A buzz from Deon’s TeamTrack nudged him awake. He sat up slowly, high within one of the strange, curvy trees on the outskirts of Skip’s yard.

‘Nightwood Valley’ was an accurate name for this place. Skip was right: these large branches were incredibly comfortable, even rivaling the mattress from Deon and Skrili’s hotel room at Gloat Center. When Deon began climbing into this tree last night, it felt firm as any tree. But once he made himself comfortable on his branch of choice, the wood miraculously softened into a pillow-like substance.

It somehow grew even cozier as soon as Skrili had claimed and crawled into a branch a few above his.

While the magic in Fantasy Country was primarily harnessed and controlled, these Fiction Country phenomenon seemed to act on their own—as if they, themselves, were a living entity.

Deon snagged his bag, which hung on a branch beside him, and obtained his TeamTrack.

The message he’d received was from Skip:

“Howdy, it’s your Trainer! Got your contact from Skrili. You can come by the cabin now.”

Deon stretched, still unsure why Skip specifically instructed Skrili to arrive separately for their first day of Training. Maybe he wanted to focus one-on-one with her to strengthen her specific fighting style? Deon hoped he’d get the same treatment.

Despite his questions, eagerness fueled him. He rushed to get dressed and ready, and then hopped down to the ground of the wooded valley.

With each step he took through the trees and towards the cabin, his heart raced faster in anticipation. What legendary secrets of consciousness fighting was he about to learn today? Would Skip help him finally master his Twitchy technique? Would he start by guiding them to come up with masterful team attacks?

Before he knew it, he was past the small yard and at Skip’s door. He knocked, and after a quick “Come in!” from inside, he entered the cabin.

The living room he stepped into was simple and quaint enough, with cozy furniture and warm lamps along the walls. A candle on the coffee table gave off a calming cinnamon scent.

Skip stood in the middle, in a similar suit jacket outfit to yesterday’s.

But oddly, Skrili was nowhere to be seen.

“You wasted no time,” noted Skip. “Welcome to Day One!”

Deon glanced around again, but now he was certain: his teammate was missing.

“Uh…yeah, I’m excited to start,” he said distractedly. “Where’s Skrili, though?”

Skip’s eyes glistened menacingly.

Wait…did he do something to her?! Deon thought.

“Whoa, relax,” Skip laughed, reading Deon’s worry. “She headed down to the nearby village. She’s waiting for you there.”

“Oh,” Deon sighed. “So is that where we’re practicing today?”

Skip analyzed him for a moment, before beginning to pace slowly. “You know, we could just get into the training and stuff…do a bunch of sparring, drills…start making team attacks and such…but…”

‘But…?’ Deon repeated in his head.

“…I don’t know,” Skip said casually. “I figured today I’d give you guys a breather.”

Deon felt his excitement dwindling. “But…we haven’t done anything yet,” he pointed out.

“Sure, but…here’s where we’re at: I told Skrili to go wait for you in the village,” said Skip. “Why don’t you two go on a date today?”

“WHAT?!”

“A date,” Skip repeated, his unruffled expression unwavering. “Like, go out with each other. Have a time on the town.”

Deon waved his hand with a laugh. “Oh…no, I think you got the wrong idea from the press and everything,” he said. “Skrili and I aren’t dating. We’re just a team.”

“Oh, I know,” Skip said simply. “So, are you gonna keep her waiting? Don’t tell me I have to make her walk all the way back here. She probably just arrived.”

Wait—what the heck does Skrili think of this?! Deon thought. Is she really waiting for me to go on a date with her?? I can’t picture that…

“How about I put it this way,” started Skip, stopping his pace abruptly. “I refuse to start all the fighting and drills until you go do this first.”

His confident stare burned through Deon.

This guy’s ridiculous…Deon grumbled mentally. Wait…unless…

He smirked.

“Okay…I think I’m following…” Deon said inquisitively, waving a finger at Skip. “This is some sort of setup for your real training plan today, isn’t it?”

Skip matched his knowing smile. “I guess you’ll have to head to the village to find out,” he said. “Follow the sound of the waterfall.”

Deon nodded slyly, backing towards the door. “Alright, Teacher…I’m catching on, and I’ll be ready.”

Skip winked as Deon stepped back outside and closed the door.

“Alright: Training Day One!” Deon exclaimed to himself. He listened for the distant waterfall, whose roar came from somewhere beyond Skip’s house. With a spring in his step, Deon hurried onward.

He found a thin path in the woods beside Skip’s house, and realized his quest would probably be quite easy. With each minute, the waterfall sounded nearer.

Occasionally, he noticed a black or white squirrel hurry past the trail. They were much smaller and cuter than the spastic Tailpiece ones. Above him among the branches, he also spotted birds—and these were either black or white, as well, just like the boulders resting all around the landscape.

I wonder what kind of test we’re up against once I get there, Deon pondered. Maybe we have to fight someone…or each other? But why would we do that in a village?

After about an hour of travel, the hills and slopes surrounding the flat trail had grown much steeper around him. Beyond a few of these, he found a slightly distant, towering cliff. It consisted mostly of pure white and black stones and boulders, with long, reaching branches weaving in and out on the way up.

By now, there was no mistaking: the roaring water was descending from there. Straight ahead, the trees opened up to a wide clearing, and Deon spotted wooden buildings within it. He’d reached his destination.

Deon broke into a jog, his mind once again racing with predictions of Skip’s sneaky plan. He stepped into the sun, and beheld a quiet little village before him.

The buildings, spread out spaciously along the trimmed grass, were cabin-like and made from the same wooden materials as Skip’s. Even here, long and smooth boulders occupied the valley, children running along and hopping off of some of them behind a house. They all dressed in silky, colorful robes.

Smoke puffed out of a few chimneys across the village, and people in similar robes walked about tranquilly in the centermost area, which contained a series of little shops. Some were entirely outdoors, and others in cabins.

A few of these people carried travel bags, and judging by their curious nature, seemed to be from beyond the village like Deon.

Much like the waterfall beside him, mountainous white and black rocky hills surrounded the village, creating a flat valley. Deon observed the powerful waterfall. It plummeted a steady flow into a round pond, which stretched out to form a river that ran calmly but steadily all the way around the village.

He couldn’t help but pause and take in the paradise.

“Welcome, visitor,” came a soft voice. Deon had been too distracted to notice the middle-aged woman in a purple robe approaching him. She joined him at the entrance of the village, pushing a wooden coat rack of sorts that carried countless robes in unique designs.

“Hi! This place is gorgeous!” Deon greeted.

The woman smiled serenely while combing through her robe collection. After little effort, she picked one out and brought it to him. “Please, accept and wear this robe as you enjoy our land. This is our traditional way of honoring and celebrating our valley.”

Deon took the clothing. His robe was mostly black, with small orange dots spread across evenly. It felt incredibly smooth, its sheen glowing in the sunlight.

“Well, thank you!” Deon said as he carefully put it on over his tunic. It was large enough to wear over his clothes, and somehow, made a perfect fit.

The woman seemed just as pleased with her selection. She bowed and began making her way back towards a cabin off to the side.

“Alright then…now, to find Skrili,” Deon told himself.

Making his way into the busier part of the village, Deon was surprised at how much more relaxed this place was than the rather hectic environments he’d visited so far, between the Conscious Cities and Gloat Stadium. Nobody was in a rush. In fact, many greeted him in passing, locals and visitors alike.

After quite a few minutes, Deon still couldn’t spot Skrili. A sweet scent caught his attention as he passed by a small building, and he found himself outside a little café. His stomach rumbled—he’d forgotten to eat before starting the day.

I’ll just send her a TeamTrack message and grab something quick, he decided.

He typed his inquiry of her whereabouts, hit send, and stepped inside. Just like back in the Phoenix, the decorative wooden menu didn’t make much sense to him. He ultimately pointed at a pastry and did his best to pronounce a drink he’d heard the customer before him request, and hoped for the best.

“That’ll just be six parchment points,” the employee said.

Deon glanced down at his TeamTrack. “Uh…can I pay with this?” he asked.

“I’m sorry—we only accept cash.”

Deon blushed. Skrili had all of their physical money.

“Oh…that’s okay. Never mind—”

Deon stopped short when a hand reached past him from behind and placed the parchment points before the cashier. He turned around to find Skrili there, her purple eyes expressionless as usual.

Instead of greeting and thanking her, Deon found himself rather frozen. For one, that same weird sensation coursed through his brain as every other time he’d laid eyes on her since entering Fiction Country. It was intense yet calming, and all the while captivating. He couldn’t quite fathom the elusive feeling.

But even after shaking himself out of it, he was again beside himself. Like him and everyone else in the village, Skrili wore a silky robe. Hers featured magnificent shades of dark blue, black, and purple, in all sorts of round and abstract shapes. It fit flawlessly, falling along her slender yet athletic build. It was hard to look away.

Skrili’s eyes abruptly averted from side to side.

“You owe me six parchment points,” she uttered plainly.

“Wait—teams don’t share money?!” Deon commented.

“I guess, but I earned all of it so far.”

Deon couldn’t refute that. “Fair enough—but where were you? Didn’t Skip tell you I was coming to meet you?”

“You took too long. I got bored,” said Skrili. “Anyway, did he say what we’re supposed to do here?”

“He—he didn’t tell you?” Deon realized, his face reddening a bit again.

Skrili shook her head.

By then, Deon’s order was complete. After he retrieved it they stepped outside to escape the increasing crowdedness in the café. Deon split the sugary pastry and offered half to Skrili, which she silently accepted.

After Skrili inquired again, a nervous laugh escaped Deon.

“Well uh…” Deon started slowly, scratching his head. “Skip’s words, not mine: he said he wants us to go on a date today.”

He immediately took a huge sip from his beverage with forced coolness, hiding his uncomfortable expression behind the cup.

Skrili’s eyes widened instantly, but she hurriedly brought herself back under control. “What?” she pressed.

“That’s what I said!”

Skrili turned to the side, bringing her hand to her chin in deep, analytical thought. “No…no, there has to be some sort of ulterior motive. This is probably a front for his real training, to catch us off-guard…” she theorized.

“Also what I said!”

“Though I’m not sure why he thought a date with you would be enough to fool or distract me…” Skrili continued.

“A little harsh, but fair enough I guess!”

Skrili took an unnecessarily intense bite from her pastry half. “Okay, so I think our first move is to keep our eyes peeled for whatever Skip has planned,” she said.

Deon nodded. “Yeah…there’s gotta be some sort of clue around here.”

They set off from the café, perusing every corner of the village shopping area for any hint of their true training for the day. Deon hurried to finish his pastry and drink, realizing some sort of ambush or surprise could spring on them at any second.

Eventually, the ever-content villagers started glancing at their strange behavior in confusion as they scurried along from building to building. But even after checking everywhere they could, nothing came of it.

Giving up, they sat on a black boulder on the outskirts. A few black and white dragonflies zipped past them as they sat in silence.

“Nothing,” Deon sighed. “What’s this guy up to?”

“This could be a test of patience,” suggested Skrili. “Maybe we should just wait.”

Deon sighed. He looked around one more time at the calm yet vibrant village. “Want to do something while we wait?”

Skrili shrugged. “Like what?”

“There’s a whole town in front of us.”

Something over at the river surrounding the valley caught his eye: a little wooden raft, guided by a local in a long straw hat, gently carrying a couple of visitors down the stream.

Deon tilted his head in its direction. “How about that? That seems fun,” he said.

Skrili shifted. “We’re…not here to play around…” she reasoned.

“According to Skip, we are,” Deon said with a laugh. “What do you do for fun? Prefer something more exciting?”

Skrili shook her head. “I like to relax.”

“Well I don’t know; that raft ride seems pretty relaxing,” insisted Deon. He stood and hopped off the boulder. “Come on, take it easy for a change.”

After a pause, Skrili stood and followed him. There was a simple sign at a humble dock made of logs at the other corner of the village. The last participants had just landed, returning to the smooth grass with big smiles. The tall guide waited beside the sign, holding his long row.

Skrili read the pricing and pulled out a couple bills from her bag. She handed them to the man as they approached.

“Shall we begin our little journey?” he greeted. “Please, step right along and take a seat.”

As Deon walked onto the dock, an overwhelming sense of nostalgia enveloped him. It was more than just a feeling or memory—it was alive. The simple wooden raft, the lightly flowing water, the smell of the grass…it all felt like home.

Balancing carefully, he and Skrili sat in the center of the raft. As they did it suddenly grew soft and comfortable, exactly like the trees outside Skip’s yard. The guide quietly joined them and stood at the front, submerging the end of his row.

“Please enjoy with all of your senses,” he said. Then he released the rope holding the raft to the dock, and they steadily drifted forward.

Deon smiled, feeling even more at peace as this mysterious, potent feeling grew even stronger.

“What is it?” Skrili wondered.

“Oh—I’m just thinking of home,” Deon said. “My mom used to imagine canoes and rafts like this for my cousin and I when we were little. We’d float around in the pond and splash each other.”

“Is your home…like this place?” Skrili asked, glancing at a few laughing children as the raft passed them by.

“Yeah. It’s a lot like this place, now that I think of it,” Deon said. “The similarity’s kind of crazy. It’s quiet, small, the weather’s always nice…it’s perfect. Honestly, it’s a bit too perfect. That’s why I snuck out: nothing happened there.”

Skrili’s eyebrows furrowed. “You left even though it’s perfect? Even though you still have family there?”

Deon shrugged guiltily. “Yeah…they must be worried sick…” he realized. “I’ll go back someday, though! I owe it to them.”

Skrili looked away, her expression unreadable. “This place makes me feel jealous,” she uttered. Then, she fell silent.

Deon paused awkwardly. “What…was your home like?” he finally asked.

“I…I don’t want to bother you with it,” she said. “Trust me, you wouldn’t want to know.”

Deon let out a soft laugh. “You’re not very used to dates, huh?” he pointed out.

Skrili returned eye contact sharply. “What? But this isn’t…”

“I’m just saying, that’s just how it works: we ask each other questions and talk about ourselves,” Deon explained. “We get an idea of each other and stuff.”

Skrili glared at him. “I’ve been on dates…” she grumbled defensively. “For your information, I’ve had two boyfriends.”

Deon tried not to look shocked, but he must have failed because Skrili appeared even more irate. He hadn’t seen that coming at all: she seemed far too detached and withdrawn for him to think she’d have a dating history.

“Um—oh, sorry,” Deon stammered, waving his hands nervously. “Well…what happened?”

“It didn’t work out.”

Again, the two fell silent. Clearly, prying about it further would yield no results at this point.

But Skrili spoke again. “I met the first boy by accident, when we were both fifteen. He was Arnlekan—the more common ethnicity in my homeland,” she started. “He saw me in the market area and started a conversation. After that, he kept finding excuses to cross paths and talk, and it grew from there. We were playing with fire.”

“Why? Seems harmless enough,” said Deon.

“My ethnicity—the Shfi—are the minority in the region,” explained Skrili. “Arnlekans have hated us for over a century, ever since my people lost a war against them for our land. They don’t see us as equals. So an Arnlekan boy dating a Shfi girl was extremely frowned upon. And Shfi are really easy to identify, since we’re known for our purple eyes and blue hair, so we had to date secretly.”

“And…I’m guessing you were caught?” figured Deon.

Skrili nodded. “The next day, he came to me with a finger cut off of both hands. He told me it was my fault for seducing him and that he could never really love me. Then I never saw him again,” she finished.

Deon swallowed hard. “Whoa…I’m…so sorry,” he said.

“It’s life,” said Skrili.

He couldn’t help but feel curious about her next relationship, especially after hearing something horrid as that, but he kept silent. Now it seemed foolish to even have complained about Tailpiece—compared to what little he knew about Skrili, he’d had it made.

They both looked up as they passed underneath a stone slope. A thin waterfall trickled down it from above, creating a small tunnel for a moment.

When they returned to the sunlight, Skrili’s eyes moved back over to the village.

“My second boyfriend was Shfi like me, though,” she said at last. “We dated when I was sixteen, and it lasted almost a year.”

“Oh, was it pretty serious, then?” Deon asked.

“We were planning on getting married, once he was the proper age in our culture,” she said. “My only condition was that he quit the Shfi gangs by that same time. He turned eighteen and quit like he promised, but it didn’t last long. He chose to go on one more mission, and he was one of the few who didn’t come back.”

Deon took a long sigh. “Wow,” he uttered.

“What?”

“You’ve…you’ve just been through so much already,” Deon tried to explain. “You’ve had all these serious life experiences, and you’re only seventeen.”

“Well…from the way you talk, you’ve had plenty of relationship experiences,” Skrili said.

“Yeah, but…” he stopped himself, picking up on Skrili’s cue to move the focus off herself. He could see the deflection in her eyes.

Taking the hint, Deon shifted his thoughts. He leaned back with a smug smile. “Yeah it’s true…I’ve had quite a few relationships in my day…” he said overconfidently.

“Oh. And they all failed,” Skrili emphasized immediately.

“Hey!!”

“Want to give an explanation as to why your many relationships didn’t work out, since I had to?” offered Skrili.

Deon chuckled. “You’re a punk,” he said. “Well—most of them didn’t really go anywhere. The only really serious one was my last relationship, with a girl named Savannah. She…well, she meant a lot to me.”

Skrili’s teasing demeanor softened. “Did you break up with her when you decided to run away?” she guessed.

“Nah—she broke up with me,” answered Deon. “I still don’t really get why.” He sighed. It hadn’t been that long, but with all the vast changes in his life, he hadn’t needed to confront these emotions again until now.

That dull ache he’d felt back in Tailpiece returned. He remembered his mother pestering him about his engagement plans, though he knew he’d been way off that mindset.

At least, until it was too late.

Deon noticed Skrili had increased her attention on him, seeming oddly determined.

“Well…maybe when you go back home, she’ll change her mind and want you back,” she suggested earnestly. “You should tell her you still feel that way.”

Deon couldn’t help but smile. He’d never heard Skrili speak in such an open, encouraging tone to him.

It was sweet.

“Eh, who knows?” he said simply. “I haven’t even thought about going back there yet.”

The guide hummed softly, expertly swerving the raft around a white rock that stuck out from the river floor.

“Can I guess?” Skrili requested.

“Huh? Guess what?”

“Why she broke up with you.”

Deon frowned in confusion. “Uh…you think you know…?” he asked despondently.

Skrili shrugged. “Well, after all this time together, your snoring problem does get pretty annoying,” she said, dead-panned.

Deon glared at her until her eyes glistened, and a chuckle escaped.

“You know what?! YOU’RE BRUTAL TODAY!!” he shouted.

Skrili broke into full laughter, for the first time since they last took off on Gibblezgorv. It was still infectious, and Deon joined in—despite being the brunt of the joke.

With a menacing smirk, he leaned over and splashed some river water at Skrili in retaliation. But being agile as always, she masterfully dodged the attack.

“Nope—I’m not letting this robe get wet,” she said, still calming down. “I’m not sure how to wash it properly yet.”

“That’s fair. You do look great in it,” Deon said.

He hadn’t noticed the slight pink hues on her robe’s design until they emphasized the shade that appeared on her cheeks.

“Um…yours…works for you,” she mumbled, hiding behind her bangs.

Deon laughed.

Only a minute or two remained of their raft ride. Soon, the guide slowed and docked the raft. Deon and Skrili offered their thanks as they returned to the soil.

They both paused their progression back to the main part of the village when their TeamTracks simultaneously vibrated. It was Skip:

“Alright, that should be enough time for today’s exercise. Why don’t you two head on back? We’ll debrief over a meal—my treat.”

“Same message?” Deon checked.

Skrili nodded.

“I wonder how mad he’ll be when we say we couldn’t figure out what the training was,” said Deon.

“It is what it is,” Skrili replied with a sigh. “Let’s get going.”

After sending replies of affirmation to Skip, they made their way back towards the same wooded path they’d separately come from.

“Oh…thank you again,” Skrili suddenly said.

“For what?”

“The photo,” she clarified. “Sometimes…or a lot of times…I forget why I’m out here doing this.”

Deon looked at her, noticing a glow in her face he’d never seen before.

“But being able to see Akri again…I remember,” she finished. “I…remember to keep living.”

After a moment, Deon nudged Skrili’s shoulder with his arm.

“Hey. Let’s become the best consciousness team ever,” he said.

Skrili puffed a single laugh.

“Yeah.”