Something told me the world above wouldn't look any better in the daytime.

The naive part of me wanted to be amazed when I climbed those stairs. To look around at the cloudy sky and ruined buildings and think 'maybe this wasn't as bad as I thought!'

The realistic part of me knew better. I had no idea what had happened here, but it all felt so, so wrong. Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised that we'd set up camp here. Monsters like us couldn't just waltz into the city proper and hope nothing would happen, especially after we'd hurt some of the adventurers sent to exterminate us. I'd wanted to come up here after a long, unbroken sleep and see a better world.

I sighed, arms slumping by side as my head hung down. I shouldn't be like this. When I expected unrealistic things to happen, I was setting myself up for dissapointment. There was nobody I could blame for these feelings but myself.

To my right stood the person I had the most hope in and next to them, the person I worried about the most. Funnily enough, their roles were reversed from what they should've been, at first glance. The pulsating pink monster on an eerie mech of animated steel was the responsible one, and the tall Nekari Halfblood was the dangerous, volatile one.

I turned to walk away, cradling the immobile Fishman under one arm. If anything looked more eerie than this broken wasteland or Yuri's true form, it was Fareel's cold, dead eyes. I knew he wasn't really dead, but while his magic was active, he looked more like a corpse than a person. It was horrifying.

Our group of three split up from the pair, turning left. I led the group away from the entrance of the Dronrowth Shopping Center, knowing Streiphen would follow. If I worried about anyone else in this group, it was him. While Yuri and Sigura seemed to know what they were doing, he was just a kid. He had faith in Yuri, which I could see was... potentially well founded. But... he was under the impression Sigura was a good person, too.

I... I didn't want to set myself up for disappointment again, and nothing I'd seen from her made me think she wasn't just a violent, angry person.

I'd put my trust in her back at the facility. Among a sea of monsters and feral beasts, she was the only person that tried to put any kind of stability together. She organised some Chimeras, got us together and led the charge back out into the world.

When she'd done as she'd said, I'd felt great about following her. I'd been-

A bang rang out behind me, one that caused the 'skin' on my arms to ripple as my head whipped around. A horrible, alien feeling I was experiencing more and more.

It was... It was just Sigura, smacking the side of Yuri's mech. I saw what she'd done. The entire entrance to Dronrowth had been covered by a sheet of steel. The speed at which she could do something like that was simultaneously reassuring and horrifying.

More than anything, I'd wanted to walk with Yuri and get to know her. I wanted to see if she was someone I could really put my faith in, even if what she'd said down in the shopping center had put me on edge. The way she'd sounded was more... Sigura-like. She sounded more willing- no, more eager for violence.

"Stay safe, Miss Yuri!" Streiphen called out from my left. His eyes had been on the pair of larger Chimeras the whole time, even as he'd been walking.

When she replied, I fought to suppress a shiver.

"[You too, Streiphen.]"

She didn't speak the way anyone else spoke. When Yuri communicated, the words were sent straight into my head. If not for the change in voice and how foreign they felt, I might have suspected them to be my own thoughts. It was even eerier than Yuri herself.

"What about me, twerp?" Sigura yelled down the street after us. "Don't you want me to be safe, too?"

What kind of a question was that? Of course Streiphen wanted her to be safe. He wanted everyone to be safe, as unrealistic as it was. He was just... that kind of person.

"He's sure you can handle yourself!" I shouted back. I didn't know if Streiphen believed that, but I did. I'd seen how she fought those Orcs back in the forest. With the speed and power she had, I was confident she'd be safe.

I sighed, letting air flow free from my lungs. I could feel the cold winter air trickle down my throat, vibrating through the crevices within my form. My body jiggled and recoiled from the action, shivering not from the cold, but from... how alien it all felt.

I didn't need to breathe, but I did it out of reflex, sometimes. It was a habit I needed to break, for my own sake. Every time I accidentally took a breath, I could feel every motion, every contraction of my 'muscles'. I was hyperaware of my body, a feeling that only served as a constant reminder that I wasn't a Human anymore. I was... this. Some... magical mockery of one.

I needed to keep my guard up and remain focused. If I relaxed and let myself falter, I worried that my body would fall apart. That it would lose all sense of stability. More than anything, I feared not being able to put myself back together afterwards.

"Are you okay?" Streiphen asked as we passed through another street filled with nothing but battle damaged buildings and old forgotten streets.

Was I?

"I'm fine," I lied. "Just thinking."

"Oh... okay," Streiphen replied, looking around. I didn't see what there was to look at, but I held my tongue. "Were you thinking about the city?"

"Yeah," I told him. I didn't want him to think I'd been trying not to breathe. The last thing I wanted was for him to get the wrong idea. "I didn't think it'd be this... damaged."

Streiphen nodded, his expression souring. The smile dropped a little as he squirmed, turning away from me, and the look in his eyes was-

"Sad, isn't it?" he murmured. "It looks so... lonely. Cities are supposed to be big and thriving happy and... not empty. I... don't like seeing a city like this."

Lonely? I could see where he was coming from. Everywhere we'd went, things were just... abandoned. Damaged, broken and left to rot. But the way he'd worded it hadn't sat right with me. I didn't want him to think this place was empty. That it was safe, just because we hadn't seen anyone.

"It doesn't feel like we're in a city at all," I responded. He nodded back at me, but I hadn't finished. "It still feels like... we're in the wilds. We're not alone here, Streiphen. I know there aren't any... monsters here, but there are still people around. Dangerous ones."

It was a good way of encapsulating my feelings. We were enclosed within an enormous city wall, but I didn't feel any safer here than I did out there. If anything, we'd just holed ourselves up, closer to the only people we've seen so far, the people who've done nothing but attack us.

But that wasn't so strange, was it? That Darkling had told us this was a Scandian city. It would've been more strange if this land was a peaceful one, like Pagonia.

I sometimes thought, back before... everything, that I should've been born here. People like me and my Dad should have been here, in the midst of blood and battle, rather than in a safe place like Pagonia. The people there had been so welcoming, so nice, even when they shouldn't have been.

People like... like him didn't deserve that same kindness.

I wouldn't have wished him harm, but he didn't deserve the level of respect and care he'd got. I was good at fighting, but at least I didn't go out of my way to hurt people, to steal from people, to look for others who were willing to do the same for personal gain.

We didn't deserve to live in a place like Pagonia. This was... more fitting.

I heard a sound. Faint. Faraway.

My body rolled and squirmed in protest as Fareel was jolted awake. He gurgled, trying to wriggle free as his eyes darted back and forth with a sickening squelch. On instinct, I dropped him, backing up as he fell against the concrete path.

The Fishman grumbled, rising to his feet as he rubbed at his stomach. He sniffed at the air as Streiphen approached him. Disregarding the boy's obvious concern, he selfishly forged ahead, turning briefly to beckon us, telling us to follow.

He'd saved us during the breakout, but he was still... strange.

After my trust in Sigura had been stepped on, I realised I'd need to keep my eyes open. I didn't want to end up hurting myself if Fareel betrayed that trust, too.

Streiphen and I followed without complaint, jogging after the Fishman as he scrambled away, nails scratching against the worn pathways and alleys.

We'd come out here searching for a source of food and water. Even if Yuri and I didn't need to eat, the others did. Even then, Yuri still needed water. This body didn't need nourishment in the same way, but they'd helped me escape from that Abyss of a facility. It would've left a sour taste in my mouth if I'd refused to help them, a taste nearly as unpleasant as a breath of fresh air trapped inside my body.

Wading through the empty streets, the sounds I'd heard became clearer. Shouting. Yelling. The sounds of conflict. Streiphen didn't seem as concerned. If anything, he seemed excited. I quickened my pace, following close behind the Fishfolk.

He came to a stop at the mouth of an alley. It was a long alley, one filled with discarded rubbish bags, dumpsters and painted markings on the walls. It was far from an uncommon sight around here, but it was what lay beyond that had caught our attention.

Civilisation.

The shouts I'd heard were hollers, ones coming from a group of teenagers barely visible on the other side, egging one of their peers on. I couldn't see what they were doing, but the sight of them was... jarring.

They were regular people. Not adventurers, or thugs, but just... regular people.

Civilians passed by the other side of the alley, obscuring my view of the group. Just... people, going about their day. Most were covered in fur, or wore clothes with fur to compensate. I knew it had been cold, since it was Scander, but I didn't feel it as much as I thought I should have.

The hollers died down into the general murmur of the crowds on the other side of the alley.

My chest tightened. On the other side of this alley were houses, shops and streets populated with people going about their day. Trading, talking and mingling. As much as I wanted to force myself to step forward, to walk boldly into that world, I couldn't bring myself to do it.

Streiphen stepped into my vision, taking the first step down the alley. Before I could even think, my hand was on his shoulder. He turned to look up at me, starry eyes twinkling with excitement and curiosity.

"We can't go that way," I told him, even as my heart begged me to let him go. "We... shouldn't let ourselves be seen. We don't have money, either."

I didn't know how those people would react to us. We had clothes now, and might be able to blend in, but we were still monsters. It was easier to live with the knowledge that they might accept us then to walk down that alley and have that hope be crushed beneath screams of alarm and feet scrambling away from us.

The light in Streiphen's eyes dimmed, something that stabbed a harsh icicle of regret through my heart.

"Oh... okay..." he murmured, looking back towards the crowd. "But-"

Fareel's stomach rumbled, and he sat down against the back wall of a building. The thought that someone might step out the back door and see us hadn't occurred to me. I froze, glancing at the fogged windows for any sign of a silhouette behind them. Please... If there were any Gods watching us... please don't let anyone step out that door.

Streiphen glanced down at Fareel, and his shoulders drooped. He took a long, deep breath, one that caused his jacket and chest to puff outwards. Even the thought of doing like he did sent goosebumps rolling along my skin.

"Yeah... Okay, you're right... We need to find food and water," he spoke, with greater determination than I'd expected. "We decided on a mission, and we should stick to it!"

Despite the fiery determination I saw in his eyes, he still cast a wistful glance back towards the street as Fareel climbed to his feet. I could tell he wanted to step forward and explore, but I didn't want him to. The thought of seeing his expression after being shut down and hated by the people living here was too much. I knew that keeping this group together and living a peaceful life was an unrealistic goal, but I had to cling to... to something.

Streiphen walked over to Fareel, crouching down next to the Fishman as I looked away from the murky back window of the building next to us.

"Can you keep looking, please?" Streiphen asked him. "When we find food and water, we can... maybe do other things after. But... but we need to do this first! It's the most important thing for us to do."

Fareel's head bobbed to the side. With a slow reluctance, he pulled himself to his feet, snorting as he began to walk from the alley. Had he wanted to go into populated streets, too? I couldn't blame him, but I didn't want him to get hurt either.

Streiphen and I followed Fareel away, stepping back into the maze of shattered windows and empty streets.

Things would be so much easier if I didn't have emotions.

If I could just... shut out these feelings holding me back, everything would be so much easier to bear. If I didn't have to worry about the horror of being rejected by those people, would I have been able to step forward? To risk it all for a chance at stability? I didn't think so.

I knew there were races that could shut off their emotions with ease. I envied them almost as much as I envied all of the people we were leaving behind.

I wasn't Human anymore. I wasn't even a person. I'd become a monster. A Chimera.

I hadn't known much about Chimeras before being captured, but I'd never heard of one living with regular people. Did they have their own communities, like we did? Were they able to stay together, even if they were all cursed to live on the outskirts? How long would our own community last? I didn't want to put my faith in-

Fingers wrapped around my hand. I looked down, and stars looked back up at me.

"Are you worried we won't find food...?" Streiphen asked. He clenched my fingers tightly. My shoulders tensed, and I looked away. Why would he do that? He had proper skin, didn't he? Couldn't he feel the dampness of my hand? How unsteady and unpleasant I was to the touch? I knew that... I wouldn't want to be holding my hand in his position.

"I'm just... yeah."

We followed closely behind Fareel, who had dropped to a casual walking pace.

"We... we're friends... aren't we, Toya?"

What...? Where had that come from? Confusion coloured my expression, but how much of it could he see? It wasn't like I had normal eyes, or even a normal face.

"Yeah... yeah, we are," I told him, feeling more unsure of the answer than I thought I would.

"Friends don't lie to each other," he shot back, speaking so quickly after my reply that he had to have been planning on saying it beforehand.

Had... had I been that transparent?

"I'm not..." my words stuttered to a stop as he pouted, frowning deeply as he looked right up at me. I couldn't look directly down at him.

"I was... I was worried about this group. Our group, I mean."

"Why?" Streiphen said, a deep note of worry seeping into his voice. "Did we do something wrong?"

My chest tightened again. I bit down hard on my lip, trying to stop the instinctual deep breath. My 'teeth', which were little more than denser, tougher balls of white jelly, dug into the softer skin of my lip. I knew it wouldn't leave a mark. This body would just put everything back together again, as long as I was concentrating.

"No... You didn't, but..."

"But?" he asked hesitantly. Quietly.

"I'm still worried... I don't think this group will last long," I told him outright. I didn't want to tell him why, either.

The last thing I wanted was for him to think I had something against the others and cause even more problems. I knew this little community of ours wasn't going to last. I wanted to keep it together, but it was going to fall apart eventually.

"But..." Streiphen stammered out, turning right to follow Fareel as he half pulled me along, my hand still wrapped in his. Compared to my own, his hand was practically invisible, a silhouette buried beneath translucent blue gelatin. Even if his hand was small, he still saw fit to guide me along. "Miss Sigura isn't a bad person... She can be mean sometimes, but she isn't bad."

He knew? He was only a kid, but... I hadn't given him enough credit.

"I wouldn't be so sure," I told him. I'd thought she was a confident, capable leader. I was ready to follow her anywhere, hoping she'd lead us to safety. Then she'd gotten angry. She'd wanted to kill a random group of adventurers. She'd struck me for a single comment out of line.

The blow hadn't hurt. My body was more elastic than flesh. It didn't hurt my body, but it... still hurt. I felt disappointed in her, after that. I'd put such high hopes in her as a leader, and she seemed determined to let us down and turn to violence at every chance she got. And now...

"It'll be fine," Streiphen told me. "Magic reflects the person that uses it, right? Miss Yuri is good at building and fixing things. If anyone can find a way to keep us together, she can!"

Despite my issues with Sigura, I agreed with Streiphen. Sigura's magic was better for combat, but Yuri's skill and speed had been surprising. She'd been able to make so much in so little time, and during that time, she hadn't crafted a single weapon. Everything she'd enchanted had been to improve our safety and quality of life.

If I could put my faith in anything, it would be Yuri. She and Sigura knew each other from before the kidnappings, didn't they? Maybe... maybe she could hold her in check.

Fareel came to an abrupt stop in front of us. I accidentally bumped off of him, nearly toppling over him in the process. I stuck an arm out, sticking my palm against the wall to steady myself, the adhesive goo of my skin keeping me somewhat upright. He looked up at me with judging eyes and a dry expression as I pulled myself back up.

To avoid looking down into those eyes and see where he'd brought us, I looked up. The alley he'd been leading us through ended in a concrete yard, one with many streets leading away along the edges of the open space. A stable was set up for Horses and Moa, sitting next to a collection of parked wagons.

This was a spot worth investigating.

The warehouses looked as though they were being used. The doors and windows were as intact as the buildings in the populated street we'd seen. The wagons had black curtains over the back doors and windows, but were otherwise functional looking. They didn't have any runes or magical additions I could see, meaning they were of a cheaper make. But even a cheap, functional wagon would've been useful to transport goods back to our base. It was the best way to move heavy objects too unwieldy for me to carry.

Well... Other than getting Yuri's help, at least.

There were three warehouses, all of which shared the same stable. The only people I saw were at the rightmost warehouse, a pair of Orcs in light armor speaking with a blue skinned Darkling in work clothes.

There weren't any signs on the the warehouses, but I could see the graffiti scrawled on the front and sides clear as day. Caricatures of an Orc's head with bloated features, blown up tusks and bright pink snouts. They marred the side of the dark blue warehouses, like an animal marking its territory.

If these people had harmed Yuri, that meant they were criminals, didn't it? That they were [Thugs] or [Bandits] that stole from others for their own gain? We were in Scander, so such a thing was probably commonplace. They patrolled the broken streets around our base, and were more than willing to cause damage and harm others whenever they pleased.

Even with all that in mind, I still felt my chest tighten at the idea of stealing from them.

These people were criminals, ones willing to steal and hurt others. If anyone deserved to have their goods taken, it was them. They did nothing but offer false 'protection', and tried to drive people out of their territory. They'd even threatened to kill Yuri, hadn't they?

If... If there was-

Fareel stepped out of the alley, keeping low as he began to approach the stables, making sure to keep far from the Orcs with the crossed arms yelling at the Darkling by the foot of the warehouse. Streiphen followed, and I was forced to do the same. I crouched down, keeping close to the pair.

What were they doing? We hadn't even discussed a plan! We...

I didn't have time to complain. If I didn't focus, people would get hurt. It was still early morning, and the sun wasn't yet high in the sky. The buildings around us cast long shadows over the spacious plaza, giving us plenty of room to hide in.

"[Conceal Presence]," I whispered under my breath.

It wasn't a Skill I'd ever thought I'd need to use again. I'd resolved not to hurt or steal from people anymore, but... This was for my allies' sakes. If we didn't raid their warehouse for food, Fareel and Streiphen would go hungry. This wasn't just for coin, or for luxury. It was for them.

We passed by the stables. Fareel hesitated, peeking his head through the dark curtains and into the backs of the wagons. I reached out to pull him back, but he did so himself, his eyes half closed and bored. He sighed, wandering away from the wagon as we stood in the shadow of the center warehouse.

From here, I could see the animals we'd passed. Most of the creatures in there were Horses, some brown and black, and others grey and white. They took up the bulk of the stables, wandering back and forth within their enclosures, occasionally leaning down to eat hay or drink from bowls of water.

The other stables held Moa, a collection of flightless birds with bulky bodies, two long legs and a protruding beak. The Moa in the stables were fatter than any I'd seen before. They seemed larger, bulkier than the one my father had owned. Moa weren't good for pulling heavy loads like Horses were. They were better for carrying a passenger on foot over long distances quickly. It seemed these ones had been bred to carry even people like Orcs.

Streiphen's face was colored with concern. His eyes were frantic as he looked back and forth, scampering backwards to look behind the stable. I hurried forwards, reaching out to grab his shoulder.

"I'm still here," I whispered to him. "I'm using a Skill."

Streiphen's shoulders slumped. He let out a long sigh of relief, turning to face me. I could tell he was trying to look up at my face, but his eyes were locked on a space just above my head.

He squinted, trying to get through the effects of the Skill. It didn't change my body, like something akin to [Camouflage] would. It just made it harder for others to register me as a person. When they saw me, their eyes would glance right over me, as if I were something inconsequential. It took him a few seconds to properly look me in the eyes.

"Don't scare me like that!" he told me in an angrily hushed whisper. "I thought you got caught, or got lost!"

I reached down, grasping his hand in mine as I led him back to the shadows cast by the warehouse. If those two Orcs out front hadn't been so preoccupied by their conversation, they might have spotted Streiphen.

I looked down towards the boy, gesturing for him to follow with one hand. Again, he needed to squint and focus to see that hand, but once he did, he nodded.

We crept forward towards the edge of the warehouse. I poked my head out, looking towards the pair of Orcs. I wanted to hear what they were saying. If I could, I might be able to tell how engrossed in conversation they were, and how much time we might have to infiltrate the warehouses.

Without my command, I felt more of body mass swell and shift within me, a reaction that caused me to wince with disgust. My left ear began to expand, growing to twice its normal size. I was glad Streiphen found it hard to see me.

"-for order," one of the Orcs said, sounding annoyed. Exasperated. "This is all a give and take, understand? If one side does not give, the other must work harder to take. If both sides do not work together, deals cannot survive."

"Can you check for any runes or traps, Streiphen?" I asked the boy in a whisper, keeping my eyes on the Orcs. "You can use [Insight], can't you?"

The boy nodded, turning his head towards the warehouse. He looked at the wall as his face scrunched with focus. His eyes began to glow, filling with a bright emerald sheen that expanded outwards from his pupils. The edge of the light spilled out around his eyes, moving gently like flowing water. He began to cast his eyes around, searching for something I couldn't see.

"You're talking about 'deals', and 'fairness', and 'order', but you're all just doing this to fill your stomachs and feel strong," the Darkling snapped back, leaning towards the two as his fingers balled into fists. "You're nothing but cowards and thugs trying to fill the Don's shoes. If he were here, this wouldn't be an issue. The Don would have worked something out for the sake of-"

I winced, both eyes squeezing shut as I hunched over. I could hear feet tapping on pavement as Streiphen whirled around, shock in his eyes.

The sound of the slap had been loud. Loud enough to break the silence and send the animals to our right into a fit of panic, stamping around within their pens.

"Rot!" the Orc roared back. "If anyone is a coward, it is that 'Don'."

I saw the Orc stand tall, looming over the Darkling. He was easily a foot bigger than the already bulky man.

"You do not understand this city. When that coward hid himself away, he did not think of the consequences! Without protection, any district will fall into chaos! If the guardian vanishes, the hungry wolves will swarm in and eat from the scraps! Without people in charge, the other districts will take steps to devour our territory, ripping it apart in the process," the Orc shouted, slapping one meaty hand against his chest. "What do you think will happen if none claim this district? Do you think they will look to the empty space at their district meeting and see no weakness? That they will not seize any opportunity to tip the balance of power in their favour?"

Even with a reddened cheek, the Darkling stepped forward, gritting his teeth as he stood up against the Orc.

"We can handle ourselves!" the Darkling spat back. "When the Disciples came here, we survived. During the battles that followed, we survived. No matter what hardship comes our way, we've gotten through it!"

The Orc snorted dismissively, reaching out to grip the Darkling's shoulders. His fingers clamped down hard, and the Darkling's clenched fists swung up, punching the Orc's chest and chin. The second Orc by the door sighed, not stepping in as the Darkling swung punch after punch. I could see the ripples of the impact in armor and skin, but the Orc refused to let him go.

"A wounded animal that survives one lucky encounter will not always survive the next," the Orc said, even as he was struck in the stomach. "This district is still wounded. Much was destroyed in the Disciples' wake. If you face another battle so soon after the last, you will crumble."

The Darkling stopped punching, reaching for the Orc's fingers. He gripped the huge digits, working to pull them off his shoulders. The Orc's arms bulged with muscle, and the Darkling couldn't break free of the hold.

"I do not use [Mantle], and even then you cannot break free. If you cannot beat me alone when I am not attacking you, what hope does this district have if it is attacked from all sides by-"

The words were cut short by an uppercut, striking the Orc in the chin as his mouth was forced to close. I grit my teeth together, feeling my arms tremble as I gripped the metal staff on my back. Looking at this, not even the feeling of cold steel helped to center me. I didn't want to let this go on, but... but Streiphen was right. I had to think of the mission, of my people's safety. I didn't want to fight if I didn't have to. I didn't...

"You're a bunch of damned [Thugs]," the Darkling spat. "You use fear to get what you want, you assault people in the streets, you allow people to spread drugs and horrible potions through-"

"Be silent," the Orc growled back. "If we do not show that we are in control of this district, do you think the others will idly sit by and-"

Both of them stopped.

The Orc's words were abruptly cut short. For a moment, I had no idea why. The sound of a punch connecting with flesh never rang out. I looked around the corner, and saw what the trio by the door were looking at.

Still clad in his sky blue jacket, Streiphen was approaching the group alone.

"Who...?" the Orc breathed, still gripping the Darkling's shoulders.

"A... Faerie...?" the Darkling murmured, before moving his hands to grab the Orc's fingers once again.

"Did we not tell you to come alone?" the Orc snarled, shaking the Darkling roughly as the man was knocked off his feet, falling down onto the ground. He winced as his skin scraped against pavement.

"Wait!" Streiphen cried out, the sound of his voice shaking me from my stupor. "If he's paying for protection, you shouldn't resort to violence! You need to get along! I know you can come to a compromise if you try!"

The Darkling on the ground stared up at Streiphen with a look somewhere between wonder and worry.

"He is not a Spirit, is he?" the first Orc spoke, taking a step back from Streiphen.

"One of the Boost children," the second Orc droned, stepping away from the wall, reaching for a metal club at his waist. "Do not approach, boy."

That was it. I wasn't going to let them attack Streiphen. The second he reached for his weapon, I abandoned the plan, dashing out from behind the side of the warehouse, crouching low as I rushed towards the younger Chimera.

"This isn't what the Gods would have wanted," Streiphen said, even as both of the Orcs were covered in glowing light. They'd activated their [Mantles], both ready for combat. "If you talk this out and come to an understanding, you can fix this!"

"Stay back, boy!" the first Orc roared. The sound rang out through the open space. I heard metal doors creak open as more Orcs as well as some Humans and Satyrs in leather garb stepped outside of their warehouses. They'd be alert, now. One of them was bound to spot me.

The second Orc squinted, spotting something he clearly saw as a threat. Had he seen what I was, or did I still look like an indistinct blur to him?

He didn't seem to care. His fingers clenched tight around his club, swinging it free from the leather straps holding it to his waist. He brought the weapon up in an arc, causing a bright flash of brown light. I saw the wave of force travel straight towards me as I jumped, barely dodging the blast from his [Release] as I barrelled into Streiphen, sending both of us tumbling to the ground.

My body ballooned in size, serving to cushion the fall. While my limbs remained the same, I felt my stomach and chest expand on reflex. As my head and sight raised further from the ground, I heard the tearing of fabric as the clothes on my upper body were ripped apart.

At... at least we'd gathered more than enough clothes to serve as a replacement. More importantly, I could feel Streiphen against my stomach, even as I began to 'deflate'. The sensation as I began to shrink was jarring, to say the least. As strange as it felt, it still wasn't as bad as breathing inwards. This felt more natural to me, if the less than violent reactions of my body were anything to go by.

Streiphen slid off my form as I worked to pull myself to my feet. While he landed easily, I was forced to concentrate, to pull my body back together and make sure my form was-

Streiphen tugged on my arm, and I was swiftly yanked to the side as arrows struck the pavement where I'd just been left half-lying on my side. I took an instinctive breath, one that I had to try and ignore as I scrambled to my feet.

"T-thanks..." I muttered, hoping Streiphen could hear me over the sounds of alarm in front of us. There were far more guards now. Twelve of them, at least, with more likely on the way. His eyes were focused on the Darkling. The man was scrambling to his feet, getting to all fours before running, making a mad dash for one of the alleys off to his right. Towards the populated streets we'd forced ourselves to pull away from.

"Intruders!" the first Orc bellowed, pointing in our direction.

I didn't want to make any more enemies. I knew that these people were probably part of that Big Tooth group, but a selfish part of me had hoped they would only have a grudge against Yuri. Had I been wrong to step out and try to protect Streiphen? To throw myself into danger and let a peaceful life slip further and further away?

"Wait!" Streiphen cried out. "We don't want to fight! We just want to-"

"Capture them!" the first Orc roared, drowning out the younger Chimera's words. "They are not mere Boosters! They may be [Spies] of the other districts!"

Booster...? This was a misunderstanding... We weren't [Spies], even if... even if we'd come here to steal from them.

I felt the touch of cold metal find my fingers as I grabbed the staff again. I let my [Conceal Presence] drop. I needed all the focus and energy I could get. Two Humans ran towards us, both brandishing metal blades. The sight of those blades steadied me. I let go of the staff, standing in front of Streiphen, feeling prepared.

"You don't need to fight," I told him. Looking at him now, I wanted to make sure he knew that I didn't expect him to contribute. He was still just a kid. This was a job for an adult. "We can look somewhere else for-"

One of the Humans suddenly accelerated, moving far faster then before. My eyes widened as he closed the gap, swinging his blade towards the arms I held out in front of me with the speed of a Skill.

I felt the metal cut into my arm, piercing through the jelly-like muscle. My Aera reacted to the pain, a thick, watery-blue glow pushing outwards as my [Mantle] came to life around me. It helped to halt the blade's progress, stopping the swing in its tracks.

But the damage had been done, even if I couldn't really call it 'damage'. The sensation wasn't 'pain', as much as it was a feeling of disconnection. My left forearm dangled free, nearly coming loose. I poured my focus into reforming, pulling the now sturdy goo back together, burying the blade in the wound.

I pulled the blade away from him, using my other arm to push him away, smacking my palm into his chest. He was wearing armor, and I didn't need to hurt him to protect Streiphen. This was still fine.

The man rolled back along the pavement as one of the Satyrs lunged for me. With a fur covered leg, he smashed one of his hooves into my stomach. If I'd been a normal person, that would've easily been enough to wind me, or knock me back. My skin rippled like a puddle of water that had been stepped in, the blunt force travelling out along the surface of my body. It was uncomfortable, but attacks like that wouldn't cause damage.

The Satyr tried to pull back away from me, but he couldn't pull his hoof free. It was stuck to the surface of my bare stomach. I'd found that I could change the viscosity of my body at will. On top of another Racial Skill I'd gotten, [Adhesive Touch], the Satyr had no way to get away from me.

It was better if he attacked me than attacking Streiphen. My mass rippled, extending into my right arm. I reached out with the smaller limb, grabbing onto his wrist. I didn't want to risk a miss. I pulled him towards me, knocking him off balance as I swung my inflated arm towards the Satyr, expelling the excess mass as I undid the 'sticky' effect on my stomach.

The man collapsed backwards, falling onto the ground beneath a huge glob of sticky slime. The substance stuck to the pavement, pinning him in place. I glanced down quickly, to make sure his face wasn't covered by it. The last thing I wanted was for someone to suffocate.

"We can still talk about this!" Streiphen shouted from behind me. I didn't know if he was speaking to me, or the enemy.

Building up more mass in both arms, I ejected a steady stream in a makeshift wall around us. Unless any of these Orcs could fly, I'd created enough goo to slow them down.

I really hoped none of these Orcs could fly.

I turned around, grabbing onto Streiphen's wrist.

"We have to run, Streiphen! They're not going to listen to us, not unless they capture us. We're Chimeras, remember? We can't risk that."

Streiphen looked crestfallen. He opened his mouth to speak, and paused, thinking better of it. His eyes shut as he took a long, deep breath, turning away to run with me from the plaza.

I heard the sound of the goo shifting position and squelching against the pavement behind us. Were they trying to run through it? I didn't know if my goo had any weaknesses, and I wasn't going to stick around and find out.

"We'll figure something out for food and water later. This is more important, Streiphen!"

While the Orcs were preoccupied, I led Streiphen away and into an alley. Not wanting to waste time, I sent more of my mass to my back and arms, swinging him around to give him a piggyback. The mass in my legs had gotten thinner, and it was a struggle to run, but I could manage it. I'd used a lot of material holding those guys off, and I still had a sword lodged in my arm.

I shifted it through my body, moving to lodge it inside my chest, instead. I could... I could give it to Yuri, later. I didn't stop running until the sound of angry Orcs and shifting goo had long since disappeared. I stopped in front of what might've been a corner shop, letting Streiphen off my back before collapsing to the ground.

I closed my eyes, letting my concentration slip as my mass shuffled again, filling back into my legs as I regained my regular body type. Changing like that took concentration, especially if I let it go on for a while. I'd only been running for a few minutes, but... it had felt longer than that.

"Are... are you okay, Mister Toya?" Streiphen asked. I opened my eyes, looking up from the ground into the worried, frightened stars above.

"I'm fine..." I wheezed. "Just need a moment to... collect myself."

I hadn't sustained any real injuries. Beyond losing more of my mass, I didn't know if I could sustain any lasting injuries. I didn't want to think of myself this way, but I was like a Slime.

I was no adventurer, even in my past life, but I'd encountered them. I knew the best way to take them out was to whittle down their stamina and cut them apart. I... I figured I was the same way.

I took a deep breath that helped to ground me, as much as it was a physically uncomfortable sensation. With shaky limbs, I pulled myself to my feet. I placed my hands on my knees, staring down at the worn pavement as I worked to keep myself intact.

"Why didn't you... stick to the plan...?" I asked Streiphen, looking down towards him. His shoulders tensed up, and he hurriedly looked away, refusing to meet my eyes.

"I wanted to help..." he murmured back. "That... they were going to start fighting, and I didn't want that to happen..."

I didn't know if Streiphen was right, but it didn't matter anymore. That wasn't the problem.

"You need to communicate, remember? If you wanted to do something like that, you needed to tell me. When you just... walked towards them, I didn't know what to think. I had to rush in and help you."

What would Yuri have thought if I'd let Streiphen or Fareel get hurt? They were supposed to be under my watch. If I hadn't protected them, I wouldn't have done my job-

"Sorry..." Streiphen murmured, as shock ran through my head. "I... I started moving before I even thought about it... I thought that I-"

"Where's Fareel?" I asked, cutting him off. Even if I knew it was pointless, I stepped away from the building and into the middle of the street, looking towards the alley we'd run from.

Damn it. Damn it all! I'd been so focused on helping Streiphen that we'd left Fareel behind.

I raised both hands, covering my face as I tried to collect myself.

Where were we? I didn't know how to navigate these streets. I hadn't explored as thoroughly as Sigura had, and I didn't have the ability to explore whole areas at once like Fareel. Where should we go?

Streiphen's expression clouded with worry next to me as he began to run back the way we came. I forced my hands down from my face, jogging after him, making sure my body was back to its regular proportions even as it sloshed with movement.

When had we lost him? I hadn't been keeping track of him at the warehouses, but he'd followed us to the wall next to the stables. Did he know how to get back to Dronrowth? We'd need to regroup there, but I didn't know how to find our way there.

Did Streiphen know...? Maybe he had some abilities from Chimera that would give him a better sense of direction. He was no Minotaur, but maybe he had something...

"He ran around the back," Streiphen said, breaking the silence. "Before I tried to stop the fight..."

The fight that hadn't actually happened. They'd been close to a fight, but he hadn't broken anything up.

Did Fareel get caught? A hook snagged onto my heart, dragging it deep into a dark pit inside my chest. What was I going to tell Yuri and Sigura if I'd let Fareel get captured? The thought filled me with dread. I couldn't just-

"Oh!" Streiphen exclaimed, dashing away from me. My eyes widened, and I picked up the pace, working to keep up with him.

"Don't split up! We can't afford to get lost, Strei-"

At the end of an alley, a small blue bug sat at the edge of a footpath. It was a bug with big pincers, a familiar head, and a shit eating grin.

I... If he was captured, he'd lead us to the place he was stuck in, wouldn't he? That was something he could manage. But if he'd been captured, wouldn't he be more urgent? If he had been, the bug would've been running back and forth in a panic, gesturing for us to follow with its claws. Maybe... Fareel didn't care if he'd been captured?

Was I worrying too much? Was I focusing too much on the worst case scenario?

That wasn't such a weird thing, in itself. Since becoming a Chimera... no, even before becoming a Chimera, I'd been dealing with nothing but worst case scenarios.

Being born in a land with kind people, only to be cursed with the knowledge that I was living a lie, that my father was a [Bandit], and that I didn't deserve the kindness they gave me, knowing that I couldn't tell them about him?

I followed the bug as it turned to scurry away, Streiphen at my side.

Even when I renounced violence, when I'd started using my Skills as a [Pugilist] to help people, to keep criminals off the streets and protect the people I'd grown up knowing, things went wrong.

Just when I'd started getting something right, when I'd been taking real steps towards a proper life, everything had turned rotten. The [Bandits] had attacked in force, a monster had arrived and caused damage neither side were expecting, and I was captured in the crossfire.

I didn't know if my friends were alright. I didn't know if they were alive. I didn't even know if they still remembered me.

Whenever I expected something to go right, things went wrong. It wasn't a pleasant way to look at the world, but it was a safe one. It didn't make any false promises. I wouldn't experience a deep sense of disappointment when things didn't go my way. I'd resolved to err on the side of caution, to always hold the belief that things could always go wrong, could always get worse, and that weren't ever-

"You did it!" Streiphen squealed ahead of me, stepping forward into a storefront with a crumbling wall. I blinked, numbly following him in as my thoughts ground to a halt.

Sitting at a round table in his palm tree shorts, thick orange scarf and black [Pirate's] hat was Fareel. Next to him stood a pair of barrels, each as tall as Streiphen was. I stepped forward as the boy ran up to hug the Fishfolk, reaching out to open the lids.

Within the first, I found water. In the second, an assortment of dried, salted meats.

How did...? He'd stolen these from the warehouse? Had the guards been that distracted, that he'd been able to sneak in and steal provisions for us? From right under their snouts?

I looked down into the clear, calm reflection of the water. The look of shock on my face stunned me, as though I'd been splashed with the water itself. With that same incredulous look in my eyes, I turned my head towards Fareel.

"You... got both of these?"

The Fishfolk nodded in response, still grinning widely as he limply accepted the child's hug.

I looked back down at the water, and my pessimistic streak reared its head.

"This could just be collected rainwater," I said. "Yuri and I might be able to use it, but are you sure this will be safe to drink for-"

My words froze in my mouth, drowning in the deadpan look the Chimera gave me. Right. He was a Fishfolk. He probably knew water better than I ever would.

"Sorry..." I said sheepishly, rubbing the back of my head as I looked back into the water. "Dumb question."

The face staring back up at me had relief in their eyes, and a slight smile on their face.