“Heeerrre you go.” Peak handed me a sandwich—or at least something like a sandwich—full of food that I still had very little knowledge of. At this point, I’d just accepted that I’d have to eat a bunch of stuff without second guessing it. Fortunately, Peak had been considerate enough to try and alter his recipes to stuff more towards my Earthly tastes.

We’d stopped on some rocks in a clearing by the tunnel entrance to refuel with a quick lunch. As always, I inhaled my food at a speed that left me mindlessly fidgeting as I waited for Peak to catch up.

“You know there’s no need to rush, right? It’s not like the food’s going anywhere.” With a mouth full of spewing, half-chewed food, Peak tried to condemn my haste.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Peak, you clearly don’t understand. It’s not that the food is going anywhere, or anything like that. The issue is where it could go if I ate it at a paced speed: namely, out of my digestive system, back up my throat, and all over the ground, as my taste buds would cue my body to reflexively expel the seemingly toxic materials you’ve fed me.” In a leap of reasoning that bounded so far that it would put even olympic gymnasts to shame, I stated my retort with an unfittingly proud look on my face.

“Yeah… anyways, I’m done eating now. So, I’d say it’s about time to go over our actions henceforth in more detail.” Disregarding what I said, Peak shifted the conversation’s focus.

“Urgh… more planning? We already went over a bunch of stuff like a week ago or whatever. Can’t we just go in and hope for the best?”

“Ahaha, I figured you’d say that. No need to worry, though, April. I’ll make it quick. I’ve already sketched out our route on the map—” As Peak was talking, he started shuffling through his bag, before coming to a sudden halt.

“Hm…? What’s up?”

“Welp, it seems we left the map at the house… But it’s no big deal, because I remember the route like my beard remembers its signature edge. I mean, I have ran it every other month for five years. Just stay close to me and you’ll be A-OK.” Despite his—or potentially my—mess up of leaving the map behind, Peak, true to form, bounced back in no time and concluded with a plan that both did and didn’t satisfy my need for adventure.

“Hold on a second, just how close are we talking? One of those fancy retractable dog leashes that cost way too much for what they’re worth close, or step siblings in anime close? Because there’s a big difference between the two.” If there was one thing I hated, it was the idea of having to dote on someone in, what would arguably be, the coolest place I’d see yet. Merely looking at the mountain skyline sent my heart aflutter with excitement towards the trek.

“Firstly, what? Secondly, you shouldn’t have to be all that close. I’d say within an arm’s reach should just about do it.” There it was. Said more casually than jeans on a Friday. A single, innocent statement that inflicted more emotional damage upon me than any of the life threatening scares I’d encountered thus far.

“That’s too close, Peak! Too close! I don’t even keep my family that close! At the smallest possible interval of closeness, they’re a holler’s distance away.” Much like a large amount of my excitement, I’d snapped and shattered, instinctively hitting the rock below me to try and prove some sort of point. I tried my best to keep my composure as a shot of pain coursed from my hand and throughout my body, only slightly wincing from it.

For a moment after my display of utter immaturity, Peak looked nothing more than perplexed. However, it wasn’t long until he sighed an admission of defeat, and started talking again. “Look, just… stay safe. Okay, April? I’d never be able to live it down if you—or frankly anybody—were to get seriously injured under my watch. ...But if you promise not to do anything reckless, then I can settle for keeping you within eyeshot.”

“That’s what I call a bargain. You have yourself a deal, Peak.” I gave Peak a thumbs up, then popped up into a standing position. “Anyways, I’m getting a bit overzealous here, so can we go ahead and get go-go-going?!

“One last thing, what are the rules I gave you earlier this week?” Peak, now also stood up, proceeded to ask me to recite something from our previously established plans. The plans that I sorta just sat and nodded my way through.

“Uh… Steer clear of strange flowers, moving lights, unknown liquids, and distinct odors. Don’t approach random holes and crevices. And…” Abusing my above average memory for all it was worth, I struggled to recall the countless warnings Peak had told me.

“And if we somehow get separated, stay still and wait for me to find you.” Peak finished the review for me, and then went to put his classic ear-to-ear smile once again. “Every time we’ve done something like this before, I’ve known the risks and how to help you get out of trouble if it were to arise. So, if I’m seeming overly cautious now, that’s why. Thanks for cooperating.”

“No problemo, Peak. We are partners, after all. Even if it is only a temporary arrangement.”

“Ahaha, I suppose you’re right! I won’t keep you waiting any longer. Let’s go!”

And just like that, full of energy and excitement, we took off towards the tunnel’s entrance—dashing straight into the maw of the ominous, but admittedly cool looking, caves.

Once we were inside, however, we had to slow down as the tunnels became pitch black, blocking all light. Although I had better than average vision, I still found myself walking blindly into Peak’s back as he stopped ahead of me.

“Owie! Lemme know if you’re gonna randomly stop in front of me.” I rubbed my recently hurt nose.

“Sorry about that. Just figured I should get us some light, don’tcha think?” Peak stayed turned around, as he whispered something under is breath. I wasn’t able to make out what he said, but afterwards a gentle breeze brushed through the room.

“What was that about—” As always, I was left in the dark about what was going on, and was gonna look to Peak for answers. However, that was interrupted as I saw a multitude of spots on Peak’s body blotch over with a radiant green light. “Peak! ...Are you alright?”

“Hmm… Oh yeah, I’m just fine. Why do you ask?” Clueless as to why I was worried, Peak turned around at me inquisitively.

“Why do I ask, you ask? Because you’re lit up like a glowstick on Halloween night! That’s why I ask!”

“Oh, is that all? This is just kinda what happens when a Sprite makes contact with external magic. Convenient, eh?” Peak waved off my shock like it was nothing and continued on… meaning I had to run up to him to ask further.

“Sprite… that’s one of those races or whatever, yeah? You’re a Sprite? Since when?!” Still staggering to keep up with the briskly walking Peak, I pointed an accusatory finger as I demanded answers.”

“Since always… Wait, what did you think I was?” Finding what I was saying amusing, Peak finally slowed his pace to match mine.

“Well, I thought you were human, dingus! You look human enough.”

“Ah… That’s a fair mistake for someone who’s not from around here to make. My bad, I didn’t even think about how confusing that might be for you. To be fair, though, I didn’t think you’d know what a human is, either.” Peak and I were just nonchalantly talking, as we walked through the starting corridor of this supposedly hazardous place.

“Ah… That’s a fair mistake that someone who’s never been to Earth could make. Oh, Earth is my old planet’s name, by the way.” As I spoke, I could see Peak grow more interested in the conversation. Despite knowing each other for over a week now, I’d never really talked about my life back on Earth. “My world’s society is of exclusively humans. We don’t exactly have anything unique or interesting like you guys do.”

Peak stopped for a second, stroking his beard in thought before saying. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.” And then he just continued on, completely accepting what I said.

“Don’t just walk on! Now it’s your time to spill some info! Like, what even is a Sprite, other than a refreshing beverage to be enjoyed with a meal of your choice?” Peak was acting weird. Normally, he’d be down to goofily stand around and talk about whatever came to his head, but now it was like he was in a completely different mode. Whether it was because we were in a dangerous place, or because he was growing increasingly apprehensive the nearer we drew to Shelter was unknown to me. Maybe it was a mixture of both?

“Oh, Sprites are a race of creatures with bodies made out of deeply stored magic. Other than that, they’re pretty much like humans. Besides, y’know, the whole body glowing thing.”

“Yup. Don’t understand at all.” Everything Peak was saying was no more than gobbledygook to me. It was like if you tried explaining how the human body worked to some extra terrestrial race, but you just went “Yeah, the heart pumps blood and stuff, and it makes us live.” ...Actually, somehow Peak’s response was even more barebones.

We kept walking until we reached the end of the first corridor. It was incredibly long and straight… and anticlimactic… and boring… But when we reached the end, it started to pick up more. Not because there were suddenly rampant monsters scurrying about, but rather, the next area we entered. It was… “Beautiful…”

It was like I’d crossed into a completely different realm. A small indent at the end of the starting corridor led into a crystalline world of shine and sparkle. While still too dark to navigate safely without a light, there were random sections of glowing stalactites dripping silver droplets of water, collecting them into an arsenal of glowing pools. Moreover, there were speckles of glowing dust flittering through the air, systematically weaving in and around the room.

“It really is, isn’t it? It leaves me in awe every time I come here. Still, don’t drop your guard. Stay exceedingly vigilant, April. Remember: steer clear of distinct odors, strange flowers…” Peak started his reminder to me, expecting me to finish it.

“Unknown liquids and moving lights…” I looked around the contents of the room once more, now looking at it as Peak was: a room full of potential dangers. No wonder he was tense, even not knowing what there was to fear about these things, I could tell that this room was exceedingly hazardous.

“This is where I’d ask you to stay close to me and proceed slowly.” Peak was on a whole other level of careful. He was taking this seriously, so I figured I should, too. But…

“That doesn’t make sense! Why would you proceed through a dangerous area slowly? Wouldn’t you want to get away as quickly as possible, like we did with the Rapiter?” To me, going slow just gave you more chances to get hurt. Prolonged exposure to dangerous areas wasn’t necessarily the smartest thing, in my opinion.

“Hey, normally I’d agree with you, but not now. This is just the first of many openings in the tunnels, and sure, there might not be any monsters or hidden dangers, yet that doesn’t mean you should throw caution to the wind.” Peak, sensing my eagerness to step forward past him, preemptively held out his arm to bar me off as he spoke.

My view on the room’s danger level had done a complete 180. Where before I’d thought the room was scary and hazardous, I now only thought Peak was overexaggerating.

“Well then what is there to look out for?! Clearly, if something had the chance of jumping us, they would’ve done so already! I mean, seriously, look how loud I’m being!” I gradually crescendoed my voice as I talked until it echoed off the walls and reverberated right back at us.

“April… I’d really appreciate it if you’d listen to me. Now’s not the time to be goofing around, really. Right now, we’re in a zone—an area uninhabitable by a majority of sentient races. While monsters may not live in this room, it still has its fair share of dangers. Think of it like you were in the dungeon already, and act accordingly.” Peak, his voice both becoming more weary and more sharp as he spoke, persisted to try and wane me from doing something he deemed foolish.

“Our agreement was that I’ll stay within eyeshot, so I’m just gonna bounce from spot to spot staying near enough to light where you’ll be able to see me, sound good? Okay great.” Without waiting for a response I took off. The room didn’t appear that big, and I’d seen some of those little lights flicker past a clear exit multiple times. All I had to do was move across a room that could be no longer than thirty yards, resting within the lights without being touched by them. I’d take periodic stops to alert Peak that I was fine, and continue.

“April, hold up! Those lights are really not something you should be hanging around! Even if you’re aware of where they are, they could suddenly move and you’d be screwed!” Peak, throwing all of his prior intricacies and conscientious duties as my guard aside, dashed after me in an attempt to reclaim me.

I’d just reached the first area of light in the stretch and peeked around the corner enough to get a glimpse of him running after me. The ground was slippery, but thanks to my wings, I always had enough drag to quickly stop. “These things don’t even look alive, how are they dangerous? Are they poison barbed or something?” I tossed out a question before continuing to sprint through the room.

Meanwhile, Peak slid into the area by where I’d just left. “No, the lights themselves aren’t dangerous, neither are the puddles. It’s what interaction with them leads to that’s dangerous!” And then he took off in my direction as I stopped once more. He was catching up to me.

“Then what’s the big deal?! What’s dangerous?! Can’t you just tell me that?!” I took off again.

“If I did that, you’d probably run into them on purpose! Our goal is to get out of here tonight, so we can’t take any risks!” The pattern in which we were running was like a zigzag, extending the forty yard sprint into something more like sixty to eighty.

“Why the hell would I do that?! That makes no sense! Unless they happen to give me superpowers or something, there’d be no reason to! ...Wait, they don’t give me superpowers, do they?” Caught up in my own imagination, I stopped for a moment to think, as Peak was about to catch up to me.

“No, they don’t—April look out!” Not expecting me to remain stopped, Peak hadn’t properly adjusted his speed and skid once more on the ground… directly into me, sending me tumbling towards a puddle of crystal water—my wings just barely making contact with the liquid, being an oversized nuisance as always—and veering him into one of the many floating lights near where we were standing.

All of the sudden, my head started to spin. No, it wasn’t that my head was spinning. The room was warping, twisting and turning in unnatural directions. Was I hallucinating?

The next thing I knew, I was laid on the floor, but it wasn’t the same floor I’d fallen on. It was a new floor, in a new place. And… Peak was missing.

We’d been separated.

When I lifted my head up to get a better look at my surroundings, I realized that I was in a place that I’d never been. I was somewhere completely different from where I had been before.