《Dragon's Diary (Fast paced High Fantasy/ Action Advanture across many worlds. Dragons!)》 A Whole New World Chapter 1 A Whole New World Ari arrived in Taitamar with a bear by her side and a letter in hand. The shimmering portal sealed behind her with a crackling sigh as she scanned the walled courtyard surrounding them. Beyond the ivy drenched gate ahead, a river of people streamed up and down a broad sidewalk. Cars passed up and down the street behind them. Over the high walls, towers of concrete and steel pierced the blue sky. All in all, it looked like an average city, almost enough to fool her into thinking she was back on Earth. Horns sounded and the air hummed with chatter. The wall of sound was at once comforting and overwhelming, especially after the relative soft music of the forest. She could still hear the distant cries of strange birds, monsters, and the sound of the wind in the leaves, clacking branches together like dried bones. She shivered and let the city¡¯s noise drown out the memory. ¡°Boreal, is this it? Is this really Taitamar?¡± Ari asked a little incredulously. ¡°Yes,¡± he said, his voice a wispy growl. The glowing blue bear with eyes of flickering starlight turned his large head to peer down at her. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No . . . I was just expecting it to be a little more . . . fantastical, I guess,¡± she said, watching a passing stranger tapping at the screen of what looked like a normal cell phone. A spray of light emitted from the screen and a sandwich materialized above it. The stranger grabbed it out of the air and started eating. ¡°We¡¯re not in Middle Earth that¡¯s for sure,¡± Ari muttered to herself. ¡°Yes, this is Taitamar,¡± Boreal said, nodding. ¡°I know, I was . . . you know what, never mind. What now?¡± Boreal tilted his head like he was listening for something and then nodded again. ¡°My promise to your father is fulfilled. Now I go.¡± Ari¡¯s eyes widened and she whipped round to face him. ¡°Wait, you can¡¯t just leave me here! I don¡¯t know where the library is. Or what Mom even looks like!¡± The bear set a meaty paw on her head and raised the other, pointing a claw in the direction of a distant dome plated in gold. It looked official, like some sort of government office. Looming over most of the buildings around it, the structure was eclipsed only by a handful of skyscrapers, and the cloud shrouded mountain at its back. Twin chains of smaller peaks stretched out from either side like arms enfolding the city in a protective embrace. ¡°The Grand Library is the heart of the city. It sits at the foot of the Queen¡¯s Mount. Seek Lorkaiden in the east wing. Give him your letter and he will take you to Sonatha.¡± Ari rubbed her bruised arms. They were out of the wilds, but cities had their own dangers, and this one buzzed with magic. Seven days ago she didn¡¯t even believe in magic. Now she could feel it everywhere, a persistent hum. Static clinging to her skin. ¡°Do you really have to go?¡± she asked the bear. He nodded, dissolving into a haze of light. ¡°Your father needs me.¡± Ari wiped her eyes on the tattered sleeve of her green hoodie. ¡°Tell Dad I made it. And that I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I will. Goodbye, Little One.¡± With that, he was gone. Ari lingered in the shade for a moment. Every muscle in her body burned with exhaustion. She wanted to go home, but there was no where to go but forward. Lifting the hood of her sweater to hide her bruised face and the horns that poked out of her black hair, she took a shuddering breath, and stepped onto the sidewalk. Sunlight warmed the city¡¯s concrete bones and scythed off the crystal clear windows set in the faces of skyscrapers and high rises. Ari peered up at them, feeling smaller than ever. She wasn¡¯t sure how big this city was, but it reminded her of Chicago, busy, tangled, and loud. For the most part, she went unnoticed as she made her way toward the library. Only a few eyes lingered on her dirty clothes, but no one stopped to ask questions. Maybe they thought she was homeless. Maybe they just didn¡¯t care. Ari was fine no matter the answer. All she wanted was to deliver her father¡¯s letter and finally meet her mother. ¡°Just a little further,¡± she said, over and over until, at last, she mounted the Grand Library¡¯s stone steps, and pushed open the heavy oak door. The cool shade inside was a welcome escape from the climbing sun¡¯s heat. A few people wandered the stacks beyond the lobby, but no one sat at the front desk. The library¡¯s eastern and western wings lay beyond closed doors, the east wing on Ari¡¯s left, and the west on her right. The sign above the western door read ¡°Thyrsis Reliquary.¡± ¡°Thyrsis? Is this a Guildhold?¡± Ari wondered aloud. The eastern wing had no sign and was blocked off by a massive iron door set in an arched frame. It was foreboding. Was she really supposed to go in there? She waited for the receptionist to return, hoping to ask if the east wing was open to visitors. After thirty minutes of standing by the front desk, she gave a frustrated huff, and approached the iron door. She stopped about a foot away from it, frowning. The air was charged. It was different from the ambient magical current ever present in the background. It made the air taste like storms and lightning. Ari reached out with a hand, fingers hanging an inch from the door¡¯s handle, fearing it would shock her. She tapped it once, then twice. Nothing. She released a breath, feeling a little foolish, but no one was watching. She reached out again and pushed open the door with surprising ease. The east wing was dark, almost dungeon like, but he air was dry and thick with the scent of parchment and old leather. Ari breathed it in with a fond smile, thinking back to book shop, and her father, sitting behind his desk, reading to her when he was supposed to be working. She pulled down her hood and wandered deeper into the shadows. With a snap of her fingers, she sparked a bit of magic into a flickering ball of flame. It was one of the few spells she knew. The tiny fireball flitted above her head, the pale yellow glow revealing heavy stone shelves crowded with scrolls, books, and clay tablets. Tomes thick as cinder-blocks radiated power, tempting her to free them from the shelves. The air in here feels like it''s about to burn, she thought. She veered off toward one of the shelves on her left, firelight glinting off the gold lettering on one tome¡¯s spine. Hungry curiosity drew her hand close. ¡°Careful what you touch, young one.¡± Ari stumbled back, one arm shielding her eyes as two lanterns blazed to life, the sudden light blinding her. ¡°Hello? W-who¡¯s there?¡± ¡°The door to this wing is locked. How did you get in here?¡± the voice asked with mild amusement. The lanterns dimmed and the silhouette of a man was revealed. Ari blinked at him through a veil of tears. He was tall, thin, and even though his face was in shadow she could tell it was sharp and angular. The features that really stood out were the twisting horns that crowned his brow, and the long green tail that swished behind his back. Ari floundered for words a few moments before she remembered what Boreal told her. ¡°Are you . . . Lorekaiden?¡± The man¡¯s head tilted to the side, ¡°I am. Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ari Artome. I was told to find you. I have a letter of introduction. Can you take me to Sonatha?¡± Ari said, holding out the envelope. Lorkaiden stalked closer, his amber eyes reflecting the lantern light like two harvest moons hung in a cold night sky. Ari resisted the urge to back away from him. She felt like a rabbit quivering under the gaze of a tiger as he circled her, ignoring the letter entirely. A clawed finger tugged at the collar of her sweater, pulling it down to reveal the nape of her neck. She jerked away instinctively and covered the spot with a hand. ¡°Hey, what the hell?¡± she snapped. ¡°How far have they spread? The scales, I mean,¡± Lorkaiden asked. Ari hesitated, rubbing the back of her neck, fingers tracing the edge of soft skin and hard scales. A few days ago there was only a sprinkling of them on her back, now they covered shoulders, arms, and were slowly spreading down her legs.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°No human can enter here. Let me see that letter,¡± he said, holding out a hand. Ari passed him the envelope. He sliced it open with a sharp fingernail and scanned the page. He lifted his eyes from the paper, quietly analyzing the girl standing before him. ¡°So you¡¯re Sonatha¡¯s hidden scion. Interesting. You¡¯ve arrived earlier than expected.¡± ¡°I was expected?¡± ¡°We knew you¡¯d turn up eventually. Where is Ashlain Artome? Didn¡¯t he and his husband accompany you?¡± ¡°We were attacked on the way here and got separated. Hamza said they¡¯ll be here soon. I really don¡¯t know what''s going on to be honest. No one told me about any of this,¡± Ari said, gesturing broadly, unable to keep her voice clear of frustration. ¡°I see,¡± Lorkaiden said. He tucked the letter back into its envelope, careful not to cut the paper with his claws, and slipped it into a pocket hidden within his blue, silk robes. ¡°No doubt you have questions, but I ask you to save them for now. Are you injured?¡± ¡°Just some bruises, nothing major,¡± Ari said. She¡¯d been in a worse state before her arival, but healing magic had patched up the life threatening wounds, leaving little left. ¡°Even minor wounds should be tended to. The Thyrsis employ healers. I¡¯ll take you to them. They can watch over you while I deliver your letter,¡± he said, gesturing for her to follow. Ari wiped her eyes dry on her sleeves and followed him out of the east wing. The lobby was empty save for the receptionist, now back from lunch. She jumped a little when the iron door swung open and gaped at Lorkaiden like she was seeing a ghost. ¡°F-fair skies, Master Lorkaiden,¡± she stumbled, bowing her head. He gave her a nod as he swept across the lobby, Ari nearly running to keep up with him. ¡°Who are the Thyrsis anyway?¡± she asked. ¡°They are a Guild of archaeologists, historians, explorers, and fools. Ashlain, your father, used to be a member before retiring to Earth,¡± he explained. ¡°Dad told me he worked in a library before opening his book business, but he never mentioned anything about this,¡± Ari said. ¡°Would you have believed him?¡± Lorkaiden asked, pausing in front of the door to the west wing. The girl frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°I mean . . . no, but he still should have told me something. No one told me anything. This is amazing . . . and scary, but it''s mostly amazing.¡± Lorkaiden chuckled and opened the door. Where the east wing was dark and full of secrets, the west wing was bright and open. Sunlight surged through tall windows and glinted off cases full of artifacts and trinkets festooned with jewels and gold. The shelves were lined with beautiful books bound in embossed leather, some radiating magic like heat off the pavement on a summer afternoon. A scattering of people sat at long tables, eating, reading, and chatting. Some wore modern clothes, others were clad in armor or robes. Most of the men and women in armor were gathered near the back of the room, where a boisterous woman was pointing at a map spread across the table before her. ¡°Legend has it that Valrian Comori¡¯s fifth manuscript was last held by the king of Norander Psai. The ruins are full of demons nowadays, but there might be a chance the book¡¯s still there. If not the next likely location is--Lorkaiden?¡± She looked up from her map and paused once she spotted him. The cluster of men and women around her looked just as surprised to see him there. A few eyes strayed Ari¡¯s way, reflecting intrigue and some concern over her bloodied clothing, but most of the focus was on her guide. She wondered if he was someone of importance, the receptionist had a similar reaction after all. ¡°Mercedes, I need to speak to you,¡± Lorkaiden said. ¡°Nice to see you too, Kaiden. Void, I can¡¯t think of the last time you slunk out of the east wing to visit. Was it . . . three years ago?¡± Mercedes pondered aloud, her thick black locks swinging as she tilted her head. Lorkaiden frowned. ¡°This is important.¡± ¡°I imagine it must be for you to leave your little dungeon. Who¡¯s this?¡± Mercedes asked, nodding in Ari¡¯s direction. ¡°The daughter of an ex-thyrsis agent. She was sent here by her father to meet with Sonatha.¡± ¡°An ex agent, huh? What¡¯s your name, Kid?¡± ¡°Ari Artome.¡± ¡°You¡¯re Ash¡¯s kid?¡± Mercedes laughed. ¡°He worked here when I was just a novice. One of the best cartographers we¡¯ve ever had. We still use his maps to this day and that¡¯s saying something. A decade ago he predicted the location of three portals that we¡¯ve only stumbled upon this year.¡± People in the hall echoed Ash¡¯s name with similar praise. Ari glanced at the smiling faces. They all knew of her father. Some had even worked with him. She frowned, wondering just how much her parents kept from her. More than ever, she wanted her dads standing beside her, making quips with Mercedes, and greeting old friends. They owed her an explanation after sixteen years of secrecy. The thought of never getting answers, of never seeing them again, sat in the shadowed corners of her mind. They¡¯re fine. They said they¡¯d be right behind me, Ari thought, both hands balled into tight fists. They Promised. ¡°Hey, kid,¡± Mercedes called, pulling Ari out of her spinning thoughts. ¡°Huh? Oh, sorry,¡± she said, rubbing her eyes. She was so tired. ¡°You okay? Looks like you¡¯ve been through it. Where¡¯s your father?¡± Mercedes asked, looking her over with concern. ¡°They¡¯re on their way. I was told to go on ahead.¡± Mercedes balked. ¡°They sent you through the wilds alone? What in the Void were they thinking?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t alone, they sent Boreal with me. He¡¯s a bear . . . spirit . . . thing?¡± Ari said. Mercades raised a hand to massage her temples. ¡°Void, if Ash ain¡¯t dead I¡¯ll kill him myself. Lee, go get the healer. Godsdamn.¡± Lee, one of the men in armor, peeled away from the crowd to do as ordered. Mercedes sat Ari down on a bench and offered her bottled water, which the girl took without hesitation. The rest of the gathered adults were focused on her now, a few of them punting questions her way. ¡°What¡¯s it like living on Earth? I¡¯ve been told it¡¯s a better place to visit than to stay,¡± asked a woman in green robes. ¡°Is France real? I heard it¡¯s made up,¡± asked a man at the back of the crowd. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough, that¡¯s enough. Shoo, all of you,¡± Mercedes ordered, sending them away with a flick of her hand. ¡°I must inform the Queen that the girl is here. I won¡¯t be long. Do you mind watching over her while I¡¯m away?¡± Lorkaiden asked once the room had cleared. ¡°Any friend or relative of Ashlain Artome is welcome here,¡± Mercedes said, placing a hand on Ari¡¯s shoulder, ¡°But if you don¡¯t mind me asking, what does the Queen want with her?¡± ¡°Yeah, I thought you were going to take my letter to Sonatha,¡± Ari said. Lorkaiden arched a brow, ¡°Sonatha is the Queen, Young One.¡± Ari stared at him. ¡°My mom . . . is the queen?¡± ¡°Your mother?¡± Mercedes looked at her anew and gave a surprised laugh, ¡°I knew she and Ash were close, but void, I thought he preferred men.¡± Lorkaiden swept away toward a door at the back of the room. ¡°Stay with Mercedes until I return.¡± ¡°Sure, yeah,¡± Ari said faintly, too sandblasted by the steam of revelations to say much else. Mercades watched him go and shook her head. ¡°What a mess. Ash has a lot of explaining to do when he gets here.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Ari said distractedly. Out the windows to her right lay a courtyard of sorts and Lorkaiden had just stepped into view. She wondered what he was doing there. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be delivering her letter? He looked up at the sky. ¡°You¡¯ve been on quite the journey, bet you¡¯re tired, huh?¡± Mercedes asked. Ari nodded, still focused on Lorkaiden. She blinked and in his place stood a dragon. The beast was long and serpentine, with flashing emerald scales and a fiery mane. It took off into the air like a kite caught by the wind. ¡°Woah¡± Ari shouted, springing up from the bench, and startling Mercades. She made it to the window in time to see the dragon stream up the mountain side and disappear into the clouds. ¡°Lorkaiden¡¯s a dragon?¡± Ari asked, her eyes shining, ¡°Is he the only one? Does he guard the library or something?¡± Mercedes laughed, ¡°Yes, no, and sort of. He takes care of the queen¡¯s archives. Now relax, you¡¯re in no shape to be jumping around. We should get you cleaned up before the healer gets here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s just a few scratches and bruises,¡± Ari said, reluctant to pry herself away from the window. Where the other dragons up there? She wanted to see them. ¡°Come on, a bath and a meal will do you good,¡± Mercedes said, setting a hand on the girl¡¯s shoulder and gently pulling her away from the window. The mere mention of food was enough to make Ari¡¯s stomach growl audibly. Mercedes laughed and led the girl upstairs to the guildhall¡¯s second floor. A long hall of doors stretched out on either side of a small seating area. A few guild members milled about on the couches, watching television and chatting softly. Mercedes opened one of the doors, revealing a small but comfortable room with an attached bath. ¡°I¡¯ll have lunch sent up here and see about getting you some new clothes. Just leave your dirty stuff on the floor, one of the maids will take care of it. Running a guild is busy work, I¡¯ll be back in an bit to check up on you,¡± she said, giving Ari¡¯s shoulder a pat and closing the door behind her. Silence filled her absence. Ari soaked it in for a few moments. When her swirling thoughts became too much to bear, she set to cleaning three days of grime, sweat, and blood off herself. Sitting under the hot rain of the shower was so comfortingly normal that she almost fell asleep in the tub. The sound of the room¡¯s door opening and closing was barely audible under the running water, but it snapped her back into focus. She finished up and found a clean set of clothes laid out on the bed for her. The red t-shirt could easily be mistaken for a tunic or dress, but the black leggings fit nicely. She fretted over the loss of her hoodie. The golden scales spilling down her arms weren¡¯t remotely covered by the sleaves of the t-shirt. What if someone saw them? Lorkaiden¡¯s got horns and a tail and no one seems worried about that. Why would they make a fuss over your weird skin? This place is weird and so are you, Ari thought and settled heavily on the bed. She blinked, fighting to keep her eyelids from drooping, and yawned. Mercedes would be back soon, but maybe she could sneak in a nap before she returned. As she slumped onto her side and snuggled into the soft bed, her mind wondered. She thought of her father, remembering the look of regret he¡¯d worn when they parted. She thought of her mother, a mysterious queen who employed dragons to guard her books. Memory wound back seven days, back to Earth and the bedroom that had been hers for sixteen years. Back to a time when everything was normal and magic was just fantasy. Back when she believed she was human. The Walking Egg Chapter 2 The Walking Egg The morning of the first day, Ari twisted and turned in bed, soaked with sweat. When the nightmare broke she snapped into consciousness, gasping for breath. Her heart thudded against her breastbone. She wiped her brow with a shaking hand, forcing herself to take deep breaths. Her body felt tight, too small. She was so hot. Every inch of skin prickled, burned, and itched. Her head was light and the room blurred as she sat up, kicking off the sweaty sheets. ¡°Please don¡¯t be sick, please don¡¯t be sick,¡± she chanted silently, perched on the edge of the bathtub, waiting for the thermometer to finish reading her temperature. Worried hands combed through her hair, absently twisting the black locks back from her face. The thermometer peeped. She pulled it from her mouth and released a breath. Her temperature was normal. The heat was gone from her back too. It was like she¡¯d imagined it all. ¡°Weird.¡± She cleaned up and left the bathroom. The thick, buttery scent of pancakes and savory bacon greeted her at the door, chasing away her worries. She followed it to the stairs. Through the railing she spotted her father and Hamza seated at the kitchen table, speaking to each other in hushed tones. She thought nothing of it at first, they often whispered sweet-nothings to one another, but the concern on their faces made her pause. She caught the tail end of their conversation before they noticed her coming down the stairs. ¡°We¡¯re leaving tomorrow. Don¡¯t you think it''s time we had the talk?¡± Hamza asked. He was a broad and muscular man, a former soldier, though years of easy living had laid a layer of soft fat over hardened sinew. His dark brown skin was lined here and there with pale scars. Ari had learned the stories behind a few of them, but the worse of his faded injuries he kept secret. Ashlain shook his head. He was the academic of the two, slight and lanky. His long black hair, silken, with a blue undertone that he had passed to his daughter, was pulled into a long tail that Hamza ran his fingers through. ¡°I¡¯m not even sure how to start. Earth is all she¡¯s known. Best to show her before we explain. It will make everything easier to believe,¡± he said. ¡°Something wrong?¡± Ari asked, her sudden appearance making the two men jump in their seats. ¡°No--no, everything¡¯s fine,¡± Ashlain said, a little too quickly. ¡°Sleep well?¡± Hamza asked with a forced smile. ¡°Not really, had a weird dream,¡± Ari said over her shoulder. She grabbed herself a generous plate of pancakes and doused them in maple syrup. ¡°Weird how?¡± Hamza asked. Ari set down the bottle of syrup and was silent for a moment. The dream was fading at the edges, but it was still fresh. She tugged at the loose strands of it with a frown. ¡°It''s like . . . I¡¯m looking at the sun, up so close I can see the burning surface. There¡¯s something trapped inside, some kind of animal or maybe a monster. It¡¯s trying to get out. It¡¯s being crushed. Then I start to feel like I¡¯m being crushed too,¡± she explained with a shiver. If she closed her eyes, she could still see that blazing sun. Was that why her skin felt like it was burning earlier? ¡°And it¡¯s the third time I¡¯ve had the dream this week. Kinda freaky,¡± she said, more to herself. Ashlain and Hamza traded worried glances. Ari caught them in the corner of her eye. She frowned and took a seat across the table, wondering why they were acting so cagey. ¡°Perhaps it''s anxiety related to the trip tomorrow,¡± Ashlain said. ¡°Maybe,¡± Ari said, pushing a slice of pancake around a lake of maple syrup. ¡°Where are we going anyway? You¡¯ve been keeping it a secret all year.¡± ¡°And a secret it will remain,¡± Ashlain said, ¡°What¡¯s the point of a surprise if it¡¯s relieved before its time?¡± ¡°Seriously? We¡¯re leaving tomorrow. Can¡¯t you at least give me a hint?¡± Ashlain sipped his coffee, looking a little flustered. Hamza gave him an expectant stare over the rim of his own mug. ¡°It¡¯s someplace . . . magical.¡± ¡°So like . . . Disney?¡± Ari asked, perking up in her chair. ¡°Maybe,¡± Ashlain said, avoiding eye contact with both his husband and daughter. Ari didn¡¯t press him for further details. In her mind, she¡¯d guessed correctly. What else could he have meant? Magic wasn¡¯t real. That assumption would be tested later that afternoon. After breakfast, Ari checked her bags once again, making sure she had all the gear she¡¯d need for their road trip. While her dad¡¯s kept their ultimate destination secret, they made it clear there would be great deal of backpacking and camping along the way. The three heavy-duty, hiking packs she and her fathers owned were stowed by the backdoor, ready for their trip tomorrow. Her sleeping bag and tent were neatly strapped to the outside of her orange pack. She knelt down and checked the straps to make sure everything was properly secured, then took inventory of the gear inside. Cookware, water canteens, and dehydrated food packs were neatly packed in neat rows inside an insulated pocked on the front of the bag, along with enough choco granola to kill a horse. A few changes of clothes and her hiking boots were added into the inner pocket, along with a hunting knife, and a small med kit. Once she¡¯d checked off everything on the list made for her by Hamza, Ari grabbed a second, smaller backpack and headed for the back door. ¡°Going to the park, see ya for dinner!¡± she called as she slipped through into the backyard. Her father looked up from trunk of his SUV where he was loading cords of firewood. ¡°Don¡¯t wear yourself out, we¡¯ve got a long journey ahead,¡± he called after her. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine! Just don¡¯t forget to pack the coffee this time!¡± Ari called back. Ashlain waved her off. Ari smiled as she jogged down the garden path to the sidewalk. It only took her ten minutes of walking to reach the park. She carried on past the baseball diamond and into the woods behind the playground, wandering off the easy paths onto the deer trails where the brush and trees grew close. Gossiping leaves and birdsong were the only accompaniment to her footsteps. Crossing half-buried train tracks surrounded by milky-green beer bottles filled with dirt and leaves, she made her way to the old hollow oak tree. Hidden behind thick foliage, the hollow was large enough for her to sit comfortably inside. She sat on the tarp she¡¯d set on the leaf-strewn floor and pulled a book from her pack. While she was nowhere near the bibliophile her father was, Ari had read her fair share, and took pride in having a reading level well above her years. When she got tired of being cooped up inside, she¡¯d come to the woods to read, hidden away in her secret hollow, occasionally visited by passing deer. She¡¯d seen a fox once and an opossum one evening when she¡¯d read a little too late and nearly got lost in the dark trying to find her way back home. She was halfway into her book when the sound of footsteps drew her attention from the page. Peering through a small hole in the trunk, she searched for deer, and spotted a man instead. She blinked. He was dressed in camouflage, with a rifle and what looked like a harpoon strapped to his back. ¡°What the heck?¡± she whispered. Harpoon Guy wandered into the clearing underneath the old oak''s shade, looking up from the compass in his hand with narrowed eyes. ¡°Close. Where are you, beasty?¡± he growled. ¡°What are you doing here, Freeholder?¡± Ari jumped a little and so did Harpoon Guy. Looking through another hole in the other side of the oak¡¯s trunk, Ari watched another man enter the clearing. This one was clad in a uniform, not unlike the sort police officers wore, but there were noticeable differences. It was dark purple instead of navy blue, and the collar of his shirt was tall and straight. No gun or radio hung from his belt. The badge on his breast was shaped like a diamond, with the letters O.C. embossed into the metal. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to ask you to leave. I know for a fact the council hasn¡¯t issued you a hunting permit. There are no demons or beasts in this sector,¡± the officer said firmly. ¡°Demons?¡± Ari whispered, wondering if she was imagining things, or if she was eavesdropping on a Larping session. ¡°I don¡¯t need a permit to kill a monster. You¡¯ve got a walking egg hiding right under your damn noses,¡± Harpoon Guy said over a mouth full of chewing tobacco.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Ari almost laughed. Whatever a ¡®walking egg¡¯ was, it didn¡¯t sound remotely threatening, but the officer looked alarmed. ¡°Where did you get this information? You should have notified the Obscureous Council before conducting a search yourself. These are intelligent beasts we¡¯re talking about, not monsters,¡± he said. ¡°They¡¯re animals, thinking don¡¯t change that, only makes¡¯em more dangerous. That¡¯s why I hunt¡¯em. No better game than the kind that can think on your level,¡± Harpoon guy said with a wicked, yellow grin. The officer narrowed his eyes on the other man. After a moment of examination his expression morphed from suspicion to surprise. ¡°Wait a moment, I know you. You¡¯re Ezekiel Evangel!¡± ¡°Yes sir, I am. Greatest monster hunter in all the Realm Sea,¡± Evangel proclaimed. ¡°Why would a hunter of your caliber be chasing after such a low stakes game? I know how you Freeholders like to hunt. Inciting violence here will only lead to human casualties.¡± Evangel scoffed and jabbed a finger at the officer. ¡°If you really gave a damn about human lives you wouldn¡¯t be in my way.¡± The heck are they talking about? Ari wondered. She intended to sneak away while they were busy arguing, but curiosity held her still. What was a walking egg? What was the Realm Sea? Was the Obscureous Council some kind of shady government organization? And this Evangel guy calling himself a monster hunter, was he like those ghost hunter guys who made bad TV shows? She¡¯d never heard of him before. ¡°You need to leave, Evangel. The Obscureous will handle this situation,¡± insisted the Officer. ¡°By ¡®handle the situation¡¯ do you mean, sit around and talk about it for three weeks? You mages are trash, think¡¯n you¡¯re better than us non-magi. Let¡¯s be honest, you want me to leave so you can take the egg back to your Stronghold. Well that¡¯s too bad ¡®cause I¡¯m gonna smash it. Now get out of my way or I¡¯ll make you move,¡± Evangel growled. The Officer kept his cool, but his grinding jaw displayed thinning patience. ¡°Sir, if you don¡¯t stand down I will be forced to take you into custody,¡± he said, pulling from behind his back what looked like regular handcuffs, until they started glowing. Ari¡¯s skin prickled and her heart raced. The air felt charged, full of static and possibility. ¡°Ain¡¯t happening, Mage,¡± Evangel said with a wicked smile. The Officer took one step in his direction and collapsed as a bullet flew through his temples in a spray of blood. Ari clapped both hands over her mouth, holding back the scream that threatened to reveal her. Evangel stepped over the officer¡¯s body and spat on his face. Three more men, armed with rifles, long blades, and harpoons, emerged from the brush, one mere inches from Ari¡¯s hiding spot. ¡°Alright, Boys, let¡¯s go. Smashing this egg is gonna set us up real good,¡± Evangel said, leading the men deeper into the woods. Ari lingered in the hollow long after they¡¯d gone, eyes glued on the corpse, barely breathing. Time stretched out. Every sound, her heartbeat, the chafe of fabric shifting against fabric, seemed earsplitting loud. Sobs banged against her diaphragm, threatening to break free, but she held them back, afraid that the men would hear her and return. Every snap of a tree branch or rustling of leaves made her stiffen with cold panic. This can¡¯t be real, she thought. She shut her eyes and prayed that she was dreaming, that this was some sort of hallucination, but the body was still there when she opened her eyes again. A gasping breath escaped the cage of her throat, breaking the paralyzing spell fear had cast. She scrambled out of the hollow and ran, faster than she ever had, ignoring the branches slapping at her face and arms. The phantom image of the body chased her through trees A shout sounded behind Ari. Then came the rhythmic, pounding crunch of large feet running over leaf strewn ground. A startled scream tore out of her mouth as a bullet bit a chunk out of a tree ahead of her. The strange hunters had seen her. They were chasing her. They were aiming to kill her. Instinctively, she ducked and wove her way through the trees, putting as many barriers as possible between her and the barrels aimed at her back. The crack of gunfire was barely audible under the rush of blood humming in her ears. Each pop and bang sent shock waves of adrenaline through her system and granted her another burst of speed. She¡¯d never ran so fast in her life, but bullets were faster. Something slammed into her back, hitting the burning place between her shoulder-blades. She fell to the ground, breathless, and clawed at the wet earth. ¡°Got her!¡± shouted one of the men. His proclamation was followed by whoops and hollers. They shot me, Ari thought, and then wondered how she was still thinking at all. The bullet should have hit her spine. She should be dead or paralyzed at the very least, but somehow, she wasn¡¯t. With an effort she raised a shaking hand and reached behind her back. Her fingers found the crushed casing of the bullet and detected something . . . else. There was something hard and smooth covering the skin between her shoulders. Whatever it was, it had saved her. ¡°It¡¯s still moving, shoot it, shoot it!¡± A fresh wave of electric adrenaline pulsed through Ari. In a second she was back on her feet, ducking behind a cluster of birch trees in time to avoid the volley of bullets that pelted the earth where she¡¯d just been. Curses and frustrated shouts trailed after her. With a cry she broke into the open field beyond the woods. The children and parents gathered around the baseball diamond stared wide-eyed at her tear-streaked face as she bolted through their midst. They devolved into panic as she passed. Frantic mothers grabbed their children, dragging them towards the parking lot, cell phones pressed to their ears, already calling the police. Most ran, but a few scanned the trees, searching for the source of the gunfire they¡¯d all heard. Ari cleared the park and thundered down familiar streets and alleys, only slowing to catch her breath when she was sure she¡¯d lost her pursuers. Then came the black van. It turned the corner onto her street just as she did. The roar of its engine startled her, making her stop and look. The windows were tinted, but she didn¡¯t have to see inside to know who was driving. The brilliant red skull with a spear and rifle crossed underneath its chin made it obvious. Ari froze. The vehicle barreled down the street, halfway on the sidewalk, aiming straight for her. A sudden flurry of bullets bit holes into the van¡¯s side and the driver veered off the sidewalk. Ari turned to see Hamza wearing a kevlar vest and holding a semi-automatic rifle. Embossed on the vest was a silver shield with a golden, four-pointed star and two crossed arrows within. ¡°Get inside!¡± he barked, aiming for the van¡¯s tires, and taking them out one by one. The vehicle spun, leaving a black swirl on the street as it whipped around, sparking and screeching back toward them. ¡°Ari,¡± Ashlain called, holding open the door to the bookshop, reaching for her. Ari bolted toward him and grabbed his hand. Ashlain pulled her inside. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked, holding her shoulders and looking her over. Ari shook her head, breathless, her body quaking as she tried to process what was happening. There was an explosion somewhere outside. Ari gave a startled cry and turned to see what was happening, but only caught a glimpse of fire and smoke before Ashlain tugged her arm and spun her back around. ¡°Follow me,¡± Ashlain said, pulling her deeper into the store and through the door to the basement. They rushed past the towering stacks of boxes and holiday decorations to a remote corner of the dimly lit room. There was a door in the corner, it had been locked for as long as Ari could remember. She¡¯d assumed it was full of cleaning chemicals and tools, things that were dangerous for kids to get into, but something about it always felt weird. The air coming in from the other side smelled wet and sometimes she heard things, voices, animal calls, and growls. Next to the door was her hiking backpack. Ashlain pulled the smaller pack from her shoulders and tossed it aside, handing her the larger one. It was heavy. ¡°Dad, what¡¯s going on?¡± Ari asked, her voice cracking with fear. Ashlain paused, breathing heavily, his eyes full of worry and what looked like regret. He shook his head and helped her pull the heavy pack over her shoulders. Then he took her face in his hands, locking his eyes on hers. ¡°There¡¯s so much I should have told you before today. So much you¡¯ll have to figure out on your own and so many questions you¡¯re going to have to wait to have answered. All I can tell you is this. You¡¯re going to Taitamar to meet your mother, Sonatha. Give her this letter of introduction to anyone at the Grand Library and they¡¯ll take you to her.¡± ¡°My . . . mother?¡± Ari asked, staring at the letter, ¡°I thought she was dead! Where¡¯s Taitamar? Why can¡¯t you come with me?¡± ¡°Hamza and I need to take care of the hunters. We¡¯ll follow you once it¡¯s safe,¡± Ashlain said, pressing the letter into her hands. Before she could ask anymore questions, he turned to the door and pressed his palm against it. Violet threads of light radiated through the wood in strange patterns. The doorknob gleamed and twisted. Instead of a closet filled with bottles and tools, the door opened onto a fog shrouded forest. A damp breeze billowed into the room, tugging at Ari¡¯s hair. ¡°What?¡± she breathed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won''t send you in there alone,¡± Ashlain said. He reached over the door¡¯s threshold and called a name. ¡°Boreal.¡± A shimmering ball of light darted through the gloom, expanding into a lumbering blob, eventually taking on the shape of a large bear with blue fur, and eyes of starlight. Ari gaped at the creature. Ashlain smiled like he was seeing an old friend. ¡°What is your command?¡± the bear asked, its voice wispy and oddly layered. ¡°Boreal, I need you to guide my daughter to Taitamar and keep her safe,¡± Ashlain said. The bear nodded, its eyes falling on Ari. She backed away, awestruck, confused, afraid. This had to be a dream. None of this could be real. Her father set a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, pleading silently for an explanation. ¡°I need you to be brave, Ari. This won''t be easy, but you have more strength than you realize. I love you,¡± he said and pulled her into a hug. Ari clutched at him, hoping she¡¯d wake up in the hollow tree, wishing this was all part of the fevered dream from last night. The sound of shattering glass from upstairs broke the embrace. Shouting and gunshots echoed from inside the store. ¡°I have to help Hamza. Go, don¡¯t look back, and keep moving,¡± Ashlain said. ¡°No, please, don¡¯t leave me,¡± Ari protested. Ashlain kissed her on the forehead and pushed her through the door. She fell onto the damp grass at the bear¡¯s feet. With a cry, she scrambled to her feet, but was unable to reach the door before her father slammed it shut. It faded like a mirage over a hot road in summer, leaving no trace it had ever been there. Ari stared at the place where it had been for a long while. Her mind reeled and her stomach spun. Tears traced hot trails down her cheeks. ¡°We must move. Is not safe to linger,¡± Boreal growled softly. ¡°I want to go back. What if they get hurt? What if they die?¡± Ari asked. ¡°Do you want to die with them?¡± Boreal asked in turn. Ari sobbed. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I don¡¯t want any of this! Why is this happening?¡± Something keened in the distance, the sound alien and unnerving. ¡°No time for questions, we have to move,¡± Boreal said, settling on all fours. ¡°Get on my back. I will carry you.¡± Reluctant, but with no other options, Ari climbed onto the bear¡¯s back. He carried her on into the wilds, far from home, and even farther from Earth. Into the Woods Chapter 3 Into the Woods Boreal¡¯s lumbering gate rocked Ari into a thin and uneasy slumber. A white void filled her dreams. The emptiness broken by fog, gunshots and strange animal cries echoing through the haze, muffled and distorted. Panic seized her stomach in a vice grip. She pounded at the walls of the void, but she wasn¡¯t strong enough to break through, not yet. Something growled close to her ear. Ari woke with a gasp and tumbled off of Boreal¡¯s back into a bush. The glowing bear stopped, sat, and stared at her, his expression unreadable. Ari stared back at him and groaned. ¡°Are you unwell?¡± he asked. ¡°I was hoping you were a dream, but I guess I¡¯m not that lucky.¡± The bear¡¯s head tilted to the side. Ari sighed and wriggled around in the bush like a turtle stuck on its shell. The backpack was so damn heavy. She tugged her arms through the straps and sat up, pulling leaves and twigs out of her hair. Her eyes were dry, the salty remains of last night¡¯s tears making them itch and burn. She rubbed at them, feeling feverish, and thirsty. Digging through the backpack, she found her canteen and the letter of introduction. She glared at the envelope. Despite fifteen minutes of struggle the night before, the paper refused to tear, and the wax seal couldn¡¯t be broken. Guess it¡¯s magic, she thought, taking a hefty swig from the canteen. The sweet graces of hydration washed away the headache and the fever, but couldn¡¯t do anything to soothe the burn of knowing her father kept so many secrets from her. ¡°Can¡¯t believe I spent years fighting for my life in algebra class when I could have been learning spells.Why didn¡¯t anyone tell me about any of this?¡± she asked no one in particular. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Is strange,¡± Boreal said. ¡°Yeah, yeah it is,¡± Ari grumbled. She pulled a hoodie out of the backpack and tugged it on. While it wasn¡¯t cold, the persistent fog that drifted between the tangled trees and undergrowth was cool, and the damp chilled her skin. Her shorts were traded for a pair of jeans. Hopefully the fabric would protect her from the brambles and thorns that had already left raw trails on her ankles. She downed a granola bar and took a few more swigs from the canteen before shoving it back inside the bag and climbing to her feet. Looking around, all Ari could see were trees, the silhouettes of more trees, and brush. A few stones broke up the monotony. Sometimes it felt like things were slowly filtering into existence with each step, like the world around them wasn¡¯t fully formed. Feasibly, they could be on Earth, in the depths of some forest somewhere in the world, but deep down she knew they weren¡¯t. The air felt different. It was cleaner and it buzzed with something, some kind of energy that prickled her skin. It resonated in her chest. ¡°Where are we?¡± Ari asked. ¡°The Meridian Wilds. A shifting place between worlds,¡± Boreal said, using a gnarled pine to scratch an itch between his shoulders. ¡°Worlds? Plural? Like there¡¯s more than one?¡± ¡°Yes. Why would there only be one?¡± Boreal asked. Ari didn¡¯t know how to answer that. ¡°How do we get to a world? Are there more doors like the one I came through?¡± ¡°Doors, gates, tears in the veil surrounding worlds. Hard to find if you don¡¯t know where you are going. Impossible to open without magic or a key,¡± Boreal said, picking berries out of a nearby bush. Ari crouched down and picked a few herself. The bear gave her a nod when she glanced at him, silently asking whether they were safe for her to eat or not. They were green and lumpy and tasted like a tangy mix between a blueberry and a raspberry. ¡°Dad said I need to go to a place called Taitamar, is that a whole world?¡± Ari asked. Boreal nodded and she followed up with another question. ¡°How are we going to find the door?¡± ¡°I have been to this world. I can sense door. Is not far, only take a day or two to reach,¡± Boreal said, getting back to his feet. ¡°We should move. Is not safe to linger.¡± Ari nodded, hefted the pack onto her shoulders, and climbed onto his back. Boreal bounded forward, nearly unseating her. As they tore through the forest, Ari pondered the quest her father gave her. She was going to another world to find her mother. The thought of meeting her mysterious matron unleashed a whirlwind of clashing emotions. On one hand, she was excited, on the other, resentful. This woman had been absent from Ar''s entire life. She never called or wrote. There were no photos of her. She couldn¡¯t be found on social media. It was like she didn¡¯t exist. When Ari grew old enough to wonder why she didn¡¯t have a mom like other kids did, she turned to her father for answers. Initially he dodged the question. Eventually, once he realized she wouldn¡¯t give up, he told Ari that her mother had died when she was born. She¡¯d been sad at first, but the feeling faded fast. It was hard to morn someone she¡¯d never met. In the end she decided having her mother around wasn¡¯t important. Hamza and Ashlain provided more that enough love and support and Ari took pride in having a unique family. Still, she thought about her mother from time to time. Now that she knew her mother was alive, all her questions came rushing back, and she knew wouldn¡¯t get the answers she deserved until they reached Taitamar. Depending on how satisfactory those answers were, she would either forgive her absent mother or tear her apart . . . verbally of course. As Ari muddled through her feelings, a keening wail echoed through the fog, followed by the sound of snapping branches. Ari¡¯s stomach clenched and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She could feel eyes on her back. Something was chasing them, hunting them. She could tell it was something big from all the noise it was making and it wasn¡¯t alone either. Ari glanced over her shoulder in time to see it burst through the brush and screamed. It looked someone had sewn a rotting alligators head onto the body of a van-sized scorpion. It snapped its jaws and skittered after them with horrifying speed, another, smaller specimen following close behind. ¡°Boreal, what are those things?¡± Ari asked, her voice shrill. ¡°Corpions,¡± he said between panting breaths, ¡°too fast, I can¡¯t out run.¡± A wave of burning cold fear washed through Ari. ¡°What are we going to do?¡± ¡°Fight,¡± Boreal growled. He leaped over a fallen log and maneuvered into a dense thicket behind three thick oaks. The corpions smashed into them, too large to slip through and reach their quarry. The trees groaned, trunks creaking, and roots snapping as the monsters bashed against them. The bear roared, his starlight eyes flashing. ¡°Get behind me!¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Ari did as she was told, retreating further into the thicket. Boreal¡¯s claws glowed white hot, scorching the wet soil beneath him and leaving burning trails across the forward most corpion¡¯s snout. The monster screeched and lashed out with a dagger like foot, piercing Boreal¡¯s shoulder. The bear roared again and staggered back, silvery blood painting the leaf strewn ground. He regained his footing in time to dodge the descending truck of an old oak felled by the corpion. Ari dove out of the way, narrowly avoiding being crushed, but before she could get to her feet, the second corpion was on top of her. She screamed, twisting and rolling to avoid its feet, stinger, and jagged maw as it attempted to rip her apart. One foot sliced across her ribs and another pierced her sweater, pinning her in place. Its stinger reared back for the final strike and its jaws split wide to devour her. Ari threw up her hands, eyes shut tight. The white void waited behind her eyelids. ¡°No, no, no, come on! I need to get out of here, I¡¯m gonna die!¡± she yelled, pushing against the walls wrapping around her. They wouldn¡¯t yield. Ari cried out in frustration and felt something inside snap and ignite. Heat rushed from her chest into her arms in an exhilarating wave, begging for release. Instinctively, she raised a hand, and snapped her fingers. There was a flash and a scream. Ari suddenly found herself returned to the forest floor. The corpion above her tossed its head, screeching as flames lapped hungrily at its fetid flesh. Ari stared at her raised hand, felt the heat prickling under her skin, and snapped her fingers again. A ball of fire sparked to life, dancing above her finger tips. Its light and heat drove the beast back. Free and itching with adrenaline and rage, Ari pushed herself up, and threw the ball of fire at the monster¡¯s head as hard as she could. Flames splashed across its face like water. Acrid smoke filled the thicket as its hard black eyes boiled. Blind and burning, it fled, smashing a path through the trees. As it disappeared, Boreal landed the killing blow on the remaining corpion. His searing white claws tore through its chitinous hide, severing its head. A waterfall of tar spilled from the stump of its neck as it collapsed, twitching for a few seconds before its legs curled against its abdomen and became rigid. The thick, sweet stench of its blood hit Ari¡¯s guts like a sucker punch. She vomited. Boreal waited patiently for her to finish before approaching. ¡°The blood will draw more, we must go,¡± he grunted. ¡°Can you . . . give me a minute?¡± Ari asked, swallowing back bile. The bear waited exactly a minute before repeating himself. Ari glared at him, but climbed shakily to her feet, and onto his back. They raced deeper into the thicket, each sound echoing from the fog causing them both to stiffen with anticipation of attack, but none came. Eventually, Boreal slowed. He didn¡¯t seem particularly tired, much to Ari¡¯s surprise, but he was wounded. His silvery blood made his fur sticky in places. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked shakily. ¡°I am fine. You?¡± he asked in turn. Ari looked herself over. The cut on her ribs stung, but it wasn¡¯t deep. There were bruises waiting to bloom, and mental scars lurking behind the hum of adrenaline, but she¡¯d live. The worst thing was the taste of vomit lingering in her mouth. She pulled one of the bottles of water out of her back pack and swished some of it around in her mouth. She spit into a bush and took another sip to ease the burning in the back of her throat. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said. They were both silent for a time. Ari looked down at her hands. The heat was gone, but her skin still tingled with the memory of it. ¡°Did I do magic back there?¡± she asked. ¡°How else would you conjure fire from nothing?¡± Boreal asked. Ari didn¡¯t reply. She concentrated on the buzzing energy within herself. It surged in her chest like a roiling sun. She imagined some of the sun¡¯s fire traveling down her arm to her right hand and snapped her fingers. A ball of flame sparked above her fingers again, making her gasp. ¡°Boreal, am I a wizard?¡± ¡°Hmm . . . you don¡¯t smell like wizard,¡± he said and tilted his head to the side. ¡°But magic is in you. Since we first met I sense it.¡± Ari nodded and held the ball of fire, wondering what to do with it now that she¡¯d summoned it. She couldn¡¯t just throw it off into the woods. What if she started a forest fire? Maybe I can take the magic back, she thought, imagining the fire returning to her hand and flowing back to the sun in her chest. It took a few tries, but eventually she managed to extinguish the fire and reclaim the magic used to spark it. With a grin she summoned another ball of flames, using just enough energy to produce a marble sized sphere. Ari repeated the trick once more, creating a blazing mass about the size of a beach ball, its heat pushing back the surrounding mists. As she marveled up at it, a sudden wave of exhaustion hit her, and the fire flickered out. She swayed on the bear¡¯s back, clutching at his fur to keep from slipping off. The bear grunted and stopped. He gave her a reproachful look. ¡°Sorry, sorry, I¡¯m just . . . woah,¡± Ari said, rubbing her eyes. Her body was heavy. She hadn¡¯t been this sore since her last hike with Hamza. He¡¯d taken them up a mountain in Montana. It was a great trip but she was a limp noodle for at least a day afterwards. ¡°Using magic is like flexing muscle. Untrained muscles tire quickly,¡± Boreal explained, ¡°Don¡¯t strain yourself.¡± ¡°Yeah, okay, got it,¡± Ari said. The bear nodded and started walking again. As night closed in they stopped by a small river to rest and tend to their wounds. Ari used her new spell to light a fire, making sure to use only enough energy to get the dry leaves she¡¯d packed under the logs to start. The fire pushed back the damp air and brought with it a thin sense of safety. Ari stared into it while she chewed some jerky and a few of the green berries she¡¯d grabbed earlier. The bear refused the granola bar she offered him, explaining that he didn¡¯t need food, but could eat if he felt like it. The crackling fire and the calls of night birds and insects filled the silence between them. ¡°You know, I grew up reading about kids stumbling into new worlds, wishing for my own adventure. This really isn¡¯t how I expected it to go down. Thought it¡¯d come in the mail,¡± she said with a small laugh that was soon followed by a tired sigh. ¡°What¡¯s my magical destiny?¡± Boreal snorted. ¡°Bah, destiny. An excuse to ignore choices and actions and blame their outcome on the universe.¡± Ari frowned at that. ¡°So there¡¯s no ancient prophecies or anything?¡± ¡°Not that I know. Future is always changing, hard to predict, even for those with the sight. Sometimes knowing what might happen, change what will happen.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± she said, not exactly disappointed, but dimmed. If she didn¡¯t have some kind of magical destiny, why was she here? Why was this all happening? She remembered her father opening the door to the wilds. He¡¯d used magic to do it. Maybe she¡¯d inherited it from him, a gift of her biology rather than the hand of fate. Or perhaps her mother had something to do with it. Ari shook her head. Every passing moment generated more questions. They were mounting in her mind, tumbling over one another, piling up faster than she could answer them. It was exhausting. With a shake of her head she got to her feet and set up the small tent strapped to her pack with the quick efficiency of a practiced camper. After the corpion attack, she didn¡¯t think she¡¯d ever be able to sleep again. Adrenaline still sizzled in her blood, but the second she unrolled her sleeping bag and climbed inside, she fell into a deep, and blissfully dreamless sleep. It was the kind of sleep that left one feeling drunk and confused in the morning. Blinking up at the tent¡¯s roof, it took Ari a few minutes to register that the speckling glowing smudges on the thin orange and white fabric was sunlight. She stepped outside and was delighted to see the heavy fog had lifted. Daylight transformed the eerie forest into a verdant paradise. Birds sang over head, swooping between branches, seeming just as happy to be free of the gloom as Ari was. She grinned up at them and pulled off her hoodie, letting the sun kiss her arms and face. ¡°Boreal, isn¡¯t this great? Boreal?¡± Ari asked, her brow furrowing as she realized he was gone. She walked around the dead campfire and found his tracks, following them to the riverbank. She couldn¡¯t see any on the other side. Did he swim away? The calm that the sun had brought faded. Did he abandon her? How was she supposed to find the door to Taitamar without him? ¡°Boreal? Boreal!¡± she called, her voice chasing off the birds perched above. There was no reply. Trying not to panic, she returned to the tent, looking around for more tracks, for any sign of where he went. Turning in circles, a half second away from a panic attack, she stopped when something bright caught her eye. She squinted and stepped into the brush, pushing branches aside to get a better look. It was big, yellow, and strikingly artificial. ¡°What is that?¡± Ari asked. She pushed through brambles and tight foliage. As she got closer a faint but familiar scent reached her. ¡°Is that . . . bacon?¡± She broke through the brush into a wide clearing dotted with flowers. Her jaw dropped. In the center of the clearing sat a squat brick building. It looked completely out of place, like it had been swept up and dropped in the middle of the woods by a storm. The big yellow sign she¡¯d seen wrapped around its roof, black letters spelling out the words, Waffle Hut. The Waffle Witch Chapter 4 The Waffle Witch ¡°Who the hell sets up a Waffle Hut in a place like this?¡± Ari asked, beyond incredulous. ¡°Boreal! Why the hell is there a Waffle Hut?¡± There was no reply. Ari stood at the treeline, unsure what to do. The Waffle Hut was giving her a fairy-tale-witch¡¯s candy cottage vibe. It came out of nowhere. Even through the dense fog the yellow sign¡¯s glow should have been visible the night before, especially with how close they¡¯d set up camp. Ari shook her head and turned around. There was no way this wasn¡¯t a trap. Returning to camp and waiting for Boreal to return would be the smartest idea. She stepped back into the brush but stopped when her stomach growled angrily. The scent of bacon and fried batter was suddenly stronger, more tantalizing. Rubbing her aching stomach, she glanced over her shoulder at the Waffle Hut. It had only been a day and a half since her last full meal, but it felt more like five. Were waffles worth the risk? She looked down at her hands and had a sudden realization. ¡°Wait, I¡¯ve got fire magic. If there¡¯s anything creepy in there I¡¯ll just burn it,¡± she said, hands curled into determined fists. The mysterious diner hid nothing. Several large windows and a glass door revealed a gleaming tiled floor, white walls, and a long, shiny metal bar with stools lined up in front of it. All the red pleather booths were empty and no one sat at the bar. The only person Ari could see inside was a blonde woman standing behind the register, cleaning a glass with a crisp white towel. She was smiling, bobbing her head as if she were listening to music. She looked perfectly human to Ari, but if the fairy tales she¡¯d read growing up had taught her anything, it was that looks could be deceiving. Taking a deep breath, Ari opened the door to the Waffle Hut, and stepped inside. The tinkling bell above the door drew the woman¡¯s attention away from the glass she was cleaning. Her warm brown eyes fell on Ari and she smiled brightly. ¡°Welcome to the Wild Waffle Hut. My name is Cynthia. What can I get you today?¡± ¡°I . . . uh,¡± Ari fumbled, realizing only then that she had no money. ¡°I, uh, just wanted to ask if you¡¯ve seen a glowing blue bear pass by?¡± Cynthia pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side as she thought. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any bears. You¡¯re the first customer I¡¯ve gotten today. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to get something to eat? You look hungry,¡± she said. Ari rubbed the back of her head, cheeks burning with embarrassment, ¡°I don¡¯t have any money, sorry.¡± ¡°Oh that¡¯s no problem, Sweetie. Money has no value here, but there are lots of ways to pay. Do you have a secret? One you¡¯ve told no one else?¡± Cynthia asked. ¡°Uh, yeah, who doesn¡¯t? ¡°Exactly. One secret, one meal. If it''s a juicy one I¡¯ll even throw in a free appetizer,¡± Cynthia said, holding out a laminated menu. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a look at the menu and think about it, hmm?¡± Ari hesitated by the door. ¡°What do you do with the secrets?¡± ¡°Keep them. I¡¯m very good at keeping secrets,¡± Cynthia said. Ari nodded and cautiously approached the register. She accepted the menu from the smiling woman. She sat at the bar and looked it over, thinking about the handful of secrets she had, and which of them she was willing to share. There was definitely something strange about Cynthia, the buzzing energy in the air was louder around her. Ari didn¡¯t want to give her anything she could use against her. ¡°Do you get a lot of customers?¡± Ari asked, stalling for time. ¡°Oh yes, all sorts come through here. So many people get lost in the Meridian and find themselves cold and hungry. Those who aren¡¯t lost find themselves cold and hungry too. I¡¯m just here to help and I love meeting new people,¡± Cynthia said as she slid a glass of water down the bar. It stopped right next to Ari¡¯s hand. ¡°Have you thought of a secret?¡± The girl furrowed her brow, thinking for a few more silent moments, and then nodded. Cynthia leaned on the bar expectantly. ¡°When I was little I was obsessed with anything shiny. I''d collect anything shiny I could find and hide it under my bed. Once, when my dads and I were living in Rome while he was doing some side work reparing old books or something. Hamza and I were out seeing the sights and along the way we passed this couple. They were both really drunk. I think they might have been on their honey moon or something. Anyway, the woman was wearing a silver bracelet with a big emerald. Her wrists were thin though, so it was hanging off a little. When we passed them, I just, slipped it off. I did it so fast she didn''t even notice. I still have it-- or had it. Its hidden in my room. I don''t know why I did it. I''d never stolen anything before." Cynthia tapped a few buttons on the register. It chimed and she nodded. ¡°Just show me what you want off the menu, Little Thief.¡± Ari blushed and hid her face behind her menu. With a stumbling voice she ordered a plate of sausage, eggs, and waffles. The second Cynthia had her order, she swept around the kitchen, preparing everything herself with a swiftness that was both mesmerizing and unnatural. Ari did her best to keep her guard up as she waited. The open layout of the kitchen ensured that Cynthia couldn¡¯t tamper with the food without being caught. This eased the lingering tension that gripped Ari¡¯s shoulders. There had been no indication of danger so far, just general strangeness, and Cynthia seemed nice enough. Perhaps this waffle witch wasn¡¯t anything to be afraid of. In a matter of minutes the food was plated and served. Ari tore into the eggs and waffles, saving the sausages for last so she could dip them in the leftover syrup. Cynthia returned to cleaning cups with her crisp white towel. ¡°You know, when I first saw you, you almost had me fooled,¡± she said out of the blue. Ari paused with a sausage halfway raised to her mouth and looked at Cynthia. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯d fool a passerby perhaps, but if you¡¯re trying to pass for human, you¡¯re going to have to try a little harder,¡± Cynthia explained.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Ari set down the sausage, her brows knit in confusion. ¡°What are you talking about? I am human.¡± Cynthia laughed. ¡°Of course, of course. Though, all the humans I¡¯ve met haven¡¯t had scales or eyes like yours.¡± Ari gave her a bewildered look and Cynthia pointed to the back of her neck. Ari touched the spot she¡¯d indicated, her fingers hitting the border between soft skin, and something smooth and hard. A sudden wave of cold washed over her. ¡°Do you have a restroom?¡± she asked. ¡°Sure, right over there,¡± Cynthia said, pointing to a door tucked away just around the corner. Ari rushed into the ladies room and skidded to a stop in front of the long mirror hung behind a row of sinks. She twisted her head left and right, trying to get a clear view of the thing on her neck. When that didn¡¯t work, she dug into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out her cellphone. To her relief, it had a crumb of battery left, and after a bit of struggle getting the angle right, she was able to get a clear picture of the thing she¡¯d felt on the back of her neck. She gazed at the screen for a long while. A thin spread of spade-shaped, golden scales poked above the collar of her t-shirt. She touched the spot again, her fingers confirming what the phone displayed. Her mind was wrenched back to the moment the bullet hit her back, but did not kill her. She felt something then, when she pulled the crushed bullet out of her shirt, but hadn¡¯t had the time to think about it. Feeling around, she found that the scales coated most of her upper back. The border between skin and scales was hot and prickling. Looking up from the phone¡¯s screen, Ari met her reflection¡¯s gaze, and gasped. Her cellphone clattered against the cold white tiles. The reflection¡¯s eyes were a deep amethyst hue, with pupils sharp as a cat¡¯s. These weren¡¯t her eyes. Her eyes were supposed to be brown. Heart racing, she turned from the mirror, and ran out of the restroom. Back in the dining room, Cynthia had moved on from cleaning glasses to sanitizing the stove, humming to herself as she worked. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Ari demanded, clutching a ball of flame in each hand. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Cynthia asked. ¡°What did you do to me? What was in the food?¡± Cynthia paused to think and then raised a hand, counting off the ingredients on her fingers. ¡°Lets see, flour, milk, eggs, sugar--¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean!¡± Ari said sharply. She gestured to her eyes and neck. ¡°Why is this happening?¡± Cynthia stared at her for a long time, her persistent simile replaced by a confused frown. A moment passed and then her lips parted as understanding settled in. ¡°Oh, Sweetheart. You¡¯re new aren¡¯t you?¡± she asked, voice dripping with pity. Ari¡¯s blazing gaze demanded further explanation. Cynthia sighed and set down the washcloth she was using to clean the stove. ¡°The magic of the wilds is pervasive and strange. It can have transformative effects on those who cannot resist it. Humans are particularly susceptible. Some make it through unchanged, but the longer they bathe in the magic of the wilds, the less human they become. Then metamorphosis takes them and they become one of the Weird.¡± ¡°Just being here can do stuff to you?¡± Ari asked. Cynthia nodded. Ari frowned and examined the woman anew. Was she one of the Weird? She looked completely normal, but she moved a little too fast, and the buzzing magic in the air around her hummed at a different pitch. ¡°Is that why I¡¯m growing scales?¡± Cynthia frowned again and leaned in closer to Ari, squinting at her. ¡°Hmmm, it¡¯s hard to say. Your aura is shifting so much that I can¡¯t get a read on it.¡± ¡°My aura?¡± Ari asked dubiously. ¡°Yes. All beings have an energy field around them called an aura. Humans have weak ones that are easily manipulated. Yours is . . . flickering, one moment it''s dull and small, and the next it''s blazing bright. Humans with the curse have shifting auras, but it''s usually more subtle. There¡¯s magic in you, that¡¯s for sure, and you are undergoing some kind of change.¡± ¡°What do I do? How do I stop this?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard there are ways to protect yourself from the weirding and it can be reversed in the early stages. The freeholders seem to know how. If you go to them, they may share their cure with you, but be warned, they could choose to kill you instead.¡± Ari recalled Ezekiel Evangel and his harpoon-toting band. The Obscureous officer called them freeholders. The thought summoned his corpse from the depths of her mind. She shuddered. ¡°They¡¯re a nasty bunch. They¡¯ll kill anything that isn¡¯t human whether it''s friendly or not. A small band of them set up camp not far from here. I spotted them while I was out picking berries early this morning.¡± Ari¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Seems like they¡¯ve had quite the haul. Cages on carts filled with spirits and demons, smaller ones, that is. Only three men strong, not enough to hunt anything too big,¡± Cynthia went on, only pausing once she noticed Ari quaking behind the counter. She waved a dismissive hand and smiled reassuringly. ¡°Don¡¯t fret, Sweetheart. People can only find my diner if I want them too. We¡¯re safe here.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Ari said, shoulders falling as the muscles holding them eased. She sighed and then realized she was still clutching two balls of fire. After a moment of thought, she pulled the magic back, extinguishing the flames. Ari still wasn¡¯t sure exactly how she felt about the strange woman, but they shared a common enemy, and she¡¯d only been helpful so far. Taking a deep breath, Ari forced herself out of the mire of her fear to plan her next move. There were hunters nearby. They were catching spirits. Could they have caught Boreal? She didn¡¯t want to believe it. She¡¯d seen him fight, he was too tough for three normal dudes to take down. Then again, these were men experienced in killing and capturing monsters, not just some buck hunters out in the sticks. Ari swore under her breath and turned to Cynthia. ¡°I had a friend I was traveling with, a glowing bear . . . spirit thing. He disappeared sometime after I fell asleep last night. Do you think the hunters might have caught him?¡± ¡°If they did he won¡¯t be alive for long unless they¡¯re planning on carting him back to a Freehold. Many spirits and demons have parts that can be used to make medicines and potions. Certain magi and alchemists will pay good money to get their hands on them,¡± Cynthia explained. Ari nodded. ¡°How close is the camp from here?¡± Cynthia stared at the girl. ¡°You¡¯re not . . . thinking of looking for them are you?¡± Ari glanced over her shoulder, her face set with a look of determination. Cynthia frowned, her calm slipping for the first time, and shook her head. ¡°They¡¯ll kill you, Sweetheart. Why don¡¯t you stay here with me, I could use the company.¡± ¡°You said that hunters have a cure for the weirding curse right? If I find them there¡¯s a chance I¡¯ll find my friend and the cure. Two birds, one stone,¡± Ari said, holding up two fingers. ¡°And what if they don¡¯t have the cure?¡± Cynthia asked. ¡°I can¡¯t find my way through the wilds without my friend. Even if I can¡¯t fix this,¡± Ari gestured to the scales on her neck. ¡°I can at least save him and get out of here.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t even know if they have him,¡± Cynthia protested. ¡°There¡¯s nowhere else he could be. He didn¡¯t just run off, he made a promise to my father,¡± Ari said, turning to face the Waffle Hut¡¯s exit. She took one deep breath, holding it for a moment before taking a step toward the door. ¡°Wait, wait, don¡¯t go yet. I have something,¡± Cynthia said. Ari stopped and turned around in time to see the woman duck behind the counter. The sound of clattering pots and pans and hurried shuffling followed as Cynthia dug around for something. A moment later she popped back up, a small, round medallion clutched in hand. ¡°Hunters carry aura compasses to help them track magical beings. This will mask your aura so they can¡¯t detect it.¡± ¡°Are you sure I--¡± Ari began, her words faltering as Cynthia slipped out from behind the bar. From the waist up she was a normal woman, but below the hem of her skirt stretched the body of a snake, copper scales gleaming dully in the diner¡¯s fluorescent lighting. She slithered over to Ari and handed her the medallion. ¡°Ah, uh, are . . . are you sure I can take this?¡± ¡°I don''t need it and you certainly do. Let''s call it a favor and you can pay me back with more secrets some time,¡± Cynthia said. After a moment of hesitation, Ari nodded, and accepted the necklace. She slipped it over her head and was instantly struck by a cold rush, like she''d jumped back into the fog from the night before. The medallion was cool to the touch and the metal seemed to vibrate slightly. ¡°I hope you¡¯re as clever as you are brave. Good luck,¡± Cynthia said. Ari gave the woman a smile. ¡°Thanks for the waffles, they were really good.¡± Cynthia grinned. ¡°The best in the wilds.¡± With that, she slithered back behind the counter. Ari took a deep breath, savoring the familiarity of gleaming tile and electricity for one last moment before opening the glass doors, and entering the embrace of the wilds. Hunting the Hunter Chapter 5 Hunting the Hunter Leaving the bright modernity of the diner for the forest was gently disorienting. The second the glass door slipped shut, the scent of breakfast faded, replaced by loam, and rain. Ari stood, hands balled into fists. Turning her gaze to the sky, she watched heavy clouds roll in, dimming the daylight, and rumbling with slow thunder. She returned to her tent, ribbons of mist clinging to her ankles as she passed through the brush. Her sweater and a knife were all she collected before following Boreal¡¯s tracks to the river. According to Cynthia, the hunter¡¯s camp lay on the other side, where the forest thinned and rocky hills rose. The high-ground advantage would make it difficult to sneak up on them, but the coming storm promised cover, and so did nightfall. Ari found a shallow stretch of river and waded in, grimacing as her shoes and socks instantly sponged up the cold water. As she trudged across the river, a cool wind swept in, carrying a veil of rain that draped across the forest with a sigh. Ari pulled up the hood of her sweater and picked up her pace. She walked as far as she could before climbing the steep hills, searching carefully for sturdy hand and footholds before acceding even an inch. The stones held the sun¡¯s warmth. They breathed faint puffs of mist and as raindrops pitted against them. Memories of hiking in the BearTooth mountains with Hamza kept Ari going as she made it to higher ground. She ran his lessons through her head and eyed the knife she carried. She knew how to use it, both to skin an animal, and poke an attacker to get them to back off. Hamza insisted on teaching her to fight from a young age despite Ashlain¡¯s complaints, enrolling her in martial arts classes when she was just four, and even teaching her a few things himself. Ari gladly participated. It gave her something to brag about at school and it kept her healthy, but she never actually thought she¡¯d need to use what she learned. Now she wondered if it would be enough to save her. The grooved print of a boot gathered water in the rocky soil. Bushes and brambles sported broken branches. Following these marks of passage, Ari was able to find the hunter¡¯s camp by dusk. Shielded by a tall stone outcropping and the heavy boughs of thick pines, their small log cabin was well defended, and would have been easy to miss if she hadn¡¯t known what to look for. There were only three hunters seated around the fire inside, just as Cynthia said, but they were big men, and they were armed. Ari watched them through the windows from the cover of the foliage and wondered what exactly she was thinking when she set out to find them. She couldn¡¯t take them all on by herself. Maybe she could set the cabin on fire and take one or two out with a fireball, but they had guns, and bullets are fast. She shook her head. Stealth was the only option. She¡¯d find Boreal and sneak away with him while they enjoyed their diner. The only question was where they kept their captured spirits. Glancing around, Ari spotted four large silhouettes gathered at the other side of the camp. She squinted at them. Night came early thanks to the rain, but the light from the cabin¡¯s windows gave her enough illumination to make out the first shape. It was an armored truck with six thick wheels designed for off-roading. That meant there was another path up to the camp, one wide enough for a vehicle. A train of three carts was hitched to the truck, each loaded with a cage. Squinting harder, she could make out the barest signs of movement under the tarps that covered them. Ari breathed a silent curse. She¡¯d have to get closer to see what was inside. Avoiding the bars of light cast by the cabin¡¯s windows, Ari picked her way through the undergrowth, careful to keep an eye on the men inside. Anytime one of them faced a window, she would drop to the ground and go still. Pine needles poked at her skin and wove their way through the fabric of her jeans. She ignored the discomfort, it was worth not getting caught. By the time she reached the last cart in the train she was soaked and muddy. Out of view of the cabin¡¯s windows, she got to her feet and peeked inside the cage, lifting the tarp just an inch so she wouldn¡¯t disturb whatever lay within. Huddled together was a collection of small creatures. Some would be indistinguishable from normal forest animals, if it weren¡¯t for the odd horn, glowing eyes, and strange markings. A few of them wore clothes, reminding Ari of the fairy tales Ashlain read to her when she was small. Tiny serpents with jewel like eyes flitted above the rest. Their incandescent wings glowed softly in the dark. Watching them, she wondered why they didn¡¯t just slip between the bars of the cage and escape. Many of the creatures were small enough to do so. Was it magic holding them back or something else?This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Guess I¡¯ll have to save them, Ari thought. Just as she was about to turn and head to the next cart, she noticed a strange little mushroom man waddling toward her. It stopped a few inches from the bars, its large red cap tilted to the side as it peered at her with unseen eyes. ¡°Uh, hi,¡± she said. The mushroom man didn¡¯t respond. ¡°I¡¯m here to save a friend. Have you seen a glowing bear?¡± The mushroom man nodded and waved its stubby arms in the direction of the other carts. Ari couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll come back for you guys.¡± She released the tarp and moved onto the next cage. Hopeful, she lifted the cover and whispered, ¡°Boreal?¡± The corpion inside snapped its jaws and slammed itself against the bars. Ari yelped and fell backwards into the mud. The cage rattled violently as the corpion continued to rage. She¡¯d only gotten a glimpse of it, but it was enough to realize this was the same monster she¡¯d fought the day before. It was in even worse shape now. A few of its legs were missing and the broken shaft of a harpoon stuck out of its carapace. She briefly wondered if it recognized her, but dismissed the thought. It couldn¡¯t even see. Under the rain and noise, Ari caught the sound of a door swinging open, and scrambled for cover. She dove behind the skirt of branches at the base of a large pine and watched. The man that came into view had sandy hair and a wicked scar tracing down his jaw and neck. He held a metal rod that looked like it was the same material as the cage¡¯s bars. He banged it against the cage and barked at the corpion to quiet down. The beast growled and continued to rock the cart. The man pulled back the tarp and jabbed it with the rod, pressing the metal into a soft spot between plates of chitin. The rod never pierced its skin, but the corpion released a pained hiss and froze. When the man pulled back, the corpion sank to the floor of the cage, quivering with fear and rage. The man rested the rod on his shoulder and smirked before returning to the cabin. Ari waited until she heard the door click shut before leaving her hiding spot. That was close, she thought, and laid a hand over her pounding heart. She took a few deep breaths to steady herself before approaching the last of the cages. She hesitated before lifting the tarp, wondering what she¡¯d do if Boreal wasn¡¯t in this one either. Would she try to get the cure for the Curse and head back to her camp to see if he was there? Would she try to find the gate to Taitamar herself? Or would she return to the Waffle Hut and lead a new life as an assistant waffle weirdo? She didn¡¯t know, but there was only one way to find out. Tentatively, she lifted the hem of the tarp. The glow of Boreal¡¯s blue fur was dimmed but unmistakable. Ari felt an enormous weight lift from her shoulders and almost started crying. ¡°Boreal,¡± she said, struggling to keep her voice at a whisper. One of the sleeping bear¡¯s ears twitched. His spot-light eyes cracked open slowly, unable to focus immediately as he emerged from the torpor of deep slumber. He shook his head when he spotted her, like he couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. ¡°What are you doing? You should not be here,¡± he said, his voice thick. ¡°I came to save you,¡± Ari said. ¡°Too dangerous. Go. The gate is close, you can find it if you listen,¡± Boreal insisted. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you. Where¡¯s the door to this thing?¡± Ari said, lifting the tarp higher as she peered around the cage. The door was on the other side. A hefty looking padlock hung there, daring her to try and open it without a key. She cursed softly. ¡°Do you know where the keys are?¡± ¡°No, now go,¡± Boreal said. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you. Dad said you have to protect me, so help me get you out of here,¡± Ari shot back. Boreal huffed in frustration. ¡°I do not know where keys are.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just cut through the bars with your lazer claws or something? How¡¯d they even catch you?¡± Ari asked. She reached out to grab one of the bars. ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Boreal warned, but here fingers had already wrapped around the metal. Ari stood stock still as her entire right arm went numb. A sharp prickling, like static, rode up her arm and across the rest of her body. She couldn¡¯t think straight. All she could focus on was the mounting discomfort. She shut her eyes against it and when she opened them again, she was lying on the ground. It took a solid minute for the feeling to start returning to her arm. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± she asked, trying in vain to shake the numbness out of her right hand. ¡°Cold iron. It is bane to magic beings. Only humans can touch it,¡± Boreal explained. But . . . I am human, Ari thought. An icy knot filled the hollow pit of her stomach. Was there even a chance to reverse the weirding curse at this point? Should she risk trying to get the cure from the hunters? She didn¡¯t even know what the cure was. Biting her lip, she wondered what was worth more to her, her humanity or her life? ¡°Are you alright?¡± Boreal asked. His question snapped her out of her spiraling thoughts. She swallowed, her throat dry despite the downpour, and climbed to her feet. ¡°I need to find the keys and get us out of here,¡± she said. If she found the cure along the way to find the key, she¡¯d take it, but if she found the key before the cure, she¡¯d leave without it. That was her decision. ¡°Be careful, the hunters have tools that can detect auras. They may already know you are here,¡± Boreal said. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Ari said as she pulled out the medallion that Cynthia gave her, ¡°I¡¯ve got this.¡± ¡°Huh, so that¡¯s how you got so close.¡± The statement was followed by the sound of a gun being cocked.