Thaum?: Bugtanical Garden

“Fight them? No way, bro!”

Don scrunched his eyes up tight and shook his head from side to side, his (still growing) pompadour swinging exaggeratedly from side to side (and Kapi hanging on as tightly as he could). Trixie’s assertion in forcing Don to stop screaming and blindly running, and to take cover with her in the quick witted smokescreen she had set up did enough to help make Don regain control of his senses. For the time being at least, as his fears of the sinisterly ugly creatures fought to overtake him again and again.

As much as he wanted to help Moira and Syed (and Atlas), he simply couldn’t. It wasn’t just his intense dislike of the bugs, as creepy and scary as they were. It was their sheer size, and the number of them as well. Don and his friends had all been shrunken to the size of small, tiny ants, whilst those insects, with their sharp, menacing maws and wriggling legs and feelers and catching nets, they were all the same size as a normal human. And there were literally dozens of them. To try and fight them was tantamount to sheer suicide. No, it was impossible to fight. Don did the next best thing that he could, and grabbed Trixie’s hand, jogging whilst the smoke still lingered around them to skid down and hide within the shadow of an exposed tree root. Don was stupid, but he wasn’t that stupid.

"Auntieee, don't worry I got them!" Cried a moth having caught Moira and Syed in their net, flying far and away from the rest of the Guilders. "Oh and guys, look the rest of them are down there!" A thousand pairs of eyes focused on the wafting smoke from the rosebush and soon bugs of all kinds made their way towards that spot. But by then, Don and Trixie had taken shelter a small distance away, as carefully (and bizarrely for Don, quietly) as possible.

He poked his head out just a fraction to see if he could spot the others. “Don’t worry, little missy,” Don tried to help relax the prankster. “Um, Scarysis and Lightbro are tough. They can take care of themselves. We need to find that… weird guy.” Don frowned, still not sure what to make of Atlas, even if his weird story did appear to be true. He wouldn’t stop being cautious until they found Marcus. “Just don’t be scared, okay?” Don thumbs upped. Kapi gave a triumphant nod as well.

Thaum Square? (Group B)

Amy had only just finished thwacking the hungry marshmallows when Lucien called for a run. Turns out all the other foods were absolute monsters as well. "Fan-fucking-tastic."

"Death!" one of the remaining halved marshmallows squeaked as Amy charged off after her teammates. "Death and despair!"

Lucien managed to hook his arms with both Amy's and Aria's, but Amy quickly yanked herself free from the summoner's grasp. They continued on and on, only stopping once they realized they weren't moving. The food baddies had caught up to them quickly, surrounding them like a mob with their brandished weapons, torches, and all. And now they were threatening to roast them? Geez, Amy knew they were locked into an upside-down world of some sort, given the raining fish and strange fox, but what in the name of Dyn had gotten them here in the first place?

She brandished her whip, sending it crackling with sparks of light again. They were surrounded, and over half of them were ranged combatants - though she was unaware of just how skilled Lisette was in plant magicry, or anything about Aria's fighting style in the slightest. Except that she used... "Aria," Amy said sharply, keeping her tone low enough for only her team to hear. "You can pull of illusions or something, can't you? Do you think you could scare them away somehow?" Her next thoughts were directed to the other two as well. "If we can get them off our backs for now... do you think it would work?"

They were food. Just food. The guilders could probably just crack them all open if they tried, though she herself was not in a position to rush straight into combat. With her staff gripped tightly, she waited for her cue from the others.

---

Thaum?: Bugtanical Garden (Group C)

Trixie could only watch in horror as Moira and Syed jumped back into the battlefield. When Atlas requested for Trixie's assistance, she managed a gulp and stepped out in the open - only to jolt back into the bush once the moth swooped down. Moira and Syed were captured in a flash. Before Trixie could cry out for them, it was Don's turn this time to shut the girl up by grabbing onto her hand and fleeing a third time, through what remained of her smoke bomb and dive into a new hiding spot.

With each heavy breath the prankster made, Don reassured her that things would turn out just fine. Though her heart was still aflutter, her panting was now a lot less audible. "What if--oh cheesecrackers, they're not gonna get eaten, are they!?" she whispered sharply, clinging onto her hero's wrists. This wasn't anything like their other fights against giants. They were totally outnumbered here - and Moira and Syed were both snagged in a cinch! Trixie trusted them enough to break through, but she wasn't so sure about herself - nor that Atlas guy.

At least it didn't look like they were trying to kill the guilders. The only thing worse than that was being eaten. Alive. Or getting squished. Wait, that'd be really, really bad. Trixie gasped again. "Oh man, what do, what do? They're... they're just... bugs! But they're--they're so huge!" She had to remain calm. Calm, calm, calm. Stay safe, stay calm, and stay hidden. Trixie took a deep breath again and plucked Kapi from out of Don's hair, only so she could hug onto him tightly like a pillow. She didn't even care if it was Kapi of all things; she just needed something soft to cling onto for dear life.

Thaum? - Coliseum (Group A)

Dylan let out a whoop as his bolt struck true. Yes it was a pretty violent attack, but he was just hoping to cripple the bear enough to knock him down for good. He immediately lowered the crossbow, using his foot to hold the bow as he fumbled to put another bolt in place and cock the string.

"That was such a cheap shot!" The bear snarled. "I'm not like those frail adventurers, an arrow to the knee, it ain't gonna stop me."

A bead of sweat rolled down his cheek as he hurried to get the weapon ready, realizing what a bad idea this had been. Of course the bear was going to come for him - he shot first! And the bear had given up the slow walk, barreling towards him at all fours and knocking him down just has he had weapon ready.

"Fight me like a real man, up close and personal. A pretty face like yours deserves to be cut up, yes?

The beast was leaning over him muzzle in his face and snarling. Dylan knew that he couldn’t over power the creature, and that he couldn’t slip out. There was only one choice. “You gonna threaten me or actually do something?” He taunted, hoping his words would distract the bear as he reached for his weapon on the ground not far from him. The crossbow had landed just out of reach, and try as he might it was just inches past his fingertips.

Then, Xan came to his rescue, slamming the bear with her hammer-arm and sending him flying away. Xan pulled him up, and Dylan flashed her a quick smile. “Great work!” he cheered before dodging to the side. Rolling, Dylan seized the bow and came up on his knees, cradling the weapon in his arms and taking aim as the bear, dazed and wounded, turned back to face them.

With another deep breath, he squeezed the trigger and sent the bolt flying into the bear’s other knee. “Try charging me now!” he boasted. “Xan, finish it!”

Bugtanical Gardens?
"Oh and guys, look the rest of them are down there!" the moth's child-like voice rumbled, increadibly loud from Moira and Syed's perspective.

"Stop it!" Syed shouted, trying desperately to untangle himself from the net's webbing with little success. He reached out through the fibres, towards the rapidly retreating ground as the moth flew them away. He couldn't see the others. He couldn't see them no no no no NO!

It didn't work. As far as he was concerned, their distraction was a failiure. They had lucked out themselves in that a... using the word child seemed kind of wrong for the moth, but he supposed that was what it was. It didn't seem in a rush to kill them, unlike many of the others. The many others who were now crowding around where he presumed Don and Trixie still were.

If they were killed as a result of this... he wouldn't be able to ever forgive himself. They were their friends, they should be down there, they should be defending them! They still had to find the others! It couldn't... it couldn't end like this!


Moira was hardly sitting back during this either. She bellowed and shouted, screaming savagely like a trapped animal. However, unlike him she wasn't reaching out to the others. She was far too furious to even start thinking about that.

"LET ME AT YOU YOU FUCKIN' HAIRY PIECE OF SHIT!" she yelled, pulling and biting at the mesh in an attempt to break it. "YOU'RE GONNA BE RUNNING CRYING BACK TO THAT FUCKIN' AUNT OF YOURS!!!"

Thaum Square???

Aria meeped as the pavement beneath the group’s feet turned into a treadmill, forcing them to run in place as the various food jeered on. She tugged her arm away from Lucien’s hold with a quick thank you for saving her from those dastardly ice cream cones- Was this all punishment for having been such a glutton?

“Aria? You can pull of illusions or something, can't you? Do you think you could scare them away somehow?”

The illusionist turned to Amy, nodding with a small frown. “The only problem is whether they work on inanimate objects or not. Though these aren’t exactly inanimate anymore, are they?” She sighed, before giving a determined smile, being careful not to raise her voice too loudly. “I’ll try, and if it works then we push through and run! If we stay here any longer I’m pretty sure we’re gonna get skewered- okay enough talking sorry.”

She took a deep breath, before whipping out her fans dramatically, causing a few of the vegetables to take a step back.

“Like the ancient saying goes- If you can’t beat ‘em, eat ‘em! I SUMMON THEE, THE GREAT CHOPPING BOARD!”

Maybe it was a little bit over the top, but these foods were trying to eat them and rather violently too.

She waved her fans for more dramatic effect. Luckily the foodstuffs were crowded together, making it easier to create the illusion and they screamed as what seemed to be a giant wooden board rose from the ground, dripping with juices from various vegetables and wielding a spattered knife in one hand and a bag full of various chopped up foods in the other.

“Not the chopping board!”

“I lost my grandma to one of these!”

As the crowd around them were too busy freaking about what would be the equivalent of a mass murderer to their edible eyes, Aria quickly motioned for them to run, quickly tugging Lisette along as the girl still looked a little but sick to the stomach.

“Come on!”

Xan winced when the arrow connected with the bear's knee. If that didn't shatter his knee cap then it must have torn through muscle and ligaments. The animal let out a pained, piercing howl but he didn't fall over, he was using his own hammer as a crutch.

"You've got great aim, Dylan." She stated before making her way towards the bear. The animal cursed them with the most oddest of profanities before Xan swung her hammer into his stomach. He had armor on, but the impact was enough to send him tumbling back. The animal was wailing now, he sounded pretty upset, but with an arrow in each leg it was unlikely that it would be getting up again. "He won't be getting up, now." The metallurgist looked at the jeering crowd then over her shoulder, pretty certain that a lion or dragon would be sent out to maul them. The entire day had been crazy.

"Leader, Lute, Selan, are you all doing alright?" The animals weren't the biggest threat out there, but the craziness of the situation was making her extra careful. They needed to find the others and get out of here as soon as they could.

"I thought you were going to kill the most humans, Rick? What happened?" The wild cat was busy eyeing the virtuoso. "You're the first one down, he's all talk, ain't he, Simon?" He leaped only to miss. "But we're through playing games! This ends now." The cat snarled viciously, a murderous glint clear in his eyes.



"It's the chopping board!"

"The chopping board? Wasn't that a myth?"

Several high pitched and tiny voices echoed across Thaum's square. Soon enough, the food products vanished into the night, screaming. Aria quickly tugged Lisette along and Lucien, noticing his friends were leaving the treadmill, followed after them. "Heh, you sure showed them Aria!" He was grinning from ear to ear like an excited kid on Christmas day. "One of the potatoes even began to peel," the man snickered before nearly tripping on both his feet.

"Where do you think the others are at?" The food products did not follow them. "And how the hell did we get here?"

The summoner stopped in place. The houses of Thaum were now made of pencils, pens, cards, cheese and other things that houses were not normally made of. A giant baby in a police hat patrolled the streets, a bottle of milk strapped to his diaper. "You there!" He shone a green flashlight right into their faces. "Remember, the curfew is at 11 o'clock . "Don't dilly dally on the streets and get on home, kids."

He blew a whistle and a toy car came to pick him up. The guilders were left alone, the streetlamps casting eerie shadows across the cobblestone path.



"Auntie, the human keeps saying bad words!" The moth squealed before it's eyes went teary. "Auntieeee, she's got a dirty mouth. Are you going to wash it out with soap if we get to keep them?"

"We won't be able to keep them, honey. It's against the rules. We have to gut 'em on stage remember. The one with the most guts wins the prize."

"Do I have to gut them?"

"Of course you do, sweetie." The giant ladybug looked at the tiny people with glistening eyes. "Let's play nice humans, we caught you fair and square."

Atlas found himself alone, out in the open. Giant spiders and creepy crawlies skittered towards him. He punched one in the leg and managed to cut it with his own knife but soon a pair of furry yanked onto his arms. He was lifted at face lever and the giant caterpillar laughed. "Oh, I actually got one!" He said in a singsong voice before the man was place into one of the nets. "Where are the others?" The caterpillar asked.

"They have to be nearby, Jones." A spider replied with a low whistle.

Thaum? – Coliseum

Lute relished the short moment his beach ball had afforded him by feeling like a soccer god before moving his sword in an upward jab. Steel against steel rang out, and before he knew it Bubbles had been thrown away and now the feline had twin daggers in his paws, one of which had blocked his attack.
He swore those stilettos weren’t there earlier-

Holy shit, mission abort, mission abort! Lute clearly underestimated the fuck out of this pal! He attempted not to think of the fact that he could’ve chosen the bear or the wolf as he tried to evade a whirlwind of assaults, his breath coming out in labored huffs after a while. The way he was being forced to retreat… Sooner or later the cat was going to hit him, and with those sharp blades it ain’t gon be pretty.

“Lute! Once more?”
“Wha-!?” The slightest rupture in concentration and virtuoso was cut off mid-question when the wildcat headbutted him all the way against the cage bars. The metal rang dully as the hilt of his sword jammed against the cell, but one of the few things that Lute realized was that he was back to the starting point. That and the stars were spinning.

When he saw that the feline was poised to stab him, he raised his hands up instinctively and cringed.

The virtuoso opened his eyes a few seconds later after realizing that he wasn’t dead… But the cat, now rolling on the ground with his paws over his ears, probably has a ruptured eardrum. Lute acted solely on instinct and had released a very concentrated sound wave, leaving him alive (yey!) but suddenly struck by a huge drain in energy. He put his hands down then glanced around wearily, only to see both Estelle and the wolf (Simon? … Whatever) nearby.
“Estelle!” Lute swooped in and held up his blade to meet the wolf’s weapon, wincing and staggering backwards due to the force of the hit. “Thought you might need some help? I can make a distraction. Only a small one, though,” He muttered loud enough for only her to hear, seeing that their opponent had stepped back and was now assessing them with bright, murderous eyes.

Thaum Square?

Lisette managed to walk backwards quickly enough avoid tripping on the treadmill beneath them, and she looked incredibly unwell as she gazed upon all of the panicking food, some injured and some not. Being a vegetarian to avoid animal cruelty, it wasn't a pleasant sight at all to see produce screaming about not wanting to die, and she might remember the way the cookie crumbled for the rest of her life. Or at least until she felt like eating cookies again.

Aria had to come and pull her along in order to literally pull her out of her daze, and the group was able to get past the treadmill. A giant baby dressed in a diaper and a police hat shone the flashlight right into their eyes, and with a surprisingly deep voice for a baby, told them to honor the curfew and run along.

A few minutes later and they were now alone in the street. By then, Lisette had finally realized that Kapi was not with her, which explained why she bolted up from the bench and ran a few feet away towards a moving lump on the ground.

"Kapi!!" she yelled, bending down to pick up the lump.

The lump looked at her, seemingly offended to be harassed by a complete stranger. "Put me down this instant!" it said in a female voice. "I just want to walk home in piece!"

"Oh, um... Sorry..." Lisette said, plopping the bread loaf back on the ground. The loaf trotted down the sidewalk at a quicker pace than before.

She walked back to the others, pulling on her pigtail awkwardly. "Now what should we do?" she asked.

---

Bugtanical Gardens?

The situation was scary, but Kapi knew the giant lady would come through for them, and they also had the tall man that smelled like smoke too. They were just bugs, after all, and he spent an entire afternoon watching his friends beat them up. These ones would fall to the might of the Pride for sure! Although unfortunately, Kapi's hidden fire magic wasn't coming out no matter how hard the capybara concentrated.

Kapi felt small hands wrap around his body and pluck him from where he had been sitting. The small hands were connected to similarly small arms that wrapped around him tightly, the same way Lisette would whenever she was upset. He couldn't see behind him, but he knew from the girl's socks that it was Trixie, who rarely even looked at him, much less hugged him.

He did his best to comfort the girl by sniffing at her trembling hands, and even tried to speak a few wise words (which came out as squeaks, but they were very insightful squeaks).

Thaum? – Coliseum

“Lute?” Estelle’s eyes widened incredulously. Her teeth gritted tight from frustration and panic, and she suddenly surged forwards, dashing towards the virtuoso as quickly as she could. Whilst his eyes were on her, offering to aid her and provide a distraction, the wolf Simon was already upon him, swinging his sword down. Lute’s interruption, as well intentioned as it was, had been a terrific mistake. Interrupting Estelle’s battle and the flow of her fight hadn’t aided her, it had only put the young man in danger, and now…!

“Move!” Estelle yelled, her hands shoving Lute roughly out of the way to collapse onto his behind, at the split second Simon’s weapon would have cleaved Lute’s head clean off. He had been saved, however…

“Estelle!!” Selan shrieked out.

Droplets of blood splashed into a small puddle on the ground, as Estelle winced, one eye scrunched shut. The new Fireblade she had received from Tiberius was held above her, the sword quivering as she used what strength she could in her awkward position to hold Simon’s blade back. So far it had pressed into her shoulder. Anymore… and she would lose her arm. “Nggggh!!” Estelle grunted.

Lute’s eyes were transfixed on the scene in front of him with pure horror. And then… another shadow loomed over him. If it wasn’t for a certain voice pounding within his head as an expletive filled danger sense, he too would have been finished for good, but his instincts managed to push him away quick enough to narrowly avoid the two knives stabbing into the ground from the laughing wildcat, whose hearty laugh roared on even despite his bleeding ear. Pulling the knives out of the ground, he flipped them within his hands, the blades spinning up and then back down, his fists clenching them tightly.

Lute’s eyes darted from the wildcat to Estelle and Simon, unable to decide what to do, until-

“I’ve got this!” Estelle’s teeth clenched even tighter. “You… Dylan… Xan… handle the cat… I can… nggh…”

Estelle’s eyes darted to Selan, and she smiled. “We’ve got this.”

Thaum? - Coliseum (Group A)

The bear was down. “Thank Aislin!” he cried, turning to see how the others where fairing. He saw Lute get knocked back by the cat, so he lowered the bow to repeat the process of reloading. It was a major downside of this weapon, a quick glance had proved that Lute had managed to stun the cat. What was his trick? Whatever it was, it appeared to be working, and it bought enough time for Dylan to reload.

Then he heard Selan’s cry. Snapping his head up, he turned his head to see Estelle protecting Lute. “NO!” he cried as the wolf-man managed to slide his blade into Estelle’s shoulder. He braced his bow, ready to fire at the beast, when...

“I’ve got this!” Estelle’s teeth clenched even tighter. “You… Dylan… Xan… handle the cat… I can… nggh…” Estelle’s eyes darted to Selan, and she smiled. “We’ve got this.”

He hesitated for only split second, torn between helping his friend and following her orders, before he did what he felt in his gut was right. Estelle was strong. She could handle it. Lute, though, was cornered by the cat, and he could use a hand. Taking aim once more, he fired the crossbow. Unfortunately, switching targets like that was beyond Dylan’s skill. Instead of burying the bolt deep into the creature’s shoulder, it merely grazed the arm. Though blood leaked from the wound Dylan knew that it wouldn’t slow him down.


“Crap crap crap!” he cried, reaching for another bolt only to find himself out. “Xan, help!”

Thaum? - Coliseum

“I’m sorry, Estelle!” The virtuoso cried out as he got up. Delilah’s rapidfire cursing made it impossible for him to think, let alone wallow in drama, so after rolling pathetically to the side and then scrambling back to his feet, Lute faced the wildcat again with his sword at the ready. The feline didn’t opt to have him garner the chance to rest and immediately launched into a quick volley of attacks. Lute, caked in dirt and having far below the necessary stamina to compete in such a speedy manner, could only block the blows as he was forced back against the bars.

Thankfully the other guilders rushed to his aid. Dylan’s arrow didn’t completely stun the raging wildcat, but he paused long enough for Lute to regain his momentum. “Why don’t you give it a rest!?” The virtuoso snarled, turning the cat from mere opponent to his personal rage outlet as he delivered his own set of quick slashes and jabs. His main objective right now was to regain ground.

Xandra veered towards the two when she realized that Dylan had run out of bolts.

“Oh, I get it!” Lute’s voice rose an octave. “So your pride is so important that you’re going to kill people for it!?”
Xandra’s prosthetic reformed into a hammer, and she was about a few feet away from the cat; as she got nearer the metallurgist raised her weapon over her head. Lute heard the crowd reacting to the ambush and deliberately dropped his guard, which resulted with the cat’s daggers tearing down fat gashes his left sleeve. In that split-second that the feline came within a ten-inch proximity to his body, the virtuoso ‘released’ what would most probably be his last wave, except this time there was nothing to hear. The wildcat’s eyes widened in confusion as the noises from the crowd ‘vanished’ completely and he stepped back in alarm, only to have a hammer slam down on his head. K.O, finally.

“Just… give me a second,” Lute dropped to his knees and held up his hand when Xandra approached. “Okay, I’m great. Thanks,” He got back up and the two of them sauntered to where Dylan was. “Thank you for the help earlier, I really needed it. And it’s not the best time to ask this, but can you two tell me your names? When the time’s … appropriate, of course. Next time. Okay, I'm completely messing this up. Again,” He grabbed Bubbles, which had fallen beside the matter artist, and gave the two guilders a grateful stare despite the awkward monologue before glancing towards Estelle and Selan. Ah, fresh feelings of guilt, commence!

“Ugh, I wish I could just-!” Lute outstretched his hand and attempted another attack, except this one ended up (and sounded) like a fart, complete with a small pulse rattling the very air in front of his palm. “Damn it!”

Thaum? – Coliseum

As the battle between Lute, Xandra and Dylan raged against the wildcat, Estelle’s own against the wolf Simon continued on as well. Her shoulder throbbed with excruciating pain, rivers of blood trickling and falling from her arm, as she did everything that she could to hold the wolf’s sword still. To prevent it from burrowing any further into her flesh and to finish the job of slicing her arm off. She had enough strength to keep him at bay, even with the pain wracking throughout her every nerve and fibre… yet not enough to push him back. In this stalemate, it was only a matter of time before her strength would fade… and for Simon to win.

But she would not give up. She couldn’t.

A soft sound flowed from Selan’s lips. A beautiful, serene melody that wafted from the songstress, and into the swordswoman’s ears. Despite the loud and deafening roar of the crowded audience watching and heckling them, still Selan sang on. And the song was just enough for Estelle to hear. And Simon, his wolf ears’ twitching, picked up the sound too. But for him it was too late, and for him it was born more from confusion and surprise-

“What… is that?”

The next instant prompted half of the blade and the handle of the wolf’s sword to be sent flying from his grip, somersaulting backwards through the air. His jaw opened wide, exposing dozens of razor sharp, jagged teeth, as his yellow eyes stretched in disbelief to see the red haired girl having broken his sword, cleaving it in two. Her own eyes reflected the flames swarming and bristling around her blade, a newfound source of strength swelling up and within her. He took several uneasy steps backwards. “What in the world…? This isn’t possible…”

Estelle’s free hand reached to her shoulder, gripped the remainder of the sword that was still partly embedded within. Amy wasn’t here to help heal her… she would just have to do, to persevere for now. Normally a person shouldn’t do what she was about to do next, but she did it anyway. She pulled free the remainder of the blade, and threw it to the floor in a clatter at her side, at the same time she jumped forwards with her Fireblade in hand, ready to strike at Simon’s chest.

---

“Hm. Ha… ha, ha. Well, this has certainly been fascinating, hmm?”

In a dark and shrouded room, one shadowed figure raised a hand to his chin, to casually stroke it as he observed the scenes before him. In front of them were three images held stillborn within the air, the edges of the images wafting and cascading as if they themselves were smoke. Each one showed a different image, reflecting the three groups of Guilders and their various struggles, from the Coliseum to the Bugtanical Gardens, to finally Thaum’s town square. Several times the images would change from showcasing an overview of the situations, to extreme close-ups of each of the Guilders’ faces, the observer smiling as they looked upon their expressions with a knowing nod. They turned, and looked away from the displays and into the inky darkness behind.

“I would say that this looks to be a success so far, don’t you? I think now, though, we should get a bit more… serious.” Another scratch of the chin. “Let’s crank the dial up to eleven."

“See what they’re truly afraid of.”

The darkness smiled back.



A violet light pulsed and throbbed from the tallest building located in the centre of Thaum. A pulsing light that grew to consume the entire structure, before the build up of that light and energy suddenly rung out as wave, bursting from its epicentre throughout the town until it hit Thaum’s surrounding walls, affecting everything and everyone within.

---

“Rarrrr!” Estelle’s body twisted within the air, her arms and Fireblade following suit as they aimed to strike and finish off her opponent with a debilitating slash for good. At the instant her blade touched Simon’s body, it cut straight across, however the results were not as expected. At the merest touch of Estelle’s weapon, Simon’s body itself to evaporate and vanish, disappearing into thin air like a swirling mass of black smoke. And as Estelle’s feet touched the ground, her head shooting up to try and make sense of what had just happened, she discovered that nothing was what it should have been, and that everything had changed.

She was still within the coliseum, but the crowd had vanished, bringing with it an eerie silence. The anthropomorphic gladiators they had fought were nowhere to be seen. And her friends… every single one of them were gone without a trace. All that was left was an incredibly dense fog and paralysing silence that made it virtually impossible to see or hear anything. The only light in the darkness that born from Estelle’s burning sword.

“…guys?” Estelle’s quiet voice echoed for miles and miles. “Selan? Dylan? Xandra? Lute? Where…”

Echoes and echoes.

“Where did you guys go…?”

---

???

Her eyelids fluttered open and shut, as wakefulness finally returned to her. She opened her eyes, to the sight of a dimly lit lamp flickering over her head. Her body felt as if it had slept for a hundred years, and the strange sensation of dreams, of peculiar events wafted through her mind. Dreams of her being an adventurer, journeying with a number of strange and colourful young people, embarking on strange and wonderful missions that ranged from joyous, light-hearted fun to terrifying, dangerous ordeals. Dreams that were all nothing but fleeting as her head sank back into the silk embrace of her pillow and bed, the comfort and luxury sensation gripping her body pulling her into their arms. Her dreams… those dreams she could barely begin to remember anymore… had felt as if she had not experienced the blessing of such a comfortable bed as this in a long, long time.

Strange. So strange. But they were only dreams, and she couldn’t let her mind drift and wander on just dreams. Dreams did get the day done.

With great difficulty, she lifted her head up from the catching comfort of her pillow to look around her room, her eyes passing over the wonderful, jewelled decorations prepared just so across it, to the nearest window. She wondered if it was morning yet.

She could hear music, so it must have been.

---

???

The young man rolled from side to side, groaning and moaning with discomfort inside his bed, before finally waking up and pushing himself up with his hand, groggily groaning. One hand touched his forehead, and the sharp sensation of the painful hangover that greeted him drained the energy from his body enough to propel him to collapse back down and into bed.

“Oh Aislin…” He muttered. What on Ddaear had happened last night to encourage this?

His head, resting on one side of his face and cheek, opened one eye slowly, and to see the two open doors at the end of the room that led out to the balcony, the curtains on either side of the doors swaying gently through the breeze. A bright blue, deep sky beyond signalled how it was mid afternoon, and he could hear the familiar sounds of birds singing and waves crashing against the cliff below. Just another bright and beautiful day.

“Tobias?” Dylan grunted. “Where are you?”

---

???

She awoke to the sensation of warm sunlight caressing her cheeks. The young girl’s opening eyes were treated to a display of leaves and trees overhead, with the midday sun’s shine piercing through the canopy in whatever available spots there were to rain sunshine down on her. She closed her eyes to summon her strength to sit up, and then rested her body in such a position as her arms stretched out behind her to prop herself up, her hands gripping the grass underneath. Her head turned to the side, to the gentle melancholic sound of the water in the nearby river trickling past, the light from the sun dancing atop its surface along the colourful display of fish swimming through it.

She smiled. That had been a pleasant nap, with an interesting array of strange dreams. But now she had to get up, she couldn’t waste the entire day like this. She reached out with her right arm to the top she had hung out to dry after washing it in the stream, dressing herself, and then slapping her cheeks to wakefulness followed by a big stretch.

She hopped to her feet, ready to continue her day with energy, but almost tumbled over and collapsed back onto the ground. She caught herself, but then almost fell backwards, her arms spinning like propellers, before finally managing to balance herself. She blinked, once all was safe. ‘How strange.’ Xandra thought. ‘Maybe I’m more tired then I thought… oh well.’

She soon recomposed herself and gathered the rest of her equipment, turning to walk through the forest, embracing the light and warmth of the day. She stretched both of her bare arms up high above her with a smile. It felt so good on her skin!

---

Thaum?

Marcus sat on the top of a hill, his arms supported by his staff as his body was overshadowed by one large, giant oak tree, surveying the rest of the town of Thaum from all around with an uneasy stare. It was almost impossible to see anything beyond the tops of the buildings, with the streets below covered in an impenetrable thick violet fog. He couldn’t see, or feel, any of his friends anymore, where once before he could. All he could manage to sense was that of the giant tower looming in the distance opposite him, the building located in the centre of Thaum that towered as high as those of the walls built all around the city. Sense and feel a dark, ominous energy rippling outwards from it, blanketing everything within.

That, and…

“Huh, wouldja look at that, Marky? Everybody just plum vanished! Weird, huh?”

Marcus didn’t say or do anything, instead continuing to look at the tower and think.

“I can’t see Moira, or Syed, or Lisette or Lucien or Don…! Can’t see or feel Selan, Dylan, Aria and Trixie, Amy or Xandra… not even those two weird guys anymore, Atlas or Lute! How strange. Oh, not even Kapi as well. And most importantly, Estelle. They seem to have just… vanished from the face of the earth. How unusual, huh? Oh well! At least you have me to keep you company!”

Once again, Marcus did not turn to look or acknowledge the speaker. And such silence, predictably, turned the ire of his companion.

“What’s the matter, Marky? You not going to talk to me? Now, that’s just plain rude. I’m standing right here, trying to be nice and friendly, and you’re just being completely mean and ignoring me! What’s up with that?”

“Shut up,” Marcus finally replied, screwing his eyes shut with a frown. “You’re not real, so stop talk-”

“Real? Not real?! Marky! What’s the matter with you?!” The speaker’s head shook from side to side, his messy silver hair flowing to and fro. He tutted, tapping the end of a wooden staff atop the ground, as his free hand reached up to his face and pushed the pair of his glasses adorning it further up the bridge of his nose. “That’s not fair. Not real? I’ve never been so hurt.”

Marcus winced, opening his eyes to stare out the corner of his eye to his companion, automatically regretting it as soon as he did. The other man looked back at him, with a sadistically wide grin.

“Of course I’m real, Marky.” The man continued. Marcus’ eyes rose up from the bottom of the man’s feet, past his white and blues robes and the length of his wooden staff to his face, and to look into the man’s cold blue eyes.

“I’m you.”

Sunlight streamed through his window, he probably forgot to close the curtains.

Lucien opened his eyes, only to realize he had fallen asleep on his desk. Books were strewn across his room and the little cat he found by the junkyard was curled up on one of his pillows. Odd, hadn't he been with--? He drew up blanks and winced. Perhaps, it had all been a strange dream.

"For the hundredth time, he has disobeyed me and has made a fool out of our family!" It was his father's voice and it was seething with rage.

Why was he at home? He ran away from this boring place long ago, didn't he?

"Why can't he be more like Boris?" His mother asked, disappointed, sad, and angry.

The summoner tiptoed towards his bedroom door and pressed his ear against it. They were whispering angrily about him, something about the scary prank he had pulled on one of the vendors. He laughed a little, all he had done was dug up the bones of a dead bird and hide it in one of the vendor's bags. It wasn't anything major, but wait, he had pulled that prank ages ago, back when he was thirteen and he sure as hell wasn't a teen now. He rushed towards the mirror on the other side of the room and let out a relieved sigh when he noticed he was still the same.

The door was shoved open and his parents walked in with red faces and creased eyebrows. "Son, you will be punished for what you have done! I want you to think about what you've done and first thing tomorrow, you will go back and apologize."

He blinked slowly, as if caught in a daze. He couldn't remember ever going home. "Uh, long time no see?"

Before he could say anything else, his parents grabbed him by the arms and began leading him towards a closet. He struggled, but their grip, it was stone-like, inhuman. He was pushed in and there was nothing but darkness, even the door disappeared behind him. "Bad boys must be punished." His hand shot up into the air as if he were a puppet and someone else the player. A cut appeared on his finger and the blood dripped onto one of his summoning cards.

The lights on the far end of the dark room flickered to life and he saw his friends.

The puzzle pieces began sliding into place. He had been with them in Thaum, but why were they here? There was a puff of smoke and suddenly he had summoned a lion. Lucien yelled at them to run, but they didn't. They were talking to each other and they couldn't hear him--they couldn't even hear the lion roar.

---

The sun was high in the sky and the birds were singing, the day was perfect.

Xan strolled lazily through the forest, eyes locked on the cotton candy clouds above. Tonight, she and her parents would be watching a play in the town's square, but that was hours away and she had the entire afternoon to herself. What was she going to do? There were so many possibilities. Maybe she could go fishing by the creek and catch a nice, fat trout for dinner, or maybe she could read a book on one of the trees' branches?

The girl grinned, she could always stop by Mrs. Lancer's place and help the old lady pick apples. Oh, well, for now she'd explore.

"Xandra? Is that you? I need a little help with the cart. Your mom and I got these from the garden, going to sell them tonight." Xan swiveled around to see her dad, he was pushing a cart full of fruits and vegetables and had a huge grin stuck to his face.

"I'm coming!" She hopped forward and made her way towards the cart, she was just about to pull a basket of apples out when the cart vanished into thin air. What had once been a basket handle was now nothing but thin air. The girl recoiled and turned to look at her father, but he wasn't there. In the man's place was a grizzly bear, twice her size.

The girl focused on its knife-like teeth and froze.

Moira's eyes fluttered open.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, which was strange. She had been a light sleeper for years. She sat up with a groan, and found herself looking around herself. No, nothing unusual. Just her in her bedroom. Blergh... she had just had the most vivid dream. Well, she was up now...

She padded down the short hallway, stopping at another door which was sat ajar. The door, much like the walls of the room inside, was covered in posters and signs, including more than a few topless ladies. It was an absolute mess, with the bed unmade and every square inch of carpet covered in rubble and foul smelling clothing. Well, it looked like Sonny had got up. Had she woken up that late that he woke up before her?

She stepped down the stairs, being careful to avoid the 5th step so it wouldn't squeak. Home. It's funny how comforting it felt all of the sudden. Everything she had to her name within this little box of bricks and mortar. She peered over the banister at the final step. Ah, there he was. Finishing up ironing his shirt for work. Fancy that! Work! Shame it wasn't in the Guild, but the poor man never really deserved to have to fight against her reputation anyway.

"I'm off, Mum. Seeya later," he moved over to her and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. And with that, Moira's entire world stepped out of the door.

He didn't even see the chimney fall before it crushed him.

---

Syed sat up suddenly, his chest heaving. For a moment he found himself increadibly disorientated. He somewhat worriedly looked over himself, although his hands were bare and left arm as unmarked as ever. So it was a dream? It was an increadibly intense dream. He glanced around the room, rapidly calming down before he caught sight of the clock on the wall. 7:24am.

He was late! He scrambled up, slipping over the magazines and wires which littered the floor and towards the desk. Lesson plans, marked work, a spelling test to surprise them with. At least he was prepared.

After a lightning fast clean, shave, and shoving some leftover samosas into his mouth he was ready. Dressed in his usual brightly-coloured sweatervest, his tie tied, his shoes shiny. He had to be especially presentable today, today was Jainie's 7th birthday. He was going to have the whole class sing her happy birthday.

He glanced in the mirror, and was slightly taken aback by how happy he looked. He didn't really know why it shocked him so much. Either way he tried to tidy his hair, although that was as futile as ever. He shoved his messenger bag over his shoulder, made sure he was all packed and ready to go, then charged out of his apartment.

It wasn't until he got to school, and just in time at that, when he realised that everything was far, far too quiet.

???

“Ugh… my head…” Amy rolled over in her mattress, laying splayed atop her mattress. She too had been awoken from the harsh sunlight creeping into room and warming her skin. Sitting up, Amy realized she was laying atop her bed fully dressed in her favorite red dress, atop the well-kept blankets. With how groggy her head was, she could only make one logical assumption: “Must’ve drunken too much last night…”

She lolled her head, gazing at the half-shut blinds as she mulled things over. “Some dream though… I—wait, my gem!” Realizing her hands were empty, Amy jumped off her mattress, nearly tipping over. “Where did it…!” Amy searched all around her person, only to realize she was without both her staff and accommodating clutch. She rummaged through the contents of the room – the floors, the drawers, the closet. But it was gone – and not only that, but Trixie was missing as well. “Trixie?” The girl tended to run off on her own in the mornings, and she always came back without a scratch. But today was – it was different. Amy couldn’t sense the prankster at all. And yet she was… was this… surely it didn’t mean…

Stepping out of her room, she could see the guild she had awoken in was void of any liveliness as well; not even Marise stood where she typically would. However, a loud gulp sounded off from towards the bar – the guild was not entirely empty. From the height Amy stood at, she could easily see a man seated by himself there, finishing off a glass of alcohol. Her gem sat beside his hands at the countertop. Amy only managed a gulp as the man turned his head to see her, smirking at her. “It’s good to see you again, Amaranth…”

She stepped back, flinching as she heard footsteps coming off from her left side. Up the footsteps came another man, tall and dressed smartly. And in his hand was… her gem? “Yes, yes, it’s been far too long, hmm?” Another male figure began approaching from the other side as well, snickering as he flicked his own gem into the air and caught it.

Amy grit her teeth, turning to go into her room but was immediately stopped by another man standing in her path. This one waved at her brightly with one hand, his other hand behind his back. “Hi Amy! Where are you going?”

She backed away from him. “Syed?”

---

???

Trixie dashed all around the open meadow, her brilliant purple cape catching the winds behind her. It billowed lively with every step, every leap, every roll, and every twirl the girl performed. She danced and danced along the field, and the menagerie of flowers below her swayed along with her.

“Wondergirl Trixie, at your service!” she announced to the air, ending her trot with a high jump and a land as gentle as a cat. She feigned a gasp, bringing her hands to her cheeks as she spoke to the air. “What! You my poor citizen, are in danger!? Fear not! For I, the Wondergirl, can save you!” She struck a gallant pose – “Dun da-da-daaa!” – and continued her routine of running around, making “whoosh” noises as she went, kicking the air with “pah!”s and headbutting beside her with “bam!”s and karate chopping behind her like “wha-chyooowwww!”

Trixie stopped, cupping a hand around her ear as her lips moved to the side. “Oh no,” she said, squeaking. “Someone save my baby!” Then she struck another pose, resuming her regular tone. “Don’t worry, lady! I’ll save him!” With a dynamic twirl, Trixie ran off. The meadow was endless, booming with bright colors, singing birds, pleasant winds, and warm sunshine. She could run for hours without ever seeing it come to an end.

But she came to a jolting stop.

A lone figure stood in her path: a silhouette completely surmounted in shadow. It stood meters away, though in the light of Trixie’s wide and open path, its very shape was instantly recognizable.

“You… but… I thought you were…”

The silhouette’s arms opened, welcoming, as if awaiting an embrace. “I told you, Trixie. Superheroes never die.”

The prankster’s entire body trembled. Her lips quivered madly, and her eyelids she could barely keep open before mounts of tears began to flood her eyes. They trickled down her cheeks for only a second before Trixie burst forward, arms outstretched before her, sprinting as fast as she could towards the figure. “You came back! You came back!!”

Her cape fell loose from her shoulders and floated away with the calm breeze behind her.

There was no response to his question - it didn’t really surprise him, Tobias wasn’t the type to wait around. Pushing himself upwards, he began the long process of getting out of bed and getting dressed. He moved slowly the whole time as he struggled to remember his dreams, his mind not really on the task at hand.

He rarely remembered his dreams so he was used to the way they seemed to slip through his fingers, but there was something that just nagged at him. He didn’t remember much, just brief flashes - a redheaded girl, a man with a ridiculous pompadour, a young girl whose personality seemed far bigger than her body. Shaking his head, he dismissed the thoughts as he checked himself out in the mirror. He might be hungover, but that was no excuse for looking it! It was one of the many lessons he learned from Tobias.

Finally satisfied, he shot one glance back out across the sky. There was something just a bit off, it was right there at the tip of his tongue, but then he heard it. The sound of Tobias’ laughter, loud and intoxicating, echoing through the halls. Even after all these months, after all that Tobias had put him through, it still brought such joy to his heart. A smile plastered across his face, Dylan turned and hurried out of his room, looking to find his lover as soon as possible.

He followed the sound, figuring that it came from the second floor music room, where Tobias kept a wide array of instruments on hand within short distance of the balcony that overlooked the main dance hall. Running, he heard another voice, a stranger’s voice, whispering as he rounded the corner and found them.

Tobias was leaned in close, pinning the stranger against the piano. The girl, flushed and breathless, let out a squeal when she met his eyes over Tobias’ shoulder. Tobias spun, sighing when he saw Dylan in the doorway. 



“Tobias...” Dylan managed to croak out, his voice harsh. “Again?”

Aria stretched lazily, pushing aside her quilt cocoon to sit up and drawing aside the cheerful yellow curtains of her room in her parents’ house to blink up blearily at the sun. It was a nice day What a weird dream, with all that food coming to life and trying to eat her and… Who were with her again? Ah well, faces in dreams were always hard to recall.

Still, it was rather strange for her to have woken up so early without having to have been dragged out of bed. Maybe she’d even give Xan a shock and arrive on time for their mission today. She grinned, visualizing the look of surprise that would be on the girl’s face. Downstairs the table still had food on the table and one steaming mug of cup of coffee, no doubt belonging to her dad. But where were her parents?

She blinked, suddenly realize what had been nagging at her mind. It was quiet, and not just inside the house. No birds were singing as they were wont to do at this time of morning, her neighbour’s herd of yappy dogs were silent and no sound of people talking rose from the streets. She darted the windows and hurriedly pushed open the shutters and stared down at the empty sun lit streets. Clothes flapped on the clothesline stretching between houses and a fruit-filled cart stood abandoned in the street, yet there were no people to be seen.

It was as if all signs of life, from the people of the city to the songbirds in the trees had disappeared. Feeling rather panicked and slightly scared, Aria turned to dash out the door, running towards the Altkey Guild. Where had everyone gone? If there was going to be anyone anywhere, they would have to be at the guild. Heart pounding, she sped up and raced up series after series of stairs, towards the top of the city where the guild was located.

Selan finally pulled the comforter off of her body and crawled across the bed to kneel at the end of it. She wore a nightdress made of fine chiffon that was a bit too big for her, and her legs and feet were bare. Looking out the window, she could see thick forest surrounding the small castle, and the sea beyond it. Boats skimmed back and forth over the water, and she could count at least three different colored flags among them. She did not know what the flags meant.

She turned her head. The golden antique mirror on her side reflected a younger Selan, with a sheet of long black hair nearly reaching her waist. A beautiful girl, nearly engulfed by beautiful clothes and beautiful sheets and blankets.

The lock on the door clicked from the outside and slowly opened, revealing a tall, handsome man with copper-colored hair and dark, amber eyes. From his worn leather jacket and boots, she guessed that he had just returned from working. He shut the door behind him.



"Selah," he said, calling her by a name she hadn't heard in years. He took long strides toward the bed and bent down, nearly towering over her. He was blocking the window.

He lingered there with his face just inches from hers, waiting.

Selan shyly turned her head up to give him a light kiss on the cheek, but he roughly cupped her face in his hands and kissed her on her mouth instead. When he pulled away, he smiled wider, and said something that she could not understand. She looked at his hand instead and took it in her own, noticing that there were fresh cuts and bruises on his knuckles. She tried to ask what was wrong. "Cen loth o cian ar cis?" she asked, finding herself unable to speak the common tongue.

He followed her gaze and grinned, saying something that was probably an explanation, but he wasn't talking for very long. He sat down on the bed next to her and wrapped his arm around her, staring out the window. Selan leaned her head against his arm, trying to find some comfort against the hard leather of his sleeve even despite the angle hurting her neck.

She had to. He was her husband, after all.

---

Lisette awoke in a lush green forest, with sunlight streaming through the leaves and leaving a fascinating and beautiful lacy pattern of shadows on the grass. She turned her palm upward, studying each little dot of sunlight.

I know this place...

A strong breeze rustled her pigtails and skirt, and suddenly black, angry-looking clouds pushed away the blue sky, coloring everything a dull grey. The trees stretched higher and higher into the sky, and the leaves slowly turned brown, falling and crumbling to dust before they hit the ground.

Lisette felt drops of rain hit her head and shoulders, and before she knew it, the clouds poured down on the forest. Whispers filled her ears like crackling static, loud enough to nearly drown out the rumbles of thunder above.

"Lisette!"

Lisette whirled around, recognizing the woman's cold voice. "Miss Amy...?"

"Look what you've done!" she hissed, thrusting her staff behind her. Amy was shaking with anger, and there was nothing but hatred in her green eyes.

No... NO...!!

Estelle was collapsed in tears over Marcus's lifeless form. His body, or what was left of it, was completely covered in blood, and his eyes were glazed over, staring up at the sky but at the same time, nothing at all.

"I didn't... I didn't mean to... I..." Lisette stammered, backing away from the Pride.

"You know what has to happen now, don't you?" Amy said, this time looking in a different direction.

"No, please don't leave, I don't want to be alone, I... Huh...?" Lisette followed Amy's gaze and saw Moira standing in front of a nearby tree, thrusting her greatsword downward and freeing it from something. There was blood on the end of her blade.

A forceful gale picked up the raincoat near Moira's feet and whipped it through the air.

"K... Kapi...!" Lisette choked out, falling to her knees. "How c-could you...?"

"A life for a life." Estelle spat bitterly, tearing herself away from Marcus to face Lisette. "But Kapi's life would never equal Marcus's. I need yours too."

"I promise you, I didn't mean to! Estelle, please!" Lisette pleaded, unable to look at the fury and anguish on her best friend's face.

"Prepare yourself, Lisette." Estelle unsheathed her sword.

Behind her, all of the Pride watched with solemn expressions, their weapons at the ready.

---

A ring of capybaras crowded around a much bigger one in a shallow river. Kapi, the smallest of the six, squeaked contentedly at being so close to his brothers and sisters and mother. They had just finished their usual afternoon soak, and were about to start their midday swim. Kapi waded through the stream, wiggling his ears and following his siblings, making sure that none of them strayed too far from their mother.

Just moments before, the water was nearly deep enough to swim in, but it was now halfway up his body. How strange.

Now, the river was just a muddy puddle. Still fun.

There was no river anymore.

Wooden stakes emerged from the ground, fencing in the small family of capybaras. There were walls now, and hard floors that were uncomfortably cold and slippery on Kapi's feet. No sunlight, only a small opening in the door that allowed a thin beam of light through.

Creeeaaaak.

The door opened, and a faceless man reached forward, picking up the mother capybara. She thrashed and bit, but the man did not flinch. She was still kicking even when the door closed again, leaving the capybaras in near total darkness once again.

The lion turned to look at Lucien and grinned devilishly.

"W-What the hell?" The summoner grabbed at the floating card and tore it in half, but the lion didn't disappear into a puff of smoke. It was still there, eyeing his friends hungrily. The animal let out a deep and rumbling laugh and the summoner felt sick to his stomach.

"I'm going to eat them one by one and it'll be all your fault," the beast crooned.

"We're doing this because we love you son," it was his parents' voices now. "You disobeyed us and so you will be punished."

The summoner swiveled around, but only darkness greeted him. "This isn't funny!" He yelled desperately, "whoever you are, we'll take you down. We're the pride and we've beaten demons..." the last part was barely a whisper and before Lucien could say anything else the lion lunged towards his unsuspecting friends.

You could save them if you were stronger, but you're too weak. The lion's thoughts were meshing with his own. It was still his summon, if he could concentrate hard enough, he could stop it! The summoner screwed his eyes shut and began battling with the taunting voice inside his head. The lion let out several protesting snarls but had stopped in it's path, just a few feet away from where the rest of the pride were chatting.

He cracked open an eye and scowled. Get the hell away from my friends...

The lion bared it's teeth cockily and it was a battle for control. The animal's thoughts went quiet and Lucien wondered if he had won. "Hey! Hey! Run now!" No one heard him and a sickening laughter filled his head.

"Kid, you and I, we're light years apart." The lion leaped forward with jaws wide open and sunk its teeth into Dylan's neck. It rained red and when Lucien raised both his hands, they were covered in blood. Lucien couldn't say anything, he stared at his stained hands, eyes the size of pinpricks and knees shaking like jelly.

"His blood is on your hands." It was the same mocking voice, the lion was laughing. "It's your fault."

The world tilted and the man fell to his knees, it felt like his eyes were burning. Lucien didn't notice but tears were streaming down his cheeks as he stared at his friend's lifeless body. There was so much red.

The lights flickered off and when they turned on again Moira and Syed were seated on park bench, talking.

"It's time for round two, let's see if you can save them, Lucy."

---

The girl recoiled and found her back pressed up against a tree.

That bear hadn't been there earlier, it hadn't been there at all and last she checked, bears didn't appear out of thin air. It approached, letting out a growl and 15-year-old Xan found herself petrified. She made a run for it, nearly tripping over her own feet. "Dad?!" The forest that had once been filled with the chirping of birds and steady flow of the stream was now filled with nothing but silence, even the wind had ceased to blow. "Is anyone there?" The girl continued running as fast as she could, hopping over bushes and even wading past the stream.

She didn't know if the bear was still following her, but she didn't stop to look back either.

"Xan, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost." She crashed into her dad, bewildered by his sudden appearance. Just a few moments ago, there had been nothing in front of her.

"D-Dad?" The girl spluttered. "I-I saw you back there, but you disappeared." The girl began rambling about running into an angry bear and the man in front of her gave her an affectionate pat on the head. She was comforted by his presence, but his soft voice grew distorted and soon he didn't sound like her father at all.

"What do you say we play a game of cat and mouse, Xan?"

"What?" The girl looked up and suddenly, his kind smile turned into a sadistic grin. The figure in front of her vanished into thin air once more. Xan spun around to run only to bump into a grinning bear. The girl let out a surprised yelp before falling onto her back. Suddenly, she felt like she was being crushed and the bear's warm breath made her want to choke. It pressed its claws into her left shoulder and bared its teeth. A tingling feeling ran down her arm and back followed by a searing pain.

There would be no one there to hear Xan scream.

???

“Someday, we’ll make it through… ” The first thing he heard was her perfect voice.

It was as sweet and clear as ever. Ten-year-old Lute remained in his makeshift bed and let her continue her favorite song he stared up at the bare ceiling, watching dust motes dance through the rays of sunlight that filtered through the shattered window. Man, his head hurt. He had this vaguest dream of a perpetually frowning fish (?) and a little ghost woman who resided inside his brain. “Ruana?” Lute sat up and stared at his sister’s back. She was facing the wall, curled up in a fetal position. He sighed and threw the threadbare blanket over her instead, since she was sick and getting chills wasn’t good for her.

And then Lute could hear her voice no more.

“Ma!?” He shouted and jumped up from the cot without waiting for an answer. “MA!” The virtuoso yelled louder as he ran out the room. They had only two rooms, so if she wasn’t the bedroom it was either she was in here or outside…!

“Oh, you don’t need to shout, sweetheart. Kids today, they think their mothers are deaf,” He heard her laugh and glanced towards the voice, his eyes alighting on the figure of the most important person in the world. “Ma,” Lute muttered limply and strode towards her, staring at his mother as she dried her hands on a rag on the counter then turned to face him. “Can you continue the song for me?” She clasped her weathered hands together and waited; when he continued to stare at her she nodded encouragingly. Lute awkwardly cleared his throat and sung the next line of the song, “Rise from the ashes, the pain, the loss. Free forevermore.”

His mother listened until his voice faded away and smiled. She reached down to cup his face in her hands. He could feel the blisters on her palm, the wounds that almost healed but re-opened because she didn’t have the time to let them be, the welts and the flaking skin, brush against his cheek. “My handsome son! You will grow up to be someone far beyond our station, and when you earn enough riches to last you a lifetime, you will not forget your mother, right? Your plain old mother with her dirty clothes and messy hair. Your peasant mother, who cannot even feed her own children,” She murmured faintly. Lute growled and pulled away, stung once again by the disregard his mother had for herself. “Ma, can you stop that!? It’s not your fault, okay!? None of this is! Gods, I hate it when you do that to yourself!” He cried out.

His voice was drowned out by a loud roar preceded by the rotting door being kicked from the hinges. A distorted noise, at its core a human’s voice warped by memories soured by hate, malice, and terror, filled the house from the smallest corner to the rafters. “dELiLAH! wHEre’S MY fUCKinG-,” He belched loudly and swayed from side to side, then slammed his half-empty bottle on the table, “dINneR!?”

Lute looked away and shrunk back, the ragged stone counter digging into his back as his father sat himself down and placed his hands on the table. Those thick, gnarly woodcutter’s fingers drumming against the grained wood told him where he was.

He was in Hell.