“This is not what my calculations predicted. Odd but not impossible to navigate. Come along this–wait, why are you going that way?”

Because I’m being a spiteful little shit.

“Because you know I like exploring for myself.” Stretching a bit, I hated to admit it but he was right. I could leap far, probably 5 stories without trying too hard. Anything more and I’d have to get a running start.

I leapt onto the blue mushroom building next to us. The last thing I remember about this building was that it was a music store. Half of me was disappointed that the building didn’t make a musical sound when I landed on top of it. 

“If you insist on going your own way, at least take my advice when you do so. I’d hate for anything to happen to you due to your recklessness.”

“Because God forbid I break a fingernail by going on my own? Seriously Wyatt?” I glared at him, daring him to say anything back. Again, he held his hands up, feigning innocence.

“Alright, what am I supposed to be seeing up here, anyway?” My tail turned into two circles, acting as binoculars for me.

“I suppose it’s easier to ask this first. Tell me what you don’t see that you normally would at this hour?”

“People, obviously. What is it, 10 p.m. now? Cyran City didn’t sleep until 3 a.m. at least.”

He nodded like a schoolteacher proud of his student.

“Good. People and what else?”

“Roads? Hard to do that when everything is underwater. How did that even happen? The monolith can destroy a major city, sure, but to change its entire landscape? Even if it got this bad, wouldn’t the government come and help fix it?”

He frowned, stroking his beard.

“Good observations, but remember what I told you before about Monoliths? “

I sighed. “They’re forces of nature, not big things to punch. In my defense, some of them went down to a really good punch.”

“And the ones that didn’t do this.” He fanned his hand out across the city’s skyline. Even though the electricity was gone, as creepy as they are, those mushrooms lighting up the sky are kind of beautiful.

They're in different shapes and sizes. Some thin and long, others short and fat with a tapered head. If it didn’t mean my city was up in ruins, then this would be a nice place to visit. A sweet serenade of buzzing and croaking nearly lulled me to sleep. The smell was…doable. I mean, it’s a swamp.

“I find that hard to believe, but…the one from before everything went to shit–it was huge. That one could have done something like this. Why? Why not destroy everything like they usually do?”

He furrowed his brow; I could hear the hamster running around in his brain now.

“I don’t know. Damn, it feels like my brain is in a fog or something. If I had all of me available, I could probably tell you.”

If he were here, wholly, this would be a different conversation.

“Always an excuse with you.”

“That’s not fair, Sapph–”

I held out my index finger to his lips.”Shh.”

My tail pointed down below at a pair of figures in dark clothing walking around. They had metal weapons on their backs, a sword of some sort–hard to tell from up here.

“You said it would be too crowded during the day.” I harshly whispered.

“Two people do not equate to a crowd.” He responded. We both crouched down low and watched them move. They conspired together, speaking softly–not that I could hear them, anyway.

Then one of them drew their sword and pointed at a small mushroom building near the end of the street. My stomach dropped when I saw a pair of bicycles in front of it.

“We never lived in a residential area.”

“We never lived in a city made of mushrooms either. People migrate, princess.”

I wanted to punch him…and kiss him for using that name, but I didn’t have time for either. The pair moved towards the house and started cutting the door down.

“Shit!” Wyatt cursed, watching me move already.

I used to be able to glide down with my wings, but haphazardly leaping down will have to do.

Now, if my knees would just cooperate–nope. I landed and immediately hit the ground,cradling my left leg. Hot tears rolled down to my shirt as I lay in the soft banks of dirty water.

“Ah…” I groaned, fighting through the pain. “I really hope this isn’t broken.”

“You probably should have stretched first…but that’s just who you are, I suppose.” Wyatt sighed, giving light touches to my calf muscles. In another time, that might have been enough to heal me. 

But not now.

My recovery speed was beyond light speed, yet it seemed to be gone too. Just something else locked away behind class progression, I guess.

“I don’t need you to remind me. I can fuck up all on my own–” I stopped groaning once the screaming started.

Inclining my head towards the mushroom house, I squint, nearly missing the sight of something shiny swinging through a window. With a splash, it landed next to me, the sword. Its handle was wrapped in some kind of dark leather, and judging by how far it sank down, the blade seemed thick and heavy.

“Great, just the motivator I needed. Maniacs with machetes.”

“A motivator to stay hidden.” Wyatt countered.

I grinned, sitting up. The pain wasn’t gone, but I didn't have time to dwell on it. Instead, I wrapped my tail around my leg to bind it in place and started hobbling.

“You can't seriously intend to fight like that, right? Sapphyra! Dammit, woman!”

I hopped through the front door in one leap, much safer at this distance than from a 5 story building. My eyes widened; nothing in my heroic career had prepared me for what I saw next.

Two mushroom-like people, complete with open, tapered heads—were swallowing the robbers alive. On the one hand, self-defense. On the other hand, I don’t get to pick and choose who I save.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but…spit 'em up.” I took a fighting stance, right fist and foot forward. 

“Right now!”