I awaken in a strange world… Right, Orion, my current home... Did I fall asleep?

What happened?

No idea.

You kind of just conked out. We were surprised. Puddle Kids don’t sleep. Most people only sleep every three or four days, but we only sleep a few times in our life. When we’re evolving. But we’re not any bigger, or stronger than we were.

I see. Well that sucks. Well, we did fall asleep that one time, when our power activated.

That’s true. But still, we shouldn’t have slept once…

I think it’s kind of relaxing to be able to sleep.

Yeah, it’s nice. Maybe it’s because I used to be a human?

Right… Let’s move on now.

A’ight. See ya’!

I gather my water and crawl out of my nest. There’s my Esoterrastar suit, sitting on my souvenirs table. It’s kind of weird, I keep thinking of everything I get on this planet like they’re souvenirs, when I doubt I’ll ever see my world ever again.

…

Oh god I’m never gonna’ see my family again… Calm down Charlotte, you’ve got this. You have to take things as they are, not what they should be.

…

I crawl over to the side of my room, and notice a giant hand reaching out from the ocean… It looks like it’s big enough to pull the island down. Oh god my life is over. “DEMI HELP” Steriya says, appearing behind me.

Demi - “What the hell do you expect ME to do?”

“I-I don’t know. Go down there and stop it?” She asks, while shrugging.

Demi - “Wouldn’t Sirius be better suited for that?”

“Aren’t you stronger than him?” She asks, as the giant arm grabs the island.

Demi - “I think I’m a little stronger than him, when I’m at full size in the water. Physically, I mean. He’s way faster, I mean, I could hardly hit him while he’s standing still. He even came up with Lightning Magic, in the middle of combat, just to counter my overwhelming strength.”

She just stares at me, then blinks. “Okay. Do you think you two working together, could get rid of it?” She asks, as an even larger head suddenly surfaces, and looks at me.

Demi - “Probably not. We’ll just have to see what it wants. No point in dillydallying either, if this thing wanted us dead, it’d have pulled down the island already. Get me close.”

She shrugs, and places her hand on my surface, teleporting me in front of it. It’s like some sort of giant humanoid black mass, staring at me. I begin to fall, so I look down and its torso extends all the way down to the ocean, there’s no telling how large this thing is.

Sirius stops next to me, surprising me with how quickly he got here. “Should I transform? Try to deal with it?” He asks, as we stare at it.

Demi - “Not sure. I’m kind of just internally panicking, while I try and figure out what this thing wants. Besides, you’re probably no bigger than its arm.”

“I think it might be an Umibozu.” He says, as it stares at us. “Supposedly, it’s a legendary species of aquatic giant.” He continues as it begins to look down at us.

Demi - “Can we talk to it? What does it want?”

He just shrugs, and I spot Calbdin running over at top speed. “UMIBOZU~!!!” He shouts, surprising me, as Tenztore lands behind him. “He saw it peaking over the distance, and started running. I’d never seen him move so fast.” Tenztore says, as he walks over.

Demi - “Do you know how to deal with it?”

“Don’t worry, he’s probably just curious. They’re some of the most powerful things in the ocean, rivaling fully grown Krakens!” He says, with stars in his eyes, as Sirius takes a step back. “That strong, huh?” Sirius asks, grabbing his attention.

“Yeah. You’d be surprised. This guy’s strong enough to drag the entire island into the ocean, if he wanted!” He says, as he reaches towards it in awe. “They’re born from the errant emotions and residual energy of the dead. This one seems to have a kind yet curious balance.” He says, as it finally lets go of the island.

He pulls his arm away, and the island begins to move once more. “Goodbye, friend!!!” Calbdin shouts, as he waves his hands, and we see his body really is sticking out of the ocean.

We watch as he descends, almost seemingly waving as he does so. “You know, I always heard the stories. But I never knew they were real.” Sirius says, as we watch it descend into the ocean depths.

“You were the Crime Lord and de facto guardian of Ryleth, right? Maybe he recognized you as the Ocean King of that area, since you’d spent so much time there. Maybe he just wanted to see you off. They’re also known as Sea Monks, so of course he would want to know what’s going on.” Calbdin says, surprising Sirius and I.

“Huh. What’s your name?” Sirius asks, as he holds out his hand. “Calbdin, and this is Tenztore.” He says, as Tenztore approaches to shake his hand next. “Nice to meet you, I’m Sirius. And yeah, I guess I kind of was. I was the most powerful person when it comes to strength, so I guess it only makes sense.” Sirius says, as he looks back at it.

“I guess a new Ocean King will take my place?” Sirius continues. “Yeah, probably. So you shouldn’t have to worry. I just hope it doesn’t decide to destroy Ryleth. But I’m sure they’ll hire someone to deal with it, if it does.” Calbdin says, as we turn around to see the mountains on the back of the Ancient come into view.

Demi - “Hey, you guys wanna’ come check out Everessence with me? Flare, Calvin and Veloura has already been checking it out.”

“Yeah, I’ve been meaning to stretch my wings.” Tenztore says, as he does just that. “Well, I’m with you all the way, Tenztore!” Calbdin says, running up to him. “Sounds fun. But I’m not killing anyone for you.” Sirius says, surprising me.

Demi - “Nobody asked you to.”

“What was your life like?” Tenztore asks, as I begin to shrink myself in size. “Alright, hold close. I can fly pretty fast, Sirius, so be careful.” Tenztore says, as he grabs them, and I jump on his back, causing him to quickly glance back at me-

Demi - “I’ve rode with Demistar, I’ll be fine.”

He nods and lifts off. We soar through the air. Sirius not getting a moment to respond- “Holy shit!!!” He says, as he begins to jerk around- “Don’t move, or I might drop you!” Tenztore says, causing him to stiffen up. “S-Sorry.” He says, as though he’s turned into a block of wood.

Demi - “You got a fear of heights or some’n, Sirius?”

“Maybe?! I’ve never been up so high above stable ground…” He says, as he looks down at the island while we soar forward. “Don’t worry, Tenztore’s got a strong grip! He won’t really drop you!” Calbdin says, as we fly past the island.

I decided to build a sort of basket that’s connected to Tenztore’s clothing, so I don’t have to hold on so hard with a bunch of threads.

“So you’re both demihumans?!” Sirius asks over the rushing wind. “Yeah, I’m half Bloodhound, Tenztore is half Falcon! Pretty cool, huh?!” He says, as Sirius just kind of folds his arms. “Neat! I’ve never met many land demihumans, because I live in the ocean!” He says, over the rushing wind.

“You’re a Kraken, right?! I heard you guys can roar so loud, Orion shakes!” Calbdin says, entranced by another legendary creature to gawk at. “Maybe not ‘planet shaking’! But we can usually destroy villages, and shake cities!” Sirius shouts, catching Tenztore’s attention.

“You were born with a lot of natural strength… Weren’t you?” Tenztore manages to say clearly, keeping his voice down, despite all of the wind. “Kind of! I’m still growing! My dad used to crush undersea volcanoes, when they would disturb the waves!” He shouts, surprising me. I guess I could stand to learn a little more about him...

We land on the Ancient, and I disconnect my threads, absorbing them back into my body. Tenztore stretches, after dropping Calbdin and Sirius, the ladder of which is hugging the ground. “I never want to fly again…” He says, before picking himself up.

“You’ll get over it soon enough. Besides, you’re the strongest one of us.” Tenztore says, as we begin walking again.

Demi - “So Sirius… How many people HAVE you killed anyways? It must have been hard, right?”

“More than I’d like to admit. I’m still surprised that out of everyone, it was YOU who brought me in, Demitallis… I won’t lie, I think my family have always been a little indifferent to death and murder. But I still remember when I took my first life, and how it affected me…” He says, as we make our way through a forest.

Demi - “Yeah, I’ve killed a few animals in my life. But still, I can’t imagine taking another person’s life. Almost makes me wish Arigold would keel over and die, so I won’t have to deal with him.”

Sirius nods, as I begin to grow my size up a bit again. “Yeah, wouldn’t that just be perfect.” Tenztore says, as he smacks away a tree limb with his baton, snapping it easily, and instead of revealing everessence, we come upon a tall tower with a single window, and a large familiar hook...

“A tower?” Tenztore asks, as our eyes are guided up the thin trunk, while we approach it…

Demi - “Don’t worry guys, I’ve got this.”

They stare at me, as I approach the tower, and grow in size- “What are you doing?” Sirius asks, as I activate IDM. “I need to be a little bigger, so I can shout louder.” I say, surprising the three of them.

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!!!” I shout, now confusing them. “What-” Tenztore says, interrupted as suddenly a woman runs to the open window, to let down her hair! “Oh what the fuck!” Sirius shouts, as I sit here with the smuggest mental-grin I can imagine.

Demi - “Welp, up I go~!”

They watch as I morph myself around the hair, and quickly climb it!

I make it to the top, and jump onto the window, reforming once more. But the woman seems rather confused. “What…” She says to herself, as I jump down in front of her.

Demi - “Greetings, I may be no handsome prince, but nonetheless, I come to you as Demitallis Genesis!”

She looks around the room for some reason- “Where does that voice come from?” She says, as I look around myself, to see that the walls are decorated with different drawings, straight out of a fairy tail.

“Right here, m’lady!” I say, returning her attention to me.

Demi - “I speak to you, through your mind. It’s a special power of mine I call Telepathy!”

She kneels down before me and smiles! “Just like my books!” She says, clapping her hands as she stares into my abyss… “But what are you?...” She asks, as she lowers her hands, and I begin to shrink myself.

Demi - “Living water! Pretty fantastic, right? But, just curious- Where’s the evil witch, supposedly very powerful?”

“My mother!” She yells, only now remembering her. “She will be here any moment, you must hide! She will have your head, my little friend!” She continues, as she looks around the room, and holds a jar in front of me!

Demi - “Of course!”

I jump right in, and she tosses me to the table! Suddenly, I stare out of the jar, to watch the room fill with an almost intoxicating dark miasma, as the shadow of the witch dances through the room- “My child!!! My child! My child…” She screams, her voice calming with each word…

“There you are, my child…” She continues, as I push up some of my water, to try and see better. “I sense a presence, stay quiet, stay still…” She continues, as she guides her child out of sight, forcing me to watch their shadows once more… “Yes, mother…” Rapunzel says, as the miasma fades…

The room is silent, it seems the miasma follows the witch. That will be useful. I jump out of the vase, and into the open room, approaching the closet- The miasma returns, and I slip into the floorboard! “I found you-” She shouts, as I cling to the bottom of the floor. “Or not…” She says, her miasma disappearing once more…

Demi - “Where you guys at, are you okay?”

Calb - “We’re fine, we saw that thing coming from a mile away, and decided to hang back for safety… Thank god you’re alright…”

Demi - “I’ll call upon you if I need your assistance, tell the others to hang back too.”

Tenz - “What, tossing us by the wayside?”

Demi - “Sorry! It’s my adventure! Besides, the witch is very powerful, it may take all of us anyways.”

I wait for another passing of the witch, and morph through the wood. Rapunzel bursts through the door, and looks at me! “Please, I do not belong here, destroy the witch, it is the only way!” She exclaims, before I suddenly spot an object in the window, and see the witch grab me right off the ground, like a bird of prey snatching away its next meal!

She looks down at me as we glide out the window at blind speeds- “Answer, slime!” She shouts, before I blast her in the wing with a bearing shot! We tumble to the ground, and she suddenly takes off-

Demi - “I was caught, help me out!”

Tenztore suddenly slams into her, his jet-black form taking her right out of the sky! “You dare!” She shouts, as she picks herself up, and I finally get a good look at her owl-like face… Her entire body is like that of some sort of thin humanoid owl…

He equips his weapons, and deflects some claw strikes from the witch, as she forces him to backpedal until he lands a lucky strike, stunning her long enough for me to blast her with another bearing!

She screeches in anger- “I am Fluorite, eighth sister!” Her words seemingly echo through the air, as she continues her ceaseless shriek…

Tenztore suddenly lowers to his knees, as he grasps his head- What’s wrong- Oh, ears, I don’t have those anymore, so I’m not affected in the same way they are…

Sirius suddenly grabs him, and throws him to Calbdin, who barely manages to catch him. Sirius roars at her, instantly drowning out her own, and destroying the immediate area- It actually manages to blow her away, and shut her up!

Demi - “Good job Sirius!”

“That was so annoying!” He screams, as she lands against a tree, and suddenly takes off! I latch a string onto her, being dragged along at her top speed- TOO FAST!!! I break the line, and I feel the wind tear my body apart as I begin to descend…

It doesn’t matter how strong I am, the wind will tear me apart if I’m not careful… I look around, waiting for her to strike, and oh god she’s right there- I’m grabbed once again, and she stares at me in her claws, as I use all my strength to hold myself together!

I squeeze myself around her foot- There’s something off about it, it’s not squishy at all, it’s like… I crush harder and harder, and it suddenly fractures! She screeches in pain once more, flailing her leg around, until it suddenly shatters and falls apart!

She’s some sort of elemental, her entire body is made of crystal! I descend to the ground, foot-claw inside of me- I’m suddenly sliced nearly clean in half, as she lands in front of me, with a now foot-less razor sharp looking leg…

I regain my consciousness, as I continue to hold myself together- She’s standing there, waiting for one of us to act…

Demi - “Calbdin, distract her, I’ll see if I can finish her off…”

He looks at me- Grabbing her attention, then looks back at her… “H-Hey, are you a- uh- Elemental?” He asks, as she stares at him, while I morph around under the grass. “No! I am Fluorite!” She screams, her gaze completely fixed on him…

“S-Sorry! I figured you weren’t, I just wasn’t sure-” He says, trying to stay passive. “Most Elementals are segmented in some way! You obviously aren’t, however! I wanted to know what you are!” He continues, as I myself continue to make my way over to her.

“Enough words, now you die!” She shouts as her wings suddenly eject outwards, forcing me to jump over to her and latch my body arounds her! “Wh-What are you-” She shouts, as I quickly build tons and tons of more water-mass, slowly submerging her!

Demi - “Just give up, I don’t want to hurt you anymore than I have! Don’t make me-”

Before I can finish, she suddenly starts swinging her new blade around my body, shredding my inside- My body reacts wildly, and starts striking her from within my body- I’m forced to crush her into multiple pieces, until she finally stops moving…

I build a metal bowl, and move the pieces inside of it, until I finally push it out of my body, in some sort of hope she can be put back together. This is what the girl wanted anyways, but I… I was ready to kill HIM, but I never wanted to hurt anyone… At least, not anyone ELSE...

Calbdin runs over, as I consume the water inside of me, and looks at what’s left of her… “Is… Is she…” He says, as he picks it up, and looks at me…

Demi - “I don’t know, I was hoping YOU would…”

He just shrugs, as Tenztore and Sirius arrive right behind him. “So nobody knows what that thing was?” Tenztore asks, as he stares at the broken shards.

Demi - “You guys figure out what’s up with the crystals, I need to go figure out what’s going on with that princess.”

I attach my string to the tower, and reel myself in! Rapunzel catches me, and hugs me against her chest- “You may be no Prince, but you’re certainly my hero!” She says, as she suddenly kisses me-

Demi - “I’m a girl, you know…”

She suddenly blushes, but waves it off. “I see nothing wrong with that… Thank you Demitallis, I’ll be on my way home soon…” She says, as she sits down in a chair with me, lifting her long hair over it.

“It may be hard to believe, my friend. But I was never born in this world… My mother, the witch... She used her powers to bring me here, and then kept me here until this very day, where you came to my rescue...” She continues, hugging me again-

Demi - “But… How do you know this?...”

“I’m not like anything in this world, I've witnessed many incredible things from my tower… Even Mother, who could lift and throw great boulders, wields unimaginable strength… Besides, she taught me everything I know… It slipped...” She says, as she places me in the window again.

Demi - “But… Where will you go then?”

“It was her power that has been keeping me here… So I believe I should be sent home, I only hope I will be accepted…” She says, as I am forced to contemplate the fact that I’m not the only person to have come here from another world…

Demi - “Believe it or not, I’m actually from another world too… I never thought I would meet another person like me, so it’s actually a little depressing that you have to leave so suddenly…”

She just stares at me in shock, then smiles again. “Well, I never thought I would relate with a living orb of water…” She says, as she sits on the window next to me.

Demi - “The feeling’s mutual. I thought I was alone. I haven’t told anyone else, but knowing YOU’RE here… Well, that tells me so much… Maybe somebody brought me here too. Either way, I think I’ll stay, although I doubt I have a choice whether I leave or not- I’m having a ton of fun… Even though I had to kill a person…”

“Oh…” She says, as she stares at me…

Demi - “Right, one last thing- Is your name ACTUALLY Rapunzel? Just curious, ‘cause I can’t imagine I got that lucky with your name.”

“Of course it isn’t. It’s Oscula- Well, that’s what the witch named me- Although... I may just go by Rapunzel, I like how it sounds. Anyways, I think you should get going, my brave hero. As the witch’s power fades, the tower may disappear at any moment, that includes anything inside along with it.” She says, and so I quickly comply, leave her the only gift I can think of, and quickly depart.

I turn to look at the tower, after landing, to see some sort of large rift open above it. “What’s happening?” Calbdin asks, as we stare at it.

Demi - “I think we should just leave. That rift- Or whatever it is- might take the entire area away at any moment-”

The tower suddenly disappears, and the rift snaps shut, disappearing at a moment’s notice! “W-Well…” Calbdin says, as we stare at the open space where the tower once existed… “Calbdin had a good idea, and it turns out Fluorite might still be alive after all.” Sirius says, as he shows me the bowl.

“He decided to check for mana signatures, her pieces are still producing more and more, she may yet be alive…” Tenztore says, as I stare at all of the pieces sitting inside of the bowl. “Thanks, guys. Anyways, it may be as simple as putting her back together, I’m just not sure how we would do that…” He says, as Sirius picks the bowl back up.

Demi - “What do we do with it, though? I don’t imagine we should take it with us...”

“Here wait, teleporter-” Calbdin says, before grabbing it and teleporting away- “I guess he’ll be back soon enough…” Sirius says, as He sits down, followed by Tenztore. “Yeah, he’s not exactly the fastest on his feet… Just give him a moment…” He says, as I look up.

Demi - “Have you ever heard of Constellations?”

They look up, and Sirius’s back hits the floor, as he stares at the night sky with me. “Right, they’re collections of stars that stay constant, it’s to help us recognize patterns… That one!” He says, pointing in the general direction of what I assume is a constellation.

“That’s mine, Canis Majoris, or Sirius. As you can see, it’s the brightest one, so it’s the one I was named after.” He says, after Tenztore lies on his arm, to see it. “You know, it’s said that the king of the beasts, in his despair, through one breath, created the stars…” He continues, as we continue to watch the stars…

“And now, when a legendary creature like I, is born, he creates another just for them. For we are his children…” Sirius says, as he begins to stand up- “Hey, are you guys talking about the King of The Beasts?!” Calbdin suddenly asks- I guess he got back sooner than we thought he would.

Demi - “Yep! What’s the King of The Beasts anyway?”

Calbdin suddenly claps his hands quickly, beaming with excitement- “The Legendary Dragon amongst creatures we already consider legendarily rare in their own right! He wields impossible strength powerful enough to destroy planets, and create the stars that litter the night sky!” Calbdin suddenly starts shouting, surprising me again with how much he knows…

“I think we should get going, Calbdin. I’m sure this can wait for another day. For now, we should just get to Everessence.” Sirius says, before dragging us away. “Alright, fine!” Calbdin says, as he starts using his feet again.

After a while, just like that, we finally see it, Everessence! Smoke rises over towering rundown buildings, as we stare in awe of the modern-looking city… “Everessence, huh?” Calbdin asks, as we make our way to the city.

Demi - “Veloura DID say it was pretty bad-”

I’m suddenly interrupted, as a mortar shell lands next to us, its explosion stopping a little short, as Tenztore blocks the shrapnel with his wings. He looks at them in a panic, and they’re surprisingly fine.

“I covered you in a shield.” Sirius says, surprising everyone. “Thanks… You saw what I was doing?” He says, as Sirius looks around for more mortar shells. “Yeah, I saw it coming, then I saw you bolt into action, so I decided to charge up a shield.” He says, as we finally enter the city.

A man comes running in, covered in full body armor- “Oh god, are you kids alright?!” He shouts, as he suddenly clutches his head. “We’re fine, it didn’t hit us, and we were able to deflect the shrapnel!” CAlbdin calls out, causing the man to relax.

“Thank goodness. Sorry about that, the gun malfunctioned. What are you all doing here, though?” He asks, as he runs up to us.

Demi - “I’m Demitallis Genesis. I’m here to fight and help out. I’mma be a hero!”

“Eventiur. Nice to meet you. You’re a slime, right? How old are you?” He asks, as he places his hand on his hip.

Demi - “I’m a puddle kid. I’m almost three months old!”

My answer shocks everyone, BUT Eventiur. “What the hell is a puddle kid? Doesn’t matter- This place isn’t safe, I’ll take you back to HQ. You can tell me on the way.” He says, before guiding us to the aforementioned HQ.

Demi - “Hey, do you think I could get some armor like that too? It reminds me of a game I used to play!”

“Probably not, it’s certified primary infantry combat armor.” He says, as the sound of gunfire and shouting tears through the air. “I should probably go check that out. You kids stay here.” He says, yet we decide to follow anyway.

Demi - “Hey, I should have a sister who’s been working around here. Her name’s Velouravan.”

“Oh, you’re following me anyways- Wait, you mean the kid who brought the dragon? They think there’s this whole conspiracy going on, something about illegal weapons testing, I think.” He says, surprising me.

Demi - “Illegal weapons testing?”

“He must be talking about stuff banned by the world council. Sometimes it’s a bullet, or a gun. Maybe a super-weapon. Or someone invented a horribly powerful spell.” Tenztore says, as we run towards the gunfire.

Demi - “I’ll see if I can stop the fighting.”

“What are you-” Sirius says, but I shoot out a string, and propel myself forward before he can say anything. I’m like a spider! I’m the most relatable hero ever~!!! I swing around, charging a bearing shot! I soar through the air above where the soldiers are firing at each other, and blast the ground between them!

The bearing hits the ground, forming a massive crater, and rupturing multiple buildings! Everyone is knocked on their feet, causing them to let go of their triggers! “I’m Demitallis Genesis! I have arrived!” I shout with IDM, as I land on the ground.

“What the hell?!” Another guy in armor shouts, surprising me. They’re all actually wearing full body armor. “Are you friend or foe?!” He shouts, before pointing his gun at me.

Demi - “Friendly! I’ve come to end the war!”

“Stupid kid! Get out of the way!” Another soldier from the other side shouts, as he trains his own gun on me. Don’t worry, these people can’t be too strong, probably somewhere in the hundred thousands. I made sure to do my research.

Demi - “You can fire at me if you like, but it won’t work.”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that.” He decides to take on my little challenge, and fires a bullet at me. But instead of hurting me, I catch and slow it down in my body, spitting back out at him!

Demi - “Haha! Nice try! I’m bullet proof!”

“Oh fuck this!” He shouts, before firing multiple bullets at me- Shit, I can’t catch them all! He’s knocked out by another soldier, batting him in the back of the head with the butt of their rifle. “Speak, slime!” He shouts, as I push out the rest of the bullet.

Demi - “I ask that you cease conflict for now! I’ll come up with a solution for you, there’s no more need for this bloodshed!”

The soldiers begin to stand up, and look between each other. “And what if we don’t give a shit?!” He asks, as they all point their weapons at me.

Demi - “Then I’ll start beating you all down, until you decide to listen!”

“You’ve got to be kidding.” He says, as I begin to grow in size. “Wh-What the- Can slimes do that?!” He asks, looking between his group.

I grow until I can barely fit in the area, and charge a powerful bearing. I fire it out and use the thread to destroy the surrounding buildings! The buildings fall on top of everyone, but they quickly climb out.

“Stop!!!” Eventiur shouts, as he comes running in- “What the hell?!” He suddenly scream, falling down. “She’s a puddle kid, one of the most dangerous creatures on the planet!” Sirius shouts, as everyone stares at me.

Demi - “Ya’ got that right! Anyone else want a shot at me?!”

“Venetiur! What’s going on?!” Another soldier shouts as he runs up to him. “I don’t know! I was getting these kids back to HQ, but this one ran away!” He shouts, surprising them. “Wait- Kid?” He says, looking back at me. “Yeah, she said she’s a few months old.” The soldiers drop their guns, as they realize they’ve been firing at a child.

Demi - “I might be only a few months old, but I’m still probably stronger than all of you.”

The soldiers on the other side of me hear this, and begin to realize how young I am.

Demi - “Listen, just give me a chance to help-”

“No! We gave them a chance, and WE paid the price!” That same soldier shouts, pointing at the soldiers behind me- Oh, they can see through me, ha, I like that- Anyways: Demistar HELPED me with my research. I didn’t go in like some dumb kid. For some reason, somebody’s been trying to get these guys to kill each other out, and I’m not going to let it continue.

Demi - “Just stop! I’m not some bullheaded kid! None of you could really want this!”

“We’ll circle around, and take them out!” That same soldier shouts, causing them all to nod in acknowledgement- Sirius jumps over me in an instant, and transforms!

Siri - “I am Sirius Bask, the former crime lord of Ryleth! Behold the might of the legendary kraken!”

Suddenly he begins grabbing soldiers on the other side of me, as they begin to run away-

Demi - “Sirius! What are you doing?!”

Siri - “Your way didn’t work! I’ll get them out of here, and try to keep everyone from fighting!”

“Somebody call Vance!” A soldier screams, as he’s grabbed… “What the hell-” The soldiers on the other side of me screams, as they watch Sirius slowly pick up the rest of their opposition.

Demi - “Look, you’ve won. Now return to HQ.”

“No, this is a great time to take more territory! For the revolution!” He shouts, before I slam a bearing right in front of him- “Maybe we should just get back, Foldge.” Venetiur says, placing his hand on the man’s shoulder.

Foldge sighs, and looks at the guy who’s still currently knocked out. “Somebody grab the sergeant. He’s gonna’ be pissed.” He says, as he places his hand on his forehead.

Tenztore suddenly lifts off, and flies away- “Tenztore decided to follow Sirius, to make sure he’s okay!” Calbdin shouts, from down there, surprising everyone.

…

About an hour later, we finally made it back, and I lowered everyone to the ground. They had me carry them all here, because they’re wounded and tired.

“So you’re really a Bloodhound Demihuman?” Venetiur asks Calbdin as they walk over to the front door of a rundown looking building. “Yeah. The Genesis family is a collective of creatures who are either endangered or extinct. We even have two Megalodon Demihumans back at home!” He says, surprising everyone else, as they get the door.

Demi - “Hey, about the guy Foldge knocked out- What’s up with him?”

Foldge looks up at me, reminding me to shrink back down- “You mean Oxe? Yeah, I’m sorry about him… He’s just an old man, I think that’s why they gave him a team like us. Personally, I thought that fight wasn’t worth it anyways, but he’s managed to pull everyone out of some pinches here and there. I think he had a son a while back, the kid supposedly died during negotiations. Now he’s unhinged and unforgiving...” He says, his gaze lowering as I continue to consume my mass.

Demi - “Damn. I’m sorry to hear that. It must be tough. I lost my mother a while back.”

“I’ve lost a few friends and allies here and there. I’m an orphan, so I never knew my parents.” He says, as we enter the building. It’s pretty run down and empty. There IS furniture, but it’s been draped over to keep safe. “This way, there’s a lever around here somewhere.” Venetiur says, as he looks for it.

Demi - “Yeah, I lost a friend too recently, now that I think about it. She was the queen of Ryleth. She went missing, but she’s basically considered dead. Something to do with a rift? Supposedly it should’ve torn her apart… It kinda sucks to think about…”

“I’m sorry. I imagine you must still be healing. I’d advise you to look to who you have left for comfort.” He says, as Venetiur finally finds the lever, and pulls it. The room begins to descend, and a new ceiling takes its place above us...

Demi - “You know, I could sit here and pretend that’s everything I’ve been dealing with… But in all honesty, I’ve lost so much more than I think I even know how to deal with…”

We descend into a large cave with colorful crystals covering the walls, and large structures that descend from the ceiling into the ground. “Are you okay?” Foldge asks, bringing me back from my stupor-

Demi - “Y-Yeah! Sorry. I was thinking about something- Just ignore what I said.”

“S-Sure…” He says, as the soldiers separate from us. Leaving just Me, Calbdin, Venetiur, Foldge, and another soldier I haven’t learned the name of yet, who’s carrying the still knocked out sergeant.

Demi - “Where are they going?”

I ask, as we step off the elevator, and quickly begin to ascend behind us. “You know, the bunks, infirmary, stuff like that.” Foldge asks, as Venetiur guides us to the one building that doesn’t reach to the ceiling.

Demi - “Hey, you. I never got your name.”

I ask the soldier that had been silent this entire time for their name- “That’s Qualstra. She can’t speak, her vocal cords were shot out. Some consider it a miracle that she’s still alive. Well, that on top of everything else.” Foldge says, as the soldier makes a guttural noise to emphasize the damage.

Demi - “I’m sorry- That was a little insensitive, I should have realized. I could offer you my telepathy skill, as an apology.”

She motions declination of my offer, as we stroll up to the doorway. “So this is where your leader stays?” Calbdin asks. “Yeah, her name is Chorimaxis. We just call her Chorim.” Foldge answers, as we enter the building and make our way up the front staircase.

We pass by more fully armored people on our way up, and see two doors that must lead to Chorim’s office. “You wait out here, Qualstra. Bring Oxe in when he wakes up.” Foldge says, as Venetiur opens the door and we head in without her.

The back wall is a giant glass window, with an almost fully armored woman with fiery orange glowing hair standing in front of it, staring silently at the rest of her underground home, as she holds herself with an interesting sense of dignity.

“Chorim- Where’s your helmet? Don’t you know how dangerous it is?” Venetiur asks, deciding to be the first person to speak. “Even in my own home, Venetiur?” She asks, as she turns around to reveal a long thin scar that travels up her face and into her blinded right eye.

She approaches her desk, and presses a button on a black box- “Vilstrous, prepare escape plan: ‘V’ HE has arrived.“ She says, as Venetiur approaches. “Of course ma’am!” The voice of a young man comes over the communicator, as she finally looks back at Venetiur. “Isn’t your scar proof enough, that it really isn’t?” He asks as he approaches her.

Demi - “Is there something I’m missing here?”

“Chorim and Venetiur are dating.” Foldge says, as he crosses his arms.

Demi - “Oh, so he’s got a lot more sway then I thought he did.”

“Kind of. I could have sworn he was set up in an outpost near the edges of the city, well away from the front lines.” Foldge says, catching Venetiur and Chorim’s attention away from each other, and back at us.

Demi - “Greetings. I am Demitallis Genesis. I’ve done a lot of research on Everessence, and I promise to help!”

I bounce onto the table, and Chorim stares down at me with curiosity. “You look like a slime, yet…” She places her hand on me, and I allow it through- “A Puddle Kid!” She shouts, as she picks me up.

“You know what those are?” Foldge asks, as he approaches. “Yes. They were previously extinct, and extremely deadly. My mother used to tell me all kinds of stories, about all of her battles with them.” She says, as she looks at him.

Demi - “I’m sure it was quite impressive, but I think we have something more important to discuss.”

“What do you plan to do, to change things?” She asks me, as she places me back down on her desk.

Demi - “Well, I’ll need to regroup with the rest of my family. To start with. Then I’ll get started working on a ceasefire. After that, I’ll figure out what’s REALLY going on, and finish it for you.”

“A real Hero, huh? And a Puddle Kid-” Here eyes narrow- “-Wait... You’re from Genesis-Haven, aren’t you… I heard about what happened there.” She says, surprising me.

Demi - “What you heard may have been misconstrued. Arigold attacked, he tricked my mother so the research and distribution facility would be near the golden kingdom. He wanted our potential and power.”

They stare at me, and look among themselves for answers. “News should have spread from Ryleth, of our deaths. It’s a ploy we’re using to keep under his radar. We hope we end our time here on good terms, and you will help us with this.” Calbdin says, explaining the most important details of our situation.

“Well, you certainly seem to speak earnestly… Prove yourself, then I’ll make my decision, once this is all over.” She says, as she kneels down in front of me.

Demi - “Sounds like a deal… Then I’ll be sure to impress you, Rebel Leader Chorimaxis. Come on Calbdin, we need to regroup with Veloura.”

“Ah, yes, the little bunny girl. She should be somewhere downstairs, I believe.” Chorima says, causing Calbdin to nod for me, before we depart.

End of Chapter: 35 “Radiant adventures continue! Everessence begins!”

Thank you for reading.

“Oh, that’s so nice! Thank you!” “Indeed.”

“This is a secure rebel military base, how are you even- Fine, thanks.”

“Oh leave me alone.”

“Shddd…”

“Oh, sure. Thanks!”