Glass or Diamond: Fairy's Wish

Glass or Diamond

Episode 21

Once upon a time, a spirit was drifting through the desert. There was nothing as far as the eye could see besides sand. The days were hot and the nights were cold. Water was scarce, and the spirit was so very thirsty.

The heat soon became too much, and the spirit collapsed in the sand.

When the spirit awoke, there was a strange creature stuck to the spirit’s mouth. This creature had a soft body and a hard shell.

“Wh-What are you?” murmured the spirit.

“Me? I am but a humble snail,” replied the creature.

“What are you doing to me?”

“You collapsed in the desert. You would die without water. I had some to spare.”

“What do you want from me?”

“Nothing. I have all I need. I am a snail, after all.”

With that, the snail continued on its way without another word, slow as its way may be.

Feeling humbled and thankful, the spirit used magic, giving the one thing the snail couldn’t possibly have.

And thus, was born, the first of the Great Snails.

Upon the backs of these colossal beings rest massive cities filled with humans and drakyks that have existed for as long as recorded history. That history, of course, is written by the officials of the cities, and the officials of the cities are but humans and drakyks themselves, with greed, fear, corruption, bias, hate, and other negative emotions and motivations directing their decisions.

Tomoba, the son of the ‘official’ ruler of the city, referred to in the elite circles as the ‘Prince’, believes wholeheartedly that some group within the Church of the Spoken Realms -the Holy Order- kidnapped his adopted sister.

Given what they’ve seen, Lykha and Maerin the fairies, Coco the young teen Techromancer, and Gyrryth the lizardman spellshot all have little reason to doubt the prince’s belief.

At present, the prince has returned to the ‘Palace’ while the four monster hunters attempt to infiltrate the Church itself under the guise that Coco, as a child born outside of a city, wants a chance at salvation.

Gyrryth’s plan, of course, involved cleaning the teen up and dressing her in more formal attire, which meant everyone cleaned up and has much cleaner and nicer outfits on. The two fairies are apparently not welcome as members of the church, though the reasons aren’t fully clear. Fortunately, according to both the prince and Gyrryth -who Lykha is pretty certain was a former agent of the Holy Order-, the fairies aren’t explicitly forbidden from entering the church, but aren’t welcome in service.

Of course, the church is crowded with civilians attending services, making confessions and tithes, offering prayers, and other functions. As such, Maerin is riding on Gyrryth’s shoulder, while Lykha is riding in Coco’s shoulder bag. The teen is very pretty in her new dress, and her leather gear bag was easy enough to clean up.

Maerin teases as they walk through the elegant archways leading to the church door, “I bet you two’re pretty disappointed, huh, ladies?”

Coco and Lykha both look up at the mature fairy, who adds deviously as she sips her refilled flask, “Cute dresses and no Murmur.” She grins toothily, and Lykha squeaks. Coco, however, manages to hold frame, saying proudly, “‘Bando’ll gander. Ain’t like I’ve to sell it.”

Maerin replies with a toast-gesture, “True.”

Gyrryth says quietly towards his shoulder, “Do attempt to minimize the use of your flask within the church, M’lady Chemist. Inebriation tends to blur the lines of spiritual wisdom.”

Maerin scoffs, “Pffft! You’re tellin’ me.” She snickers, trailing to a distant chuckle. She adds sincerely, “I won’t drink in plain view, though.” She tucks the flask into her own shoulder bag and stretches.

Coco whispers quietly, “Seems li’e’a stuffed trunk’o was’ed tocks, though, sittin’ an’ gabbin’ ‘bout tricks.”

Gyrryth explains softly, “Magic is taught here, but not to the common person. Service is a time of worship and commune. Keeping people from feeling alone.”

“Alone!?” sneers the teen, still maintaining her volume low. “Can’e step two toes w’out tastin’ body leakin’s!”

“A crowd is not the opposite of loneliness.” He whispers even more deliberately, “There are powerful reasons that drive people to risk life on the sand.”

Lykha asks from her perch in Coco’s bag, “There’s so many luxuries, though. Clean running water at every turn, shade, even cooling in the buildings.”

“And just as many rules. And just as many above who break those rules.” The lizardman smiles at a drakyk cleric, saying politely, “Brother.”

“Brother,” comes the reply. The cleric watches them a moment longer, but then turns back to welcoming congregants.

Gyrryth warns softly, “Fiery One, if you can help yourself, please normalize your vocabulary when you speak to members of the church.”

Coco crosses her arms, retorting sourly but softly, “You right. Too many rules alrea’y.”

Lykha snickers playfully. However, the teen surprises everyone when her voice suddenly comes out stunningly gentle, soft, feminine, and curious, “Brotha Gyrryth, do ye believe the spirits can forgive me true?” It’s still Coco talking, but all three of the others stare at her as if she was just possessed by an angel.

She adds with bright eyes, “I ne’er knew such beauty. This is truly the work of divide.”

Maerin asks sassily, “Who are you and what did you do to Coco!?” She chuckles after, and Coco grins. Gyrryth says quietly with a smirk, “Divine, not divide. But, that will do Coco. Thank you.”

Her grin widens, and she makes triumphant eye contact with Lykha. The young fairy teases dryly, “I never doubted you did it on purpose, Coco.”

“Makin’ me feel less smart, though. My min’ works fast. Need me own words to keep up.”

Lykha smiles, replying gently, “I think I understand. For once at least.” She winks at the teen.

The four make their way into the church, and the girls gawk brightly at the high ceilings, beautiful artwork, and floating chandeliers.

The last one causes them to double take. Coco says as she holds Gyrryth’s hand to avoid being separated in the crowd, “It’s floatin’! Tha’ thing is huge! How’s it floatin’!?”

The lizardman looks, and Lykha asks wondrously as well, “Is it some form of magic?”

“In this case, no. Magnetism.”

“Magnet? Like sticky rocks?” asks Coco.

He nods, and she nods with him, seemingly committing the fact to memory. Lykha smiles. No matter what, Coco’s mind is always working, and it’s truly admirable.

The mission, however, returns to the forefront when Gyrryth whispers, “This way. Quickly. Do not draw attention.”

Coco nods, and Lykha slides back down into the bag to hide.

Gyrryth leads to a rather hidden side-hallway. The hallway has minimal lighting as to not draw attention, and it has a clear view of many of the main areas of the church, which are crowded with lines of congregants of all ages.

The lizardman spellshot leads quickly, but he’s still walking. Given that this seems to be a service hallway of some kind, or private access for clerics and other holy order agents, anyone could appear from the side doors leading to the private quarters and offices or confessionals.

Maerin asks softly, “Where are we headed?”

There’s a quiet pause. “There is a room in the lower levels known as the ‘cleansing room’, used for… magic users that lose control.”

“L-... Lose control?” squeaks Lykha as she peeks out of Coco’s bag.

He nods. “Megalomania, usually.” He adds, “It is a room that does not exist, if you catch my meaning.”

The other three nod morbidly. A secret room for a secret prisoner. And, one that doesn’t sound as innocent or helpful as the name implies.

He guides Coco and himself out of sight when a door ahead of them opens, and he puts his hands together as if praying. Coco mimics him, quick to pick up clues.

The agents and clerics pass by without paying attention to them, though they seem to also be in a particular hurry, jogging by quickly in full armor.

Maerin observes quietly, “Where’s the pot o’ gold, enh? Enh?” She snickers softly, and Coco whispers, “They ARE patterin’ quite quick.”

“Hmm…” murmurs the lizardman. He makes his way to the door they left, descending down the stairway beyond.

At the bottom of the dungeon-like stairwell is, what Lykha would guess, an actual dungeon. Rooms with large locking doors and magical glyphs on them line the short hallway, and a single heavily armored agent of the Holy Order is standing guard at the end. Gyrryth hands Maerin gently down to Coco, saying in a whisper, “Hold here…”

Maerin whispers, “Wait! I have a better idea.” She hovers down to Coco’s bag, digging inside. Coco whispers, “You stashin’ stuff in me gear bag, B-... Mach-nnn… M’lady?”

Maerin finds a phial with a liquid and a small bag with a powder. She states, “Yep.” She uncaps the phial, pouring the powder in and capping it again. She shakes it up well, asking, “We got a way to launch this at his head?”

Coco reaches her hand in, digging under the two fairies. She withdraws a fairly simple looking object; a widened-patch of leather with strings. The two fairies watch her, and Coco cradles the phial in the patch. She begins twirling the strings at a rapid pace, saying softly, “Please don’t hate me if I miss.” She quickly pivots around the corner, launching the phial and disappearing around the corner again. There’s a noise of glass shattering, and the agent grunting in surprise. Lykha asks, “What was that?”

Maerin grins. “Night worker’s backup.” Metal footsteps clonk closer, but seem to slow. Soon after, there’s a metal crash as a heavily armored body collapses to the floor. Maerin pulls out her flask with a smirk, taking a sip.

Gyrryth observes quietly, “Chloroform?”

The mature fairy shrugs, “Similar. Easier to mix in a flash.” She takes another sip, stowing her flask after. “Sucks to be him, though. He’s gonna need six dudes to help him up in that tin can.”

Gyrryth chuckles and nods. “Good work.” He leads around the corner, cautiously searching the rooms. He is cautious when he gets close to the cleric, but Maerin says, “Don’ worry, Gyrryth. Diss’pates quickly.”

He nods, continuing on. He starts with the door at the end of the hallway, where the cleric was guarding specifically. He pulls the door open, but finds the room on the other side -and the evil-looking chair inside- completely empty. There is a bed, a squat hole, and a spilled tray of food. Gyrryth asks, “Mm… Smell that?”

There’s a foul smell that dominates the room, and Coco gags and holds her nose, blurting out, “Da’s a stank meant to stay inside its hole!”

Lykha coughs, but she notices something sweet hidden in the air. As she dedicates attention to it, she realizes what it is. “The perfume…”

Maerin nods, “I smell it, too. Our girl was here.”

“I’ll take your gab, Machens. I’mm’a do a Tricksie here in a tick.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” asks Lykha defensively.

Coco doesn’t get the chance to joke. She doubles over, throwing up on the floor.

Gyrryth stays on task, “So,… if she was here… Where is she now…?”

Lykha asks, “Could she have escaped?”

Maerin replies dryly, “Explains why the stooges were in such a hurry. But, she can’t have just escaped, can she?”

Gyrryth answers, “Unlikely. They’re scouring the church.” He adds as he thoughtfully scratches his chin. “And, they likely returned to the Palace under false pretenses to see if she had returned…”

The four think on this new development for a moment. Coco asks the obvious question when she can form words, “So… how we find her now?”

There’s a pause.

“Gyrryth?” asks a new voice from the hallway. It has a deepness to it, but isn’t human. Compared to the lizardman himself, though, it sounds almost more feminine. When they all look, they freeze.

Another armored soldier for the Holy Order is kneeling between them and the exit, checking on the collapsed cleric.

The lizardman spellshot steps between the newcomer and Coco, stating with a cold familiarity, “Sister Eandenui…”

“What are you doing here?”

Gyrryth is silent for a long time.

Eandenui stands up, putting her hand on a sword hilt. “This is not a public access area, Gyrryth. You are no longer an ordained minister.”

He asks quietly, “Do you know who was kept in here?”

“Of course not. I followed you when I thought I recognized you.”

“Mmm… What if I told you that it was the princess?”

This causes Eandenui to recoil. Her armor is heavy and obscures her face, but Lykha would guess she is sincerely shocked more than appalled at this statement, as if she trusts the words of Gyrryth, but still can’t believe them.

Confirming this, she whispers, “That is treachery, accusing the church of-...”

“‘S true!” snaps Coco. “Doesn’e stop bein’ true because they’s more ‘portant.”

Maerin hisses, “Coco!”

“Wha’? ‘S true!”

“Doesn’t mean you bark it at a giant with a sword.”

Eandenui asks the obvious and understandable question; “What would the church gain from such an act?”

Gyrryth replies calmly, “Fortunately for the church, we are not looking for that answer. We are only trying to find the princess herself.”

There’s a pause. “What did you do to him?”

Maerin replies, “I don’t know what you’d know it as, but it’s a knockout drug. Lasts an hour on small humans, a little less on bigger humans and drakyks.”

“He will recover?”

“Fully.”

Eandenui’s shoulders rise and fall. Her grip relaxes on her sword, and she says softly, “I cannot let you pass unchallenged…”

“I understand.” Gyrryth launches himself forward, rushing the swordwielder. She reacts by attempting to draw, but Gyrryth is much faster, and he is able to block her arm, stopping the sword from leaving its sheath. He knees her in the gut, which arguably will do little or no damage thanks to her armor. But, it keeps her off balance.

Maerin whispers quickly, “Lykha, eyeball her!”

Lykha nods, “Right!” She darts out of Coco’s bag, flying close to the two as she chants the spell quickly, preparing her hands. She almost shouts to Gyrryth, but she realizes Eandenui will hear. She decides to chance it, and she claps her hands to finish the spell when she’s directly in front of the woman’s helmet visor. The flash illuminates the hallway brightly, and the centurion grunts out in pain. Gyrryth seems to be okay, pivoting with the armored warrior, throwing her around and down hard, slamming her heavy armor on the ground. She coughs, but he doesn’t relent. He rips her helmet off, revealing her to be, in fact, a drakyk. He grips her neck, slamming her head against the floor. Her body tenses a moment, relaxing to a silent rest.

Gyrryth pants, stating, “Lykha, if you have-...”

“I’m on it!” The young fairy darts to the bleeding centurion’s head, using the last of her magic for her healing spell. Coco hugs the wall as she sneaks past the drakyk woman, murmuring, “We’re a silly party, healing our enemies half the tocks.”

Gyrryth whispers, “She is not our enemy. She is just at risk being our ally.”

Coco nods with a shrug, “Yeah yeah. Doesn’e mean we no’ bein’ silly.”

Lykha finishes, saying, “I’m not a doctor, of course, but the spell’s working. She should be okay.”

Gyrryth nods. “Thank you. Let’s keep moving. Our quarry is clearly not here.”

The other three nod, and they work their way back up to the service hallway. They hurry to the entrance of the church, making their way out quickly.

Outside, Maerin teases, “Soooo… Gyrryth… Eandenui…”

The lizardman scoffs. “Junior colleague during my days in the Holy Order.”

“You served in this city?” asks Lykha curiously.

“Not exactly. Holy Order mages -clerics, paladins, spellshots, and centurions included- serve where we are needed.”

Maerin doesn’t drop the teasing just yet, “She seemed cute.”

“The princess has enough of a head start that the Holy Order lost track of her…”

“Hey! Don’t ignore me!”

Lykha smiles at Maerin when she makes a face, but follows along with Gyrryth, “Where would she go, then, if not home?”

Maerin sighs, answering the question, “She’s alone, just escaped kidnapping, and doesn’t know who she can trust. She’s on the street somewhere.”

Coco points out, “Entire goobforce is lookin’ for her, too, though, seems like.” She points subtly, and they follow her gesture. There is a squad of armored agents with several more moderately clothed agents, who seem to be searching the area. The teen scoffs, “She’d be dumber’n a goob on’a prickletree to hide near this brickbox.”

Lykha pouts, “I miss angelic Coco already…”

The teen retorts sassily, “You hear her for five ticks!”

“I felt a real bond with her…”

Gyrryth replies, “She’s not wrong, though. Our quarry would not stand a chance hiding here.”

Lykha tries to think. How are they supposed to find her? The city is massive, and there are thousands of people just near the church, let alone every other level. The princess is presumably an orphan, scared and alone, who did not originate in the palace, and earned the ire of the church. They might as well be chasing Coco around the city.

That gives the young fairy an idea.

“Coco! Where would you go?”

“Wha’? You lose what thinkin’ blob you had, Tricksie?”

“I’m serious. Teen girl trying to escape the only area she knows. Where would you be headed at least?”

Coco crosses her arms as she thinks. “Dunno. Away, methinks.” She looks around, looking at the palace and then the church. She then looks in a direction away from them. She points, “I’d prob’ly start toein’ that way.” She looks up at Gyrryth, who nods. “We should return to the palace, though, to report our findings to the prince. It isn’t much, but we do appear to be connecting dots being hidden intentionally.”

The group nods in agreement, and they make their way back to the palace, asking for Prince Tomoba. He meets them in the lobby, inviting them to walk around the palace. He asks, highly aware of his surroundings, “Anything?”

Gyrryth replies quietly, “More clues adding evidence to your theory. But,...” He hesitates. Coco bluntly fills in, “She done tippied out their brick cave.”

Tomoba looks at Gyrryth and the fairies for help, and Lykha whispers, “If we found the right place, the princess seems to have escaped. And, we think… ‘they’ are trying to search for her quietly.”

“E-Escaped!? We have to find her first!”

Maerin retorts, “Easier said than done. Any ideas where she would go to hide?”

The young prince paces around in a worried panic. He tries to think, but is clearly running through too many things to actually have a cognitive thought.

Maerin tries to calm him down, “Relax, uh, Prince… She’s out. Now we just have to find her.”

Lykha tries to hover in front of him to get his attention, “Prince Tomoba, please relax and talk to us. Anywhere? Anything you can think of? Somewhere she ran away to, somewhere she liked to play as a kid?”

He scoffs, slowing to a stop finally. “She still IS a kid.” He looks at each of the four, still thinking, but trying to calm himself.

His eyes widen as he makes a realization. “There is a place…” He glances around. “Follow me.”

The prince leads the group quickly out of the palace. Lykha notices the Prince, Gyrryth, and even Maerin seem to be looking around ‘casually’, but continuously. The young fairy tries to look around as well, but all she sees are the hundreds of people milling around in lines of bodies, shuffling about in an almost trance.

It makes Lykha rather uncomfortable. She’s used to having to watch her own back at this point, because many individuals around were eyeing her up eagerly for a chance at her wish. These people, many of whom have probably never seen a fairy, barely seem to acknowledge her existence. As much as she dislikes it, she represents the fulfillment of any selfish desire a person could have, from unlimited wealth to unlimited power. And yet, none of the citizens of the city seem to even care. They seem worn down, if anything; soulless and drained of individuality and life, existing for the purpose of keeping the city running another day.

As dangerous and terrifying as her life can get, the freedom and adventure Lykha has experienced in just a few short months with treasured friends has far outweighed any of the fear she felt.

Prince Tomoba leads the four monster hunters down to the next lower level of the city using the trolley. Even on the trolley, though, Maerin, Gyrryth, and Tomoba seem to be hyper-alert to everyone around them. Lykha realizes they must be afraid they’re being followed, likely by agents of the Holy Order.

As the trolley carries them down, Coco murmurs in amazement as she approaches the window, “Whoa… Tha’s the mos’ green I e’er seen…” Lykha looks where the teen is looking. It’s nowhere near her village, but true enough, there appears to be a large oasis, filled with grass, bushes, flowers, and trees.

Tomoba explains, “That’s the nature park. That’s where we’re headed.”

“Nature… park?” asks Coco curiously.

He smiles, “Mm-hmm. Birds, and small animals live there, and citizens can walk through it to relax. Mari likes to find a secluded spot and listen to the birds.”

Coco looks at Lykha, unsure. The young fairy replies softly, “Mini versions of the nightenmael. Smaller than me.”

The girl’s eyes widen. “There be li’l flaps HERE?”

Tomoba nods, seemingly surprised that Coco’s never seen a bird before.

The five exit the trolley and walk along the crowded street towards the park. There are even more people milling around on the second level of the city. While they are still much more clean and elegant than the typical townsperson from the desert, they have an air about them that suggest a lower status than those on the higher level. They seem to have some purpose, but still have the same drained expressions and routine-like trance auras about them.

Lykha asks Gyrryth, “Why does everyone seem to be… I dunno… kinda dead…?”

The lizardman looks around, but it is Maerin that answers, “Price of safety. They exist to work and are told when and what they can do.”

Gyrryth nods, “Indeed.”

Tomoba replies softly, “It’s… Resources have to be… If people…”

He doesn’t finish any of his thoughts, probably realizing that the four desert wanderers with him know better than most the need to conserve resources and be mindful of the dangerous behaviors of others. He finishes as he trails off, “It’s how it’s always been…”

The old spellshot adds, “No one is forced to stay, but many don’t have any other options, or are simply afraid of venturing out. Many who do perish in the desert. Others perish when monsters hunt their domiciles. The villages walk a delicate line.”

Coco murmurs dryly, “Be’er’an sittin’ aroun’ waitin’ for the clock to tock its las’.”

“I would agree, Fiery One. Such is why we inevitably met.”

She grins.

The moment is short lived, though. The group tenses when a deep voice bellows, “Clear the way!” They look, and a squad of Holy Order agents in their heavy armor stomp towards them. Lykha notices Gyrryth slide his hands under his jacket, and Maerin starts inspecting the contents of her small shoulder bag.

However, the warriors stomp by, seemingly without noticing them. They are headed for the park as well, but seem to be running as fast as their heavy armor will allow, ordering the civilians to move or shoving them out of the way. Further away, another squad of the armored clerics and centurions can be seen similarly bolting for the park.

Tomoba cries out, “They’ve found her! We have to hurry!”

Gyrryth nods, drawing a pair of his spelldusters. “Lead the way! Our only chance is the shortest route!”

“Right! Stay close!”

Tomoba runs forward, and Gyrryth follows, checking over his shoulder for Coco. The girl is awkwardly trying to run in her dress, but she calls out, “Fas’er! Fas’er! Tricksie can find ye if I lose ya!”

The teen pulls out her shocker, ready to stun or electrocute anyone that tries to grab her or the young fairy. She does her best to keep Gyrryth in sight, but is very quickly falling behind. A certain liveliness is in the civilians now, as they murmur and complain about the Holy Order soldiers that barreled by.

BOOM!

Coco stumbles and falls when the entire ground shakes, evidenced by the civilians that also stumble and fall around them. Lykha quickly asks, “Coco! Are you okay!?”

“Yeah! But, wha’ causin’ the timbers!?”

It wasn’t an explosion. It felt like a massive impact with the ground, sending tremors all the way across the city.

Soon after, though, a loud, piercing roar fills the air, rattling windows and doors, seemingly trembling the air itself, and dropping everyone to a kneel from the sheer volume, even as far away as the origin seems to be.

But, it’s not just the volume that sends a chill up Lykha’s spine. It’s a spine-tingling fear; a deep-rooted instinct that causes her heart to race and her skin to crawl. Her blood feels like it’s draining from her, and she feels unbearably cold. Something primal and deep within her soul has Lykha in the truest state of fear she has ever known.

A blue magical burst of energy explodes from behind and above the two girls, and a bolt of energy races across the air towards the park. It came from a castle-like battlement disguised as a simple tower building, but there appear to be mages and magical equipment inside, firing powerful amplified spells towards the park. Another tower beyond the park fires a similar magical shot.

The roar pierces the air again, but this time, the terror renews for the young fairy.

A jet of fire cuts through the air like a lightning bolt of orange, blue, and white, momentarily connecting the tower to the park. However, the origin is clearly the park, as the tower explodes in a violent burst of fire and human and drakyk screams. In seconds, the huge magical battlement is reduced to rubble.

It sinks in for the civilians as quickly as anyone else; they’re in danger. The people scream and trip over each other, scrambling to flee away from the park. Coco hugs Lykha instinctively, partially protecting the small fairy, and partially for her own comfort.

The teen deftly dodges civilians running as she tries to find Gyrryth, Maerin, and Tomoba.

Lykha can’t speak. She can’t think. She can’t breathe. She’s never felt so scared in her life. She doesn’t even know what it is, but a deep, instinctual fear doesn’t seem to need any further evidence.

Another jet of fire rips through the air, sweeping across a vast swath of buildings, and explosions erupt as the buildings are instantly melted and destroyed by the unimaginably powerful flames.

The monster roars again, and broad wings swoop through the smoke and fog as the creature lifts into the air. Another tower from somewhere fires at the creature, and the magic blast impacts it, but it only stumbles in the air, quickly turning into a dive down the side of the city over the edge of the current level.

“Anotha flyin’ monsty!? We gotta fin’ the others fas’!” She jogs forward, carrying Lykha. She doesn’t realize the young fairy’s terrified gaze is locked on the horizon where the monster just dove over the edge.

Coco jogs forward until a deep voice calls out, “Coco!” She looks, finding Gyrryth, Tomoba, and Maerin taking cover between a couple buildings. She jogs towards them, and Gyrryth pulls Coco’s arm quickly to get her into cover. She asks, “Wha’ was that!?”

“I am uncertain. The only thing it seems to be should be impossible.”

Tomoba cries, “Maribel! We have to find out if Maribel is okay!”

The monster’s roar fills the air again, and fire explodes on the horizon of the city level they’re on, indicating likely the tower that just fired at it being obliterated. The air is full of screams, the crackling of fires and buildings collapsing, and the echoing roars of the monster.

“We have to leave!” The voice breaking into fearful pleas is a surprising one; the younger of the two fairies present. “P-Please! W-We have to go! We can’t stay!” She tries to squirm out of Coco’s arms. Lykha is frantically pleading quickly and desperately.

Tomoba pleads, “Please! We have to find Maribel!”

Coco looks at Maerin and Gyrryth. Fleeing civilians are stampeding by, making it difficult to go in any direction.

The monster’s roar bellows from far away, but the glow grows closer.

Gyrryth shouts, “GET DOWN!”

He dives onto the prince as Coco dives to the ground with Lykha.

The heat and screams become stifling as the monster rockets overhead, blasting its devastating flame down on the lane just beyond the minimal safety of the alleyway.

Molten stone and metal bubbles and sizzles as the creature’s massive form continues around the ring of the city level.

Lykha is crying now, whimpering, “Please… Please we have to go…”

“What coughs candlesnatch!?” asks Coco loudly over the turmoil.

The two seniors are quiet, and Lykha cries.

Gyrryth murmurs quietly, “According to legends… the only thing it could be is a…”

“D-D-Dragon…” whimpers the younger fairy.

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