Drade knew the streets of Changeton well, and with the help of Luuko, he knew they could navigate with ease. So when a random blockade of police cars blocked their path, Drauko figured they could put that knowledge to use. They discovered a new roadblock quickly.

Drade recognized the creature before them, a creature that called itself a ‘nymph.’ It was extremely dangerous, and he wasn’t prepared to fight it. Before he could warn his soulbound partner, she moved their body, pulling their gun from their pocket, hoping to save the man the creature was about to snack on.

BANG!

The creature stopped what it was doing, despite the fact that the gunshot likely was nothing more than an easily repaired scratch, and screamed, “OW! WHO DID THAT!?”

“Let that man go, monster!” Luuko screamed.

In his surprise, Drade chose to speak out loud to Luuko, still unused to the possession. “What are you doing Luuko! Why didn’t you just turn tail and call up someone who could actually fight?!”

“We can’t just let that guy die!” Luuko responded.

“Of course we can.”

They began speaking in their head.

Drade thought, She’s a Nymph, and she has way more magic than you’ve dealt with before!

So what? We can’t let some random dude get eaten alive! I won’t allow it! Luuko thought back.

The two made sure they weren’t in immediate danger and were thankful to see that Onei was stalling for time against the Nymph.

Drade continued, Well, since this is the choice you’ve made, we need to back it up. One way or another, we need to run.

Can’t fight..? Luuko thought, sending feelings of exhaustion to Drade.

With the right help, or maybe time... Drade exchanged a feeling of hope with Luuko.

What do you mean by this?

I think...I can call a certain someone and see if she’s nearby, but in the meantime, I need you to do something...

From there, they discussed their plan.

Kai’Vra smiled crookedly at them, “I went to a few salons back in my day to witness your ‘philosophy’. I was turned down at each door because I wasn’t a man, so I ate them. Though the spirit has a point, I would love to cut to the chase and kill all of you, if I have fulfilled my quota of pleasantries.”

Luuko moved their leg across the ground in a circle, and Drade began channeling light magic onto the ground it touched. “I’d like to make a phone call before you kill me, actually,” Drade said, showing his phone to the nymph before beginning to type on it.

“Of course! But don’t think that will save you, if you try to run I will give no more mercy, unlike the last time we met.”

Luuko drew another circle across the ground. Drade could use magic, huh? Why didn’t he use it more often?

After a few seconds of exploiting the nymph’s thoughtful mercy, Drade put the phone to their ear, “Hi Lumia, where are you right now?”

Luuko dragged the tip of their shoe across the ground in another circle.

A high-pitched childish voice came through the phone, someone Drade had called ‘Lumia’ “Drade, Drade! You called!”

Drauko motioned another circle...

“Yep, I did,” Drade said, sounding pained.

Drauko moved their shoe across the ground in a Z motion...slowly, she realized Drade was putting in the input for their leg to shake, fighting against Luuko’s attempts to draw neat Z’s. Why are you doing that?!

A metaphysical grunt was his response.

The child on the other side of the phone realized Drade wouldn’t have called recreationally. She sounded disappointed at the harsh truth. “...I guess you didn’t want to talk to me...you just c-called for help?” Kai’Vra narrowed her eyes as the sentence ended as if she heard what was said.

Drauko drew another Z...

“Yeah, where are you?”

“I’m still in Brazil, you know.”

Luuko could feel Drade’s voice quiver, “Too bad I sent you there, I guess. Could I ask for an orbital strike, then?”

The plants grew closer to them, the grass and ivy holding themselves in the air with restless writhing as if anticipating the chance to kill.

“Not unless you know your exact coordinates. If you’re in the city, there would have to be collateral damage.”

Luuko drew the third Z with difficulty, the trembling at its max.

Drade finished speaking over the phone, “Well, that’s disappointing. Hope to see you later.” Once he finished speaking and hung up, they began breathing hard, for what Luuko could only call ‘no apparent reason.’

Kai’Vra took a step forward. Her voice grew deep and ominous, “Why and how are you using magic, human? Have you taken an apprenticeship as a...a druid!?”

Drade looked at her with confusion. “What are you talking about? This is a ritual humans can do before we die. Would you let me sing the chant of wind?” They had almost escaped...

Kai’Vra shrugged, still with a laser focus on Drauko. “Do this chant, sure.”

Drade shrugged unsteadily. No way she was dumb enough to fall for it. “Well, here goes nothing. Let’s hope I haven’t forgotten the words...” He kneeled, then clasped his hands together...

“Elemental of Wind, bringer of storms,

Singer of Life, Soft Caress of Weathered Cliffs...

Wind of Rest, carry my burden of regret,

above the mountains,

through the valleys,

and over the hill,

carry my regrets to my grave, so I may live with the wind at my back.”

Luuko grabbed Onei’s hand, causing her to jump in surprise, “EEP!”. Then, they blew on the glowing circles.

“Had your last words?” Kai’Vra said

Drauko held their arms out and tilted their head, “Of course not!”

In an instant, Drauko and Onei blasted off down the road in a burst of speed.

Then, a plant monster followed. Kai’Vra ran after them down the sidewalk, and as she did, her flesh turned to green fibers, and she grew tall enough to almost dwarf the buildings she ran beside. Her steps rattled the ground, the tremors keeping them aware of her chase even as she

She can do that!?

I guess so.

Well, no wonder we ran!

Luuko why did you just try to yawn?

Sorry, I get tired when I talk to people.

They stopped looking back while Onei feverishly tried to keep up with their life-or-death dash, intimidated by the monster despite her immortality. “Not the person we wanted to meeeesss with!”

“You don’t say!”

Drade knew the city well, but what he knew just as well as the sewers. He, admittedly, feared them, but they were incredibly useful tools when backed into a corner.

As the plant monster chased them into another street, swiftly outpacing them as the triple spell wore off, Drauko ducked down, lifted a sewer lid, then dropped down. Onei did so with less grace but managed to get beneath and close it before the monster saw them.

Drauko didn’t waste time taking out their cellphone light.

Realizing how close she was to the dirty waters, Onei quickly hugged the surprisingly clean wall. It was murky, of course, but a strangely nice waterway. Onei still managed to complain about it, though, “Eww, did it have to be the sewers?”

“Would you rather die?”

“Yes, actually.”

“You shouldn’t give your life so little value.” Drauko began running down the sewer hall.

Onei rolled her eyes and reluctantly followed while noticing the monster’s tremors had paused. “I can’t even die.”

“She must be so sad.”

“Why are you talking like I’m not here?”

“She doesn’t look the part, though,” Drade noted. He quickly digressed, “It will figure out where we went, pick up the speed.” Drauko began running at a more steady pace. “And stay quiet, or that thing could be the last of our worries.”

“What does that mean?” Onei whispered.

“I don’t know.”

“How self-assured. So where are we running to?”

“My school,” Luuko said. “Where else?”

“While you’re being chased by a plant monster!? I feel like there are better times for that!”

“Hey, Drade says it’s the best option.”

“That figures-hey, where did your light go?” Pitch darkness.

“...”

“D-drade?” Onei looked left and right, feeling the air in front of herself, searching for her companion. “W-where are you?”

There was a dim light in the corner of Onei’s vision. Just as she turned her head, it vanished, leaving her in darkness.

“I...I can’t see you!” she squeaked in fear.

Something flickered on the edge of her vision again, and when she turned her head...

A torn white robe hung on some hunched creature. The light disappeared.

“D-Drade? Luuko?!”

“Dark.” a quiet, close voice said.

“AHH! Who said that?” Onei kept her back against the wall, a primal fear controlling her.

“Dark.”

“G-get...get away...”

“Your life. It is cruel.”

Onei remained silent, her breath shaking as the atmosphere grew cold.

“He cursed you. So too, am I cursed. With undeath.”

Onei saw that same hunched figure glowing in the darkness of the sewer, but each time she turned her head to look closer, it vanished.

“We are undying. We are tools. We thrive on...excitement...” It said with a devious laugh. “Do you. Want. To die?”

Onei hugged herself, trying to stay warm. “I-I-”

She turned to the light again and could see it in full, an old woman with numerous stab wounds in her chest, a half-melted face that had melded with her robe, and only one eye, built of iron cables, staring at her with a red glow. It began to walk towards her, its wrecked sandals making no sound on the cold stone. Onei’s gaze was brought to its eye...and in its reflection...she saw a stake impaled in her head, a content smile on her face.

“Do. You.”

“No!” Onei screamed.

“Want.”

“No!”

“To...” its voice grew crooked and muddled as it walked close like it was speaking from below the sewer water.

“NO!”

“Die?” It stopped, then reached out its hand, moving it towards Onei’s chest.

“Snap out of it!” Drauko slapped Onei, bringing her to consciousness.

She was short of breath, hyperventilating. “We need to go, NOW!” Luuko yelled at her and took her hand.

“What-”

“I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but we need to go, quickly!”

“But-”

Drauko ran off, dragging Onei with them.

Kai’Vra quickly snapped into human form after she lost the pair.

What magic was that?

She knew they were strange humans, but this...between their seeming lack of self-preservation and strange magic, she knew something was different about them. At first, she thought they were in cahoots with the druids, but...they weren’t.

Enough of the pondering. She needed to find them. Kai’Vra first looked around herself. Perhaps they had entered a nearby store?

She walked to the entrance of each plausible store and sniffed the air.

Nothing.

She shrugged. Clearly, they were more clever than she’d previously assumed. How fun, so her prey thought themselves smarter than her?

No, they weren’t getting away if she had to chase them to new york.

After some sniffing around, she smelt that strange boy’s scent once more, that unearthly scent...just what was he?

As she lifted the metal lid, shedding light upon the musty underground. Kai’Vra salivated, thinking of the secrets she could learn from them. What was gluttony, after all, but a deep hunger...for wisdom?