#kryyk

Part 5: Packing Up, Shacking Up

Cyras: 60000 Soul Points.

Rosod: 60000 Soul Points

Rosod said, "I'll start the game by playing Psyche Tower. That gives 6 Psychic Tower. I end my turn." While brief, this was a standard start of the game, before anyone really had Fighters they could play.

Cyras said, "I draw. I play Burning Tower and gain 6 Fire Tower. I pay all six to Call Fire Starter." She put down a wolf in a robe of flames, her first fighter. Fighters couldn't attack the first turn they were Called.

Fire Starter: 6000/2000/6/2

"Fire Starter lets me draw a card. Next, I end my turn." At the end of the turn began the build step, where each Fighter gave the owner Tower. Cyras' tower went from 0 - 2 Fire.

Baynana said, "I'm betting on Rosod. She's smarter."

Lilu said, "Don't just blurt that out!"

Ahmond put a paw on Lilu and said, "Be gentle. She's just a little direct and honest. That's okay."

"Not in this case."

Rosod said, "I play another Psyche Tower. Now I have 12 Psychic Tower."

Baynana said, "You know, they once played this game in Sweetpunk."

"Sweetpunk?" Ahmond asked.

"That's a comic book," Lilu said. "That's all she blabs about."

Rosod said, "Oh don't insult anyone Lilu, or else you'll get Cyras angry." That shot was supposed to hurt Cyras, but the fox remained calm.

"I think you still misunderstand the lesson. I don't care if you're negative. Same as how I don't care if Lilu pulls pranks. But there's something said about being capable of showing sympathy, empathy, and niceness. And also knowing someone else has feelings."

Rosod said, "I end my turn."

Cyras said, "I draw. I'll play Earth Tower, so I gain 6 Nature. Next, I play Song of Earth by paying 2 Nature, so now I can play two Tower cards this turn. Burning Tower is next for more Fires. I attack with Fire Starter."

She quickly slammed down another card.

"Scrappy Weasel's ability. I can return Fire Starter to my hand, and Weasel attacks as a mimic. By mimicking Fire Starter, I can use Fire Starter's ability, meaning I draw a card on the Call of Weasel."

Scrappy Weasel: 4000/3000/4/2

Rosod hummed.

Rosod: 60000 - 56000.

"And next I play Fire Starter. Again I draw. I end my turn." Her Fire Tower became 4, and her Nature Tower 2.

Ahmond said, "Cyras played a combo that let her draw three cards so far. She's really keeping up that advantage."

Rosod said, "I play Divining, so I mill the top three cards of my Stack. Next, I pick one I like, and I play Haunting Melody." A ghost on a b-flat appeared.

Haunting Melody: 7000/4000/7/3

"I'll follow up with Psycho Slayer. By paying 3 Psychic Tower, I can attack this turn with all Fighters I played this turn."

"I attack and she brings 2 Note Tokens."

Note Tokens 3000/3000.

A token wasn't an actual card, but instead represented the idea of a real card that could attack. Rosod denoted them with two candy wrappers.

The rules of battle in this Towers match were:

-All Fighters attack at once.

-Fighters can only attack if they're in the front row.

-Fighters in the back row cannot attack or be attacked unless there are none in the front row.

-Only three Fighters can be in either player's Front Row.

-Cyras must Block as many attacks as possible, with Fighters in her front row, by putting Fighters to meet each Fighter.

-If a creature excels another's Shield with their Strength, that creature is defeated, and that player takes damage equal to the difference.

Cyras had to block the attacks and only had two Fighters. With a grunt, she put forth Fire Starter against Haunting Melody and Scrappy Weasel against a token.

As Melody had 7000 Strength versus the 2000 Shield of Fire Starter, Cyras took 5000 Damage. However, Scrappy Weasel inflicted more damage against the token, but both defeated each other as their Strengths met each others' shields. Rosod lost 1000.

The last note token wasn't blocked and hit Cyras.

Cyras: 52000

Rosod: 55000.

Lilu said, "I hate Haunting Melody. Honestly, I hate anyone who makes all of these tokens or replicators."

Baynana asked, "How do you stop one?"

"Usually you have to stop the replicator, but by that point, they'll already be a swarm. This game has very few mass measures."

Cyras said, "I pay 2 Nature Tower, and that evolves Song of Earth. Now all my Fighters gain 1000 Strength and 1000 Shield. My turn, I play another Nature Tower. I play Warden of the Verdant."

(1000- 2000/7000 - 8000/6/3)

Her wooden shield Fighter appeared.

"I end my turn. Song of Earth's boost ends."

Cyras gained 3 Nature Tower for 3 total.

Rosod said, "My turn. I play Psyche Tower."

Ahmond muttered, "She has twelve tower now."

"I play Superboost Psionic Knight."

5000/5000/6/2

Her next Fighter was a giant boombox with arms and legs and a sword. "All Fighters of mine gain 2000, 2000."

7000/4000 - 9000/6000

5000/5000 - 7000/7000

3000/3000 - 5000/5000

"I attack with all."

Cyras said, "Verdant blocks the Note." However Verdant didn't have the Strength that will defeat Note.

Cyras: 45000

Cyras: 36000

Rosod said, "Two more Note Tokens in my back row. I gain 4 Tower." Now she was at 17.

Cyras said, "Well I play Burning Tower, and now... Burn Wyrm."

10000/10000/10/4.

Lilu said, "Cyras' ace Fighter."

Cyras said, "I instant a card, and end my turn. Burn Wyrm inflicts 5000 damage to both of us." Instant a card meant putting the card face down in the Instant Zone so she could play on her opponent's turn or her own.

Cyras: 31000

Rosod: 50000.

Rosod said, "For 4 Psychic Tower, I play Sleep Disorder, which puts Burn Wyrm to Sleep. Now he and Verdant can't defend. All my Fighters attack."

Cyras: 26000

Cyras: 17000

Cyras: 10000

"I gain 2 more Note Tokens as Haunting Melody attacked. I now have seven Fighters. Burn Wyrm inflicts damage."

Cyras: 5000

Rosod: 45000.

Ahmond said, "Looks dire."

Baynana said, "Cyras has lost this. She can't win without getting rid of Burn Wyrm."

Cyras said, "I play Wyrm's Breath. One of my Fire Dragons destroys any Fighter with less Shield than their Strength, and I take 5000 damage for each. I play my Instant, Reverser."

Lilu said, "That's how she beat me at the tournament, by flipping the damage back."

"So you take 35000 damage Rosod."

Rosod: 10000.

Rosod said, "No way..."

Cyras said, "Warden of the Verdant and Burn Wyrm attack."

Rosod: 0.

Rosod crumpled her face in her paws. "I can't believe that I lost. Against someone who barely knows how this game even works."

"I play the game every day."

"I don't see any of you playing anymore. I thought you all stopped after Lilu lost in the tournament."

"We just play over at the palace," Cyras said.

"Wait, Lilu and Ahmond are allowed over at the palace?" Rosod asked.

Cyras saw a glint in Rosod's eyes as the weasel looked away, ashamed, and wondered about something she never thought about before. Rosod lived beyond her scope. And she, Rosod's.

She was about to ask Rosod if she wanted to join N:Era. She was already a major player and part of the team but was never officially on the payroll.

However, Rosod got out of her seat. "I'm gonna sleep."

Somewhere in the darkness, Cyras wondered what she lost.

***

Owlis told Kryyk, without staring at him, "You are an ascended."

They entered another drawing room, with all four seasonal cousins upon the wall. "This is the Hall of Legends, and we're in the room of the four seasons."

Pushing a button on a project, Owlis put a movie on the ceiling. Kryyk saw rain falling down, and thought he would get wet until he realized this was an illusion. The room flooded with hologram water.

"Before there was only chaos. Then, Time, the first fox, stepped down."

A clock's hands spun. "Our parents were the cycles, and when I was born, there was the possibility of something different. Before, grass would always grow and flowers would bloom randomly, but I let them wither. Ryvoh created a period of growth and life. Snofall created a period of ice and sleet, and Sumhyr created a period of heat."

"In the beginning, there was only darkness." A figure swam through the ocean, before arising. "In the beginning, there was only Despair."

The room went dark before a flash of lightning occurred. "I slayed through Despair, and from that, we came together, the cousins of Fall." Her portrait lit up purple. "Spring." Ryvoh's portrait lit up pink. "Winter." A white light fell on a white fox. "And Summer." A fox with gold fur was lit up.

"We created Wysdom. From this point, we ruled over four distinct regions of Wysdom. I ruled the central world of Wysdom, however, Sumhyr would rule over the lands of the West. Ryvoh would rule the lands on the east known as Rosaberg. And Snofall ruled over Wyrmhome. At one point, we soon ended up ruling the entirety of Voto and Vytyl. This eternal kingdom could not be forever, and we began reducing ourselves. Now we are simply six kingdoms and Lavandar."

Kryyk tilted his head. "So you're Ryvoh's cousin, meaning you're... my cousin."

"Cyras is your first cousin, once removed," Owlis said at Kryyk. "All of us are Ascended, the nature gods. I am unaware of both of your aspects, but when you were born, you were stolen away.

"A kingdom is lost. Right in the wilds that you've trekked your entire life. Sumhyr originally owned the seventh kingdom, but that fell during a civil war."

"A war?" Kryyk asked.

Visions of thousands of warriors filled the room. Kryyk was seeing beyond what he could ever envision as he saw wolves trampling over each other, and being thrown down in battle as spears flew.

"I dislike war."

Lightning strikes fell, smiting dozens, as an illusory Owlis stood over a cliff.

Part 4: Will Kryyk Ever Win (No)

Special thanks to KIERAL for Russian Translations for the Violetian language.

The windows of Empress' Palace glowed purple from intense lightning launched at a blue fox.

Kryyk ran through several hallways, nearly tripping on stairs, and jumping over banisters.

Owlis was enjoying the hunt, taking her time. She strolled down the first few steps, and from her first peek at the lower floor, saw a fox who was now trembling underneath a nightstand.

She sent a fireball. Kryyk ran out of the way before the explosion occurred.

The flames died as Owlis walked by. She wielded a pommel of a sword in her mouth, the sharp end crackling with lightning.

Kryyk entered a foyer full of paintings, which had Owlis and Ryvoh and two foxes he didn't know. He paused. Why was his sister on the wall?

He felt something hot near his tail

With a yelp, he jumped out of the way of more flames.

Kryyk stumbled into a room with a grand piano, but there were no door exits. He scratched at the expensive white wallpapers, as Owlis slid into the room.

Owlis slashed with her sword.

Kryyk jumped through the wall.

As both occurred, Kryyk got himself lodged halfway in the wall as Owlis slashed the back of his clothes. His drop-seat dropped. Owlis' raised a brow. "Hmph."

Kryyk felt a slash. Squeaking, he pushed against the wall and pulled himself into another room.

"I have a deposit on this armor I have to pay back, you know!"

"Armor?" Owlis blinked. "Oh, my poor misled child."

Kryyk stumbled near a chair in the mostly green room.

"I actually had tea with Cyras at one point in this room."

"Cyras?" Kryyk asked. "She's still alive."

Owlis' lip curled, then she laughed. "You must be Kryyk, the brother of Ryvoh."

"All I know is you took Ryvoh's life!" Kryyk said.

"We began a brawl," Owlis said, "and I'm not sure how many details after that you witnessed, but I assure you anything I did was in self-defence."

"Why is Ryvoh's portrait on the walls?" Kryyk asked.

Owlis said, "We have much we should talk about. But first, you. Where have you been, and what do you know about where Cyras has been?" She laid on her belly, arms crossed. "Make this story interesting."

Kryyk scanned for an escape but found he wouldn't outrun her anyway.

***

Kryyk and Cyras pushed against each other, grabbing the other's paws with their own, and screaming in their faces. Kryyk tried pushing against the older fox, having more size and power, but she twisted and brought him down.

Kryyk shot up.

Ryvoh, who examined the battle, said, "Now lass, you did good. Kryyk, ya got caught flatfooted."

Cyras said, with a wink, "Don't worry, if Civics ever come here, I'll stab them with a claw," she poked Kryyk on the snout. "And bite their faces." Before Cyras could lick his nose, Kryyk headbutted her in the gut, knocking her on her butt. Ryvoh nodded in approval as Cyras stuck her tongue out.

Later that night, a couple of Civics came by, a hyena and coywolf. Ryvoh spared them, but as they left, so did Cyras. "Civics must have tracked us down," Ryvoh said as she paced back and forth.

Kryyk folded his ears. He had been hunting while the Civics were here, and now his lifelong playmate and family member was gone, perhaps never coming back. "What happens now?"

"We'll play by ear," Ryvoh told him.

***

Kryyk smelled a familiar scent, and a hopeful flutter filled him as he knew that scent was Cyras. He traipsed through some ferns.

"Cyras, is that you?"

Cyras froze but relaxed. However, she was covered in bruises and burns.

"Kryyk." Both butted noses and embraced. "Take me to Ryvoh."

"You look horrible," Kryyk said as he looked her over. Some of her newfound marks resembled electrical burns, as were seen on trees, and she even had a few blisters.

She nodded. "Yeah, I got into a scrap."

Kryyk had many questions but wanted to introduce her back into wildness slow. "My sister and I have been trying to find you for a while now." He leaned against her. He paused and refused to speak for a couple of minutes, though they felt like hours. "Where have you been?"

"I was just-"

"Where have ya been!?"

Ryvoh pounced upon them, glaring at Cyras for her betrayal. Kryyk backed up.

"Well, I was just about to answer that." Cyras smiled faintly. "I was in the society. Sorry."

"If you were sorry, I thought ya'd come back sooner," Ryvoh said, and rolled her eyes. "I oughta give ya forty lashes, lass, except, you look beat. As in, like someone actually gave you a beating."

Cyras stared at the ground. "The Civics. I talked to a couple of them, the ones we had over, and I followed their scents. They taught me about card games, and they showed me food, and they were really hospitable. Until..." Cyras pawed the grass. "They treated me like I was an idiot and they thought I was their pet."

A pet was a horrible fate. Civics treating Wilders like they were toys. Kryyk nuzzled her again, showing her tenderness.

Ryvoh sighed, "Well at least you're back now. What did they do to you?"

"They made fun of me for not knowing anything. They also were planning to pull pranks on me, one even shot me in the bottom with water from a fountain of sorts. Basically, any way to make me look indignant."

Ryvoh nodded with a growl. "Yer safer here than you were out there. Aye, sorry to hear what happened, but this lesson was expected, my girl." Cyras flinched at the last two words. "Who hurt you?"

"Some leader of their society." Cyras said, "Empress Owlis.”

"Get out."

"Huh?"

Kryyk stared at his older sister in shock, his jaw dropped, and Ryvoh repeated, "Leave. Forever, you're part of them now." Ryvoh screamed at her, "Get out!" She blew a bubble, and Cyras dashed away in flames.

Ryvoh shouted, "CYRAS SUMHYR, GO AWAY!"

Kryyk pushed at Ryvoh. "What in the world are you doing?" But Ryvoh pushed him back.

"I am doing what is best for us."

Kryyk never questioned Ryvoh after that point, knowing that anything he said could be the end of him as well.

For the next week or so he remained silent.

***

Without Cyras, life became quieter. Ryvoh told him she wanted to take a walk with him, and they trudged past trees. Sometimes they moved from place to place in the wild, where the hunting was good.

"Um, Ryvoh..."

Upon her glare, Kryyk shrunk.

He heard the sound of rushing water getting closer. Then, he saw a bunch of wooden planks fused together, making a floating platform. He poked with his claw. "This is new."

Ryvoh smiled at him, an empty, faint smile. "Aye, Kryyk, I love you."

Kryyk blinked at her. He didn't feel entirely assured as she had just flipped out on Cyras literally a week ago, but also, she never said the love word.

Ryvoh blew a bubble that encased him. He gasped and pounded on the bubble, but she floated him into the boat.

"Ryvoh! Ryvoh! What's going on with you?"

She pushed the boat and the stream floated him away.

***

Once he was outcast by Ryvoh, he stumbled on a shore. Several lizards stood over him, and they had him registered within the town hall.

Within, several violets as he later learned their names, talked with him. They were known as Scouts, with the highest of scouts being known as the druid, the caretakers of nature.

Giant buildings sprawled around him as did even taller trees, for this town was a monument of nature. Their work with clay let them build near infinitely high and they even connected these amalgamations with bridges.

Not everyone was so nice.

A lizard child held up Kryyk under his arms, but the fox drove claws into his wrists, as the other child picked up a piece of wheat.

Scraping his fox feet against the lizard's scales, Kryyk tried to escape.

The violet child gasped and growled. "Ох, ты мерзкий." (oh, you vile) but the boy reasserted his grip around Kryyk's waist and belly.

However, that was when a taller, slender lizard walked up. Known as the "druid". Both boys froze.

Sliva shouted at the boys, "Да что с вами обоими козявка-едами не так!” (You kids are better, more well-trained than that.) She whip-cracked her tail on the ground, whipping up some mud as the boys dropped him.

"И в следующий раз, когда вы двое приблизитесь к нему, я сверну ваши маленькие шейки", (And this occurrence ends, perhaps I'll tell your parents, so they, will ground you) she shouted at them.

Kryyk stood on all fours as Sliva picked him up gently and put him around her shoulders. Sliva and Kryyk arrived at a cabin, where he was put in a towel and given a cup of hot tea.

Sliva said, in Draconic tongue, "I don't like people. I would much rather be with animals if I'm being honest. Erm." She stared at Kryyk. "Well, Wilders, I guess would be more correct."

Kryyk said, "No kidding, boys are ruthless."

"Those two will be in jail by their birthdays, as they are two troublemakers. Worst of the worst brats."

Kryyk said, "Yeah, hopefully, someone beats them up."

"I don't really believe in hitting," Sliva told him, "I don't really think anyone learns that way."

"Have you ever hit someone with your tail?" Kryyk asked, staring at the large appendage.

Sliva laughed and said, "Yes, many times."

***

Kryyk wandered by a stone bridge, and looked over at the hundreds of buildings, fusing with lights of pinks and purples. He once could see hundreds of stars, but with the light pollution, he only saw dozens.

No bird songs. Instead, he heard horses' hooves and the rattling of carriages. Violets strolled around, as night fell.

Kryyk sneered. He stared at a sign, written in Violetian script. "Stupid language, doesn't even mean anything."

An older male wolf, known as Vinegar said, "Oh that's the town name. Sankt Ovlees, or Saint Owlis."

Kryyk remembered the name, his eyes brightening. "Who is this 'Alice' anyway?"

"She's the empress of Wysdom, an entire empire just north of here, and the Fall Goddess."

Kryyk said, "My friend Cyras met Owlis at some point. I should meet with her."

Vinegar laughed. "Good luck. Unless you break into Lavandar's Palace, you won't be meeting with her."

***

Owlis broke the daydream by saying, "So you took that advice a bit literally."

Kryyk said, "Yup. So..." He stared at all the portraits. "Explain these."

***

The time was night.

The plan was simple enough. Before her fight with Cyras, Rosod sent positive waves, disrupting any ghostly rituals. Afterward, she set a 'presence' which was like a mental tripwire, where if anyone stepped within the room, she would know.

Rosod's eyes glowed pink as she felt the trigger pull. "Someone's entered the furnace room. We've finally got the last part of the trap ready." Ahmond nodded and proceeded back.

Cyras lurked underneath the seats of the sleeping passengers, waiting for a thief's appearance. She progressed forth.

Lilu rammed open the door of the furnace.

Lilu would rush in, and immediately she and Ahmond would take down the criminal. Cyras would take out the front of the train.

This was not exactly how they progressed.

Cyras, with a claw, picked the lock and entered the front of the train. She saw the sleeping runners of the train, whatever their technical name was, before sniffing around. She found a satchel but found no books. Actually, she saw more blinking lights.

Out of interest, she stood on her hind legs and was wondering what would happen if she flicked a switch.

Wait, she paused and went back. Satchel, right. Uh, nothing, but a turkey sandwich. At least someone was eating. Had a little bit of mayonnaise. Cyras hadn't even realized she was holding the sandwich until she felt her saliva dribble down her chin.

Meanwhile, Lilu and Ahmond saw nobody. Except for the two sleeping coal burners. Lilu asked, "If they've been asleep this whole time, who's been fueling the train."

Ahmond said, "I don't think they need to shovel coal the entire way."

"Well if they didn't, would you be back here the entire trip? This place is hotter than the sands of the Ascalonian desert."

Ahmond scrunched her lips. "Yeah. I wonder if they're still alive." She went over and put her ear against one's chest. "They might be. Yeah. Probably... Yeah."

Lilu walked back over, and told Rosod, "Well whoever they are, they must have rushed back. We had our eyes on everything."

Rosod said, "I'll reset the tripwire. Also, you didn't have to bash open the door. You buffoon."

In the corridor were several, rather angry, passengers.

Lilu said, "This is official business, we're trying to figure out the scene of a crime, all of you sleep now."

That caused a murmuring amongst everyone, making them even less sleepy.

Ahmond said, "Sociability is a skill."

Baynana said, "I know right."

Ahmond jumped back. "How long have you been here?"

"I followed you in the furnace. I was woken up by all of you talking and so I thought I should read."

As Rosod saw Cyras, she saw her with mayo on her lips. "Oh good, did you find anything... Cyras, what's that in your mouth?"

Cyras paused.

"Is that someone's lunch?"

Cyras chewed a couple of times.

Rosod ran off Cyras in hot pursuit. However, by the time she caught her, Cyras had already swallowed. "You have an entire palace of food, and you stole someone's sandwich!"

Cyras said, "I don't have food right now-"

"You never think!" Rosod said. "You keep messing up plans because you're impulsive, rash, and to be honest, a brat."

Cyras folded her ears and narrowed her eyes. "You keep messing up plans because you're not as smart as you think you are, and that's why your parents sent you away because they need a dogdang vacation."

"What, did you say."

"Lilu apologized to me for treating me like a pet, you never did. You insulted Ahmond during the entire lie detector debacle. I've even saved your life before and never gotten a thank you. You can keep up with all your little smug comments, but you couldn't save Ahmond, you couldn't stop the lie detectors, and you couldn't even win a card game."

Rosod said, "I'm just, like, playing."

"You don't really act like you're playing," Cyras said.

"I don't have to explain myself," Rosod said, as she scratched her nose. "Like," she cracked her knuckles with her thumb. "You're not perfect either."

"Yes I am," Cyras said, matter-of-factly.

Rosod said, her lip trembling, "You only won that one Towers Tournament because I dropped out and let Lilu win, so there's a big asterisk on that win. You couldn't win if I hadn't dropped out. So I gave you that, that win. I even held the trophy for you when you almost got arrested again."

Cyras glared. "We can prove who would have won. I brought my cards, I know you brought yours. One game."

"Fine. I can't wait to make you apologize for saying such awful things."

The penultimate car at the rear of the train was the observatory. A few couches sat along long windows.

Cyras sniffed. Rosod was beyond this car, behind the door, in the room where they shoveled coal for the engine. As she was gonna step forth, Lilu said softly, "Rosod's no criminal."

"Well, I'm tracing her scent here. This explains why she ran off earlier, she's busy stealing people's books."

Lilu looked away.

"I'll be back quickly," Cyras said and patted her on the shoulder. Then she licked Lilu's nose, accidentally knocking the hyena on her rump. "See ya!"

Cyras entered the engine car, the last few notes of jazz playing in her ears. A red glow permeated on the walls, shadows flickering from the open flames. Next her were the workers, both sooty and knocked out.

Rosod stood at the opposite end, by the coals, flames sharpening her shadows. "I wasn't expecting you here." The weasel held a staff out, her hands at the rear and middle of the stick.

"I guess we all knew this was coming," Cyras said.

As Rosod prepared a witty retort, Cyras leaped at her and landed on her face.

Rosod stumbled and threw her off. Blood dripped from her scratch marks.

While the otter was still dazed, Cyras' worked a piece of coal. With her earth magic, she flung the chunk.

Rosod whirled and sliced the coal with her staff. With low and long steps, Rosod thrust at Cyras.

Baring her fangs, the red fox hopped around, however, the bipedal weasel bonked Cyras in the knee. The fox backed up, feeling now the warmth of the fireplace at her rear.

Most thrusting power came from Rosod's left hand at the base, showing she had technical prowess, certainly a student.

Rosod flicked a pink string - a strand of psychic magic - that wrapped around Cyras, before throwing her at the fireplace.

Cyras gasped as she hit the metal burning within. Flames washed over her.

Rosod illused herself, seeming twice as tall as before. With a whoosh, dozens of Rosods encircled Cyras.

Cyras felt tightness in her chest, her hackles raising, however, only one had any real scent. Two stone pillars shot up and wrapped around the real Rosod's feet.

As the real Rosod waved her arms in circles, the mirages swung or thrust at Cyras in arcs and pokes, but all hit and smacked her on the floor. She wasn't expecting any substance, so she writhed and kicked a few times.

The Rosods rose their staffs up once more.

Cyras' gaze flitted between them. Her body tensed. And she summoned flames from her core, pushing out in a hot sphere, shattering the mirages.

Real Rosod swung her staff, but Cyras jumped atop. She rolled off, before presenting her rear and shaking. "Sour Grapes, may make you whine."

Trembling with fury, Rosod assumed steer guard. She one-handedly swung her staff overhead, like a helicopter propeller, at Cyras' bottom, however the fox zoomed away.

Catching her staff with the other hand, Rosod returned to middle guard. She jabbed and broke off pieces of coal shackles.

Cyras began dancing to inaudible jazz music.

Rosod glared at her, and stepped forward, a little unsteady with a thrust. But Cyras rolled and kicked up with both feet against the staff.

Rosod got another firm grip, both thumbs pointing at each other, but Cyras sang.

"You're living in a fairy tale

But you ain't looking so well

You're hiding behind your sooty coaly dwelling.

"Who would ever join this cell

When you got no chance in hell,

You think you're calm but you're expression ain't selling."

Cyras swung away from another thrust as she did an impromptu jazz monologue. Stomping and swinging her tail in beat, her voice rang out, "Sour Grapes, may make you whine. Power games like you're a swine. For this staff fighting soul, has been refused and been retrained, I am a force of nature, you're just a stain."

Rosod gave another one-handed thrust, poking the fireplace. With a flaming weapon, the crimson swung her staff but got caught by a tail. Cyras jazzed her body in flames.

"When I'm strolling you're just walking. When I'm singing you're just talking."

The weasel twirled her staff, but the tail pulled her in. A coal pillar launched from the stack, pushing forth a red blur. In the sky, Cyras uppercut Rosod.

Rosod fell back.

Cyras fox jumped on her chest for good measure, earning no response from the knocked-out crimson lump.

Cyras cut open Rosod's travel equipment with her claw.

No papers, just some books. However, Cyras saw a book marked as "journal" and opened up, as Lilu said that's where deep and dark secrets are.

A pulse of pink shot the book out of her paws. Wincing at the flash, Cyras turned her head and saw Rosod getting back on her feet. "Stop stealing books, Cyras. Especially ones that aren't yours."

"I'm surprised you're the one talking about stealing books, Rosod."

The weasel squinted. "Unless you're after me for undue library books, I've never stolen a book before, and I got my fines paid off after I saw what happened with Ahmond last summer."

Cyras thought back to last summer near her birthday when Ahmond didn't pay off her fines and got spanked by the government. Good times.

"Oh," Cyras said.

"I came here because I thought the person who stole them would come here."

"Why a furnace?" Cyras asked, looking at the flaming pit and all the coal around them.

"I'll explain over mealtime. I've got my work done," Rosod said.

***

Ahmond saw Cyras and Rosod sit next each other at the dining car, either sporting bruises. "Oh, uh, how are you?"

Rosod said, "Oh, I just tripped a few times." A mark underneath her chin was bruised purple. She couldn't speak very well, and felt like holding her jaw, but didn't want to expose her weakness.

Cyras said, "Turns out Rosod's been trying to find out who the main thief is as well. But there's not anybody who runs up and down the train who would be in everybody's luggage."

"You mean," Lilu said, "like a ticket taker."

Rosod sucked on her lower lip, and said, "Yup, that would make sense."

Cyras ate at her deviled eggs, ripping into them, but seemed annoyed at the lack of food and sustenance. "That was barely anything." While she had grown accustomed in the wilds towards eating scraps, she still wanted her stomach full.

Rosod said, "They bring meals in courses. That's only the first course, known as the appetizer, which is supposed to make you hungrier. I figured you'd be taught this by now."

Lilu said, "Wait, Cyras, you and Owlis ever eat out at a restaurant?"

"I think Owlis has only been out of that palace twice since I met her." Cyras laughed. "Imagine, the Empress out eating a burger. Anyway, so Rosod may know what's going with the books."

"Yes, so I'm not a ritualist, but my sister is-"

Baynana scooted up next Rosod.

"Personal space," Rosod said.

"Sorry," Baynana said, as she scooted away, and sat next Lilu.

"Anyway, so lots of ghostly summons require flames, books of arcane power, and silver."

Lilu said, "Yes because Baynana's book is full of arcane power."

Baynana crossed her arms. "Yeah well, I hate whoever took my book. That was one of the best parts of the entire series, because, you see, that was the point the tengus appeared. And the tengus were this presence that existed hundreds of years prior but are now extinct."

Cyras tuned her out as the girls feigned interest. In a way, she wondered how they couldn't block people out the same way as she was so great at phasing out reality that she wasn't even present during talks involving her.

Rosod said, "Okay, anyway, so like, silver and mirrors help hold negative, dark spirits. The flames weaken the negative powers so they’re tameable. However, with my psychic powers, I disturbed the area, by sending out some positive waves."

Baynana said, "I was thinking of learning ice magic."

"Good for you," Rosod said, earning a glare from Ahmond. "Anyway, we'll learn who our specter is shortly, as I set a trap."

The train brought along the next course, as an apology for the pathetic morsel they fed Cyras before. Before the server even left, she was on that plate like divorce bills on a high roller.

Rosod watched the massacre with unpleasantness. "Cyras, you're supposed to taste the food. That's chef quality. That's a masterpiece on that plate."

Cyras said, "A masterpiece on the plate is a ruined gallery in my stomach, you do not starve a fox the same way you do not poke a hyena's spots. You do not slingshot stones at a cannon! ...I'm so hungry."

Baynana said, "Did you finish the book?"

Rosod pulled out the comic and read the last couple of pages.

Baynana waited for Rosod to stop reading the next book in the series, which the weasel girl finished with a grin of relief. The wolf said, "Was a really good book, I see you're smiling."

"Yes. I am very glad to have seen the ending of the book."

"So," Cyras said, "We need a plan on stopping this dark arcanist."

Rosod said, "I have one, and this will involve you."

***

Stars were lonesome.

Cyras used to look up at the night sky with her cousins, Ryvoh and Kryyk. Ryvoh never said anything, but Kryyk would ask what she thought stars were, and how far away they were.

"Well, clouds cover them. I'm guessing at least a hundred miles away."

"I think stars are probably powerful. Perhaps they're the gods that some wilders talk about."

Cyras rolled her eyes. "I doubt that."

"Come on," Kryyk sat up. "Tell me why you don't believe in gods or greater powers. You're so technical and scientific." He threw his arms out. "What about all of the wonders of this world, like how a single mushroom is actually a part of a secret network that is really just a giant mushroom? Think about how the river flows from a mountain, or how high the ground goes up. Are you telling me you never wonder about more?"

Cyras said, "That's why I never wonder. I'm satisfied with what is, and you need more, more, more. This is enough. Beyond us is a mountain, and then a river, and then beyond that, an ocean. And the mysterious lands of the Civics."

"I wonder if any of the Civics are gods," Kryyk said. "Maybe that's why Ryvoh tells us stay away. How big do you think the world is anyway?"

"No telling," Cyras said, "Probably at least a few hundred miles."

Now, Owlis sat by her lonesome in her bed, in an odd stillness that pulsed. She was never alone.

She heard paw steps on a soft rug, and she realized even now she wasn't.

Owlis got out of bed, her ears rising.

A blue fox attacked, a knife in his hands.

Owlis' felt anger warm herself as she turned. She grabbed him by the wrist and arm, jerking his grip. Swerving her hips, she threw him against the floor.

He stared at her with a grimace and growl. Cyras' age, wearing... soft sleeping clothes? Green specifically.

However, as he stood up, the purple fox shoved her hip in his stomach and hip tossed him again.

Kicking in pain, the interloper's knife clacked on the wood panels. Owlis figured she'd stop this intruder's plan when he rushed through her legs. Slipping underneath the taller fox, he grabbed and drew the weapon. He swung at her.

Owlis easily dodged his first slash. As he took another slash, she grabbed his wrist and hand with her paws. She grabbed the butt of the knife and plunged the weapon into herself.

No pain and no flinching. The boy stared deep at her heartless, hazel eyes. Owlis twisted and threw the knife out. "That's how you hold a knife, Wilder. I need to know your name."

"Uh, why?" Kryyk was wondering.