, but I packed some food for you to take. It¡¯s enough for two people to last a day if you¡¯re careful.¡±


    ¡°Considering there is just one of me, that will be fine,¡± I said as I approached and took the bag. Orrin looked at the sleeping princess. ¡°I¡¯m not taking her.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything!¡±


    ¡°You implied it.¡±


    Orrin chuckled.


    ¡°We have had so many come through this world, it can be hard to keep track of everyone, but these sorts of partings never get easier.¡± He broke from his typical tone to finish off. ¡°It was good to know you, Kiko; truly, everyone will miss having you around.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure how to reply. I almost fell over at a serious tone for once. Of course, it had to come right before I left; I would have loved to pester him further about it. Still, I wasn¡¯t sure if Orrin¡¯s words were really that reliable.


    ¡°Surely, they won¡¯t¡­.¡±


    ¡°I guess you can just ask them yourself.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°Hey, everyone! Kiko¡¯s getting ready to leave!¡± The moment was gone; the green-clad man was back to normal.


    Lerato was the first out the door. He ran up and handed me some additional food.


    ¡°It¡¯s not much, but¡­.¡±


    ¡°I already did that!¡± Orrin interrupted.


    ¡°I also threw in a light weight if you ever get the desire to train.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I replied. I don¡¯t think I would be using the weight ever. Maybe as a throwing rock, but I couldn¡¯t say to Lerato¡¯s face.


    Casey was the next out. She handed me what was clearly a broken spear. The long handle had been snapped, and she wrapped some cloth around it to make a makeshift dagger.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t do much more on shorter notice.¡±


    ¡°No, it''s very nice!¡± I replied. I slid the dagger into my sleeve where it would remain hidden.


    Enas strolled out and scratched his bald head. He placed a round object in my hand.


    ¡°It is an energy grenade; pull the pin and throw it right away. It will explode.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to put it to good use¡­.¡± I carefully hid the weapon away. What kind of dangerous thing did he give me? Hopefully, it would not explode before I wanted it to.


    The last to come out was Pythagoras, clearly still hurting from his excessive alcohol consumption.


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    ¡°We¡¯re giving gifts? Why didn¡¯t you¨C uh, oh! How about I give you some mechematical formulas I¡¯ve been working on?¡± His long ears drooped when I didn¡¯t reply, but soon his eyes lit up with an idea. He ran back to his cabin and returned with the baseball cap from our supply collecting so long ago.


    I put the hat on while doing my best to hide my reluctance to do so.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you need this for your ultimate weapon?¡±


    ¡°A genius like me can make an ultimate weapon without a part or two.¡±


    ¡°Thank you all, really,¡± I said as I looked down. Something must have gotten in my eyes since they felt more watery than usual.


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s going on?¡± Sakura mumbled as she woke up. How this girl managed to sleep so long through all the commotion was a mystery. She quickly picked up the situation and soon was standing by my side. With a polite bow, she spoke to the others. ¡°Everyone, thank you for coming to my aid back then, but I must return to my world with Kiko.¡±


    The exact opposite of what I wanted to happen was unfolding before my eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to stay behind. Going back will be dangerous,¡± I replied.


    ¡°That is precisely why I must go! Our world is in chaos after all!¡±


    I sighed. I suppose I had a new traveling companion, at least for a little while; maybe I could ditch her after jumping in; I think we would end up in different places if we weren¡¯t touching.


    ¡®The next time you see her, please do try to get along¡¯ ran through my head. Akimitsu¡¯s words from my last memory came in as an unwanted reminder. I would need to ensure I yelled at him the next time our paths crossed.


    ¡°Alright! Best of luck!¡± Orrin chimed in while giving a thumbs up. ¡°We¡¯ll try to visit sometime to see how you are doing!¡±


    I smiled and shook my head.


    ¡°I look forward to it,¡± I spoke perhaps the most honestly to him than I ever had before.


    With our final words exchanged, the princess and I headed into the dark but colorful woods. I did my best to rub some tears away without my traveling companion seeing. We arrived at the world-lake in no time; it was almost as if the world was trying to help us leave as soon as possible. I carefully dipped my hand in to double check it was our world. Once I had confirmed it, I turned to Princess Sakura. To my surprise, she had a serious expression on her face.


    ¡°Kiko, before we go, I need to ask you something!¡± she said with as much boldness as she could muster. Clearly, she had been trained, but her personality lessened the intensity I think she was going for.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Emperor Akimitsu, what happened to him that day?¡±


    I looked away, down at the sparkling blue faux-water. This was the one question I had hoped to avoid. Was there a way out of this? A diversion that could change the subject.


    ¡°She stabbed him!¡± A familiar draconic voice rang out. To my surprise, the princess turned in the same direction to see the voice. Azul was wrapped around a tree branch. He smiled at us with a toothy grin. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Kiko?¡± His words were not scathing, nor were they sinister. He was merely speaking the truth as neutrally as possible. Finding a response was difficult; I wasn¡¯t sure what angle he was taking.


    It wasn¡¯t surprising that the dragon had escaped the world. He had mentioned the ability to pass through worlds and, now untethered from me, could likely do it freely. What was unexpected was that he decided to appear to me again so soon. Was he really so oblivious to how I felt?


    ¡°What is that?¡± the princess was more horrified by Azul¡¯s appearance than his words.


    ¡°A dragon pest. Pay no mind to him.¡± I would see how the blue dragon would react first.


    ¡°What did he mean?¡± She had heard his words, after all; that was unfortunate. I stood motionless as I contemplated. I did not know how she would react, but I might as well avoid giving Azul any chance to add anything else.


    ¡°I killed Akimitsu,¡± I answered bluntly. The next thing to do would be to explain that I saw him again, but how to do that was a mystery. Would she believe such a story? Sakura held two hands over a wide open mouth.


    ¡°It was an accident, right? Or due to a mistake, like in a story!¡± She gave me a lot of charity.


    ¡°No, with intention. I stabbed him three times then he fell off the cliff by the castle.¡±


    Maybe it was my desire to be rid of the princess, but I didn¡¯t explain further. Perhaps I was using this as an opportunity to part ways. My mouth felt locked like I couldn¡¯t speak any further to add more details. I took a deep breath. There was another possibility as well. Deep down, I wanted her to hate me for what I did, to be so enraged she might bring me to justice for my crime. Akimitsu had been too kind; maybe I just wanted someone to stab me back. It was a chilling thought and one best left to speculation.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! She¡¯s a murderer, you know!¡± Azul added. ¡°But, it doesn¡¯t have to be that way. I can restore him to life if I can be freed!¡±


    I could see his angle. He was trying to get Sakura to be his helper since he had been pulled off me. It was the best plan. Knowing what I did about the whole situation made me a difficult target, and the princess was clearly a sheltered girl. Who better to take advantage of than someone who doesn¡¯t know anything? I needed to say something to stop her¡­ or, on second thought, did I?


    To my surprise, Princess Sakura pulled me close to her. I¡¯m unsure of what resolve she steeled, but we quickly fell back into the world lake. Before plunging in, I heard Azul scream a curse, and Sakura replied:


    ¡°Then Kiko will need to work hard to redeem herself!¡±


    We hit the faux water before I could answer and vanished into our world.

 56 – An Epilogue – Kiko

    My eyes opened to see a familiar rocky ceiling above. I rubbed my eyes and sat up, pushing aside some ratty blankets. I felt as if I was hit by a bolder, my whole body ached, and I was covered with sticky sweat. Had I come down with a fever? For how long? Things were a bit hazy.


    I examined the cave, and my eyes quickly focused on the princess trying her best to cook over a fire. The burnt smell wafting in the air told me how well she was doing. I slumped across our temporary cavern home and gently pushed her away from the food.


    ¡°Hey! You need to sleep!¡± she protested. She put her hand on my forehead but seemed satisfied with how it felt and didn¡¯t offer any more resistance.


    ¡°I like my food with less char than this,¡± I replied.


    She made a sound close to ¡®harumph¡¯ while crossing her arms. Ignoring her, I moved to free our breakfast from its suffering. The food was challenging to choke down, but I managed, and we soon rolled up the bedding and headed out into the world. The sun was beginning to rise, and a beautiful spectacle of colors was painted across the sky.


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    ¡°Akimitsu would have loved this, huh?¡± she said.


    ¡°How well did you know him?¡± I asked. As far as I knew, she only met him at the peace talk.


    ¡°We exchanged letters for a while before we first met,¡± she replied with a smile. No wonder the talks went so smoothly.


    ¡°You know I am responsible for his¨C¡±


    ¡°I know, and I don¡¯t intend to let you off easily.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You heard me; as my new personal ninja, I intend to make you repay Akimitsu tenfold!¡±


    Somehow, somewhere, I felt like Akimitsu was laughing at me at the very exact moment. I couldn¡¯t be sure how energetic it was, but I was confident he was laughing.


    ¡°You know, I actually encountered¡­.¡±


    ¡°No lies! We will make you into a warrior that will be remembered for her great service to the former emperor!¡±


    It seemed that I had chosen a difficult road. I suppose it was well-earned, considering where I had started. Paying back Akimitsu was the least I could do, considering all that had happened.


    ¡°Very well, it will bring me much trouble, but I will help you¡­ what are we doing?¡±


    Sakura smiled.


    ¡°Fixing the whole world, of course!¡±


    I had picked a difficult road indeed. Maybe it would have been better to stay behind, but that wasn¡¯t an option I would have been able to be satisfied with. I sighed and shook my head. With a laugh, I followed after the princess on our new quest.

 57 – An Epilogue - Orrin

    Another day closed on the world, and I happily strolled through the forest. It had been several weeks since Kiko and Sakura left, and the others still were moping around. I didn¡¯t blame them; I missed those two as well. I was at least happy to see that Kiko got Azul removed before leaving; where the pesky fool went after was anyone¡¯s guess; I would have liked to trap him in a jar or something. It was also good that Sakura had grown some confidence; I doubt she would have been able to jump in the world lake with Kiko the first day she was with us. Oh, yes, I did sneakily follow after; curiosity kills the cat, but not¡­ well, you get where I¡¯m going with this.


    After Kiko fell into the monster world, we needed a couple of days before my power recharged enough to fetch her. Of course, we trusted that she would be able to survive on her own for a while, so we took the time to regroup after the battle.


    Casey and Lerato guarded the formerly damed world after the mother of hunger broke it, just in case anything might pop out, while Pythagoras and Mark scouted for anything dropped in the fighting. I had the happy job of helping the crying Sakura recover from her shock. Let me tell you, getting eaten and pulled through a sea of death does not sound fun. It took her at least a day before she was coherent enough to talk. Fortunately, she wasn¡¯t as weak as one might expect by appearances. Soon she was saying she needed to return home and help fix her world. It seems after the hungers appeared, everything, excuse my language, went to hell; she barely escaped with the help of some odd Oni mask-wearing guy. I have no clue what an Oni is, though; another good excuse to visit, I guess!


    Anyway, long story short, she started a group that struggled to survive while an evil ninja clan tried to take over in the chaos. Eventually, she got eaten and ended up here. Whatever Kiko got up to in the monster world was still a mystery, though. She returned without that dragon and planned to go back to her world. She must have met some big shot or something that took all my thunder! I was hoping to have her stay around. I guess it was for the best, though.


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    Admittedly, I have sneaked a peak into their world from time to time. Both are doing well! Kiko is fighting hard but trying her best to not kill again. I think she used up all the weapons we gave her before leaving within the first couple of days. Amazingly, she didn¡¯t kill a single person with Mark¡¯s grenade, intentionally, of course. Lerato would be sad to hear she threw his weight like a rock to knock a guy off a horse, so I won¡¯t tell him that.


    We will have to make sure to visit once it looks like things have settled down there. By the looks of it, that might be years, so maybe we will hop in one day and offer some backup. Oh, but I can see Kiko being mad about that. Then again, I¡¯m not too worried about making her angry.


    I stopped and chuckled about what my pink friend might say when I showed up. After a moment of being amused, I looked around.


    The world between worlds had brought me to a world lake next to the myst wall. Pretty standard for it to do so. What was not customary was a person sitting on the shore. She was green¡ªa great color if you ask me¡ªall over. Her skin was a soft, light green, and long, coarse hair running from her head had a darker shade. Her clothes were, disappointingly, orange and white. She looked around with wide eyes at the scene. A first-timer by the looks of it. We really were getting a lot of people moving through worlds lately¡ªhopefully, nothing big was on the way. I think that the last disaster was enough excitement for a while.


    The girl jumped as I strolled up to her and smiled.


    ¡°Welcome,¡± I said, ¡°to the world between worlds!¡±