by J E Reed
He chuckled, “Go on, take it.”
Vixin took the rabbit and tore through its center without another thought. She chewed in silence, Zak’s eyes heavy on her as he bit into his own.
“I know you’re curious, but probably not going to ask.” Particles formed around them and Vixin stiffened. He held up his wrist and a dark blue stone reflected the firelight. “I can control the element of water.” He pointed to her wrist. “And you can control earth.”
Vixin finished chewing and eyed her bracelet. “That’s what the vines were?”
Zak nodded. “Some people get the hang of it quicker than others, but anyone with a colorful stone has the ability to control an element.”
“How do you know this?”
He shrugged. “Figured it out.” Yeah, like she was going to believe that. “We’re surrounded by plants out here, why not try it?”
She tore another piece from the rabbit and stared at the ground. Shadows from the fire flickered around them, but his particles never left the air. She poked one and a water droplet slid down her finger. Vixin eyed it curiously and placed her hand on the ground, running her fingers through the dirt. Could something like magic really exist?
She focused as she’d done so many times. Skills often required concentration, and if magic were real—she jumped when something moved beneath the earth at her command. It was like an extension that pulsed beneath her fingertips. Dozens, no hundreds, of tiny lights just waiting to be lit. Seeds, roots, all manner of things wriggling, waiting. Like they were a part of her but weren’t.
Vixin centered her attention on one directly beneath her hand. She pulsed what she could only assume was energy into the tiny particle. It shifted. Grew. Until something rustled beneath her palm. Vixin raised her hand and the seedlings grew, unfurling its leaves, rising to where her hand hovered just above it.
Her mouth gaped as she continued to feed it, watching it grow larger and larger, like a time-lapse video right before her eyes.
“Wow.”
Zak’s voice startled her, and her gaze shot toward him. He stared at her small creation as if he’d never seen magic himself.
“You just—I’ve never seen someone try and just, do it.” He shifted his attention back to her. “So, what’s your story?”
In response Vixin ripped another bite from her rabbit, pointedly ignoring his question.
He laughed, more to himself than at her. “All right then, maybe another time. In the meantime, make yourself comfortable. We leave in the morning.”
“Where to?”
He glanced back. “Stick around and you’ll see.”
After they’d settled for the night, Vixin seriously considered leaving. Anton and Blitz would be fine now, but something kept her glued to the spot against the tree. Zak had set up lookouts, to her approval, to ensure no one snuck up on them, but it wasn’t until after their first rotation that she found herself dozing. Exhaustion hit hard, but with all the new faces Vixin found sleep difficult.
She’d stick around long enough to see what their morning travels promised and then decide if she’d be better off on her own.
Chapter Three
Vixin woke before sunrise, watching those who stirred with her and taking special note of the lazy and carefree. Only a few seemed to resent their current situation.
To her dismay, resentment or not, they all answered to Zak, rushing toward him with questions and successes alike. Vixin still wasn’t sure what to think of him.
The particles he’d formed in the air last night had to be an illusion, but—she spread her fingertips into the earth. Sure enough, those same lights responded. She didn’t bother feeding any of them. Knowing they remained was enough to confirm reality.
Magic. She never imagined such a thing could exist. It defied science. Logic. But the question of why still remained. Why here? Why now?
“They’re back!” Vixin’s head shot in the voice’s direction. She stood, ready to draw her daggers or run, but when the small group embraced those at the edge of camp, she relaxed her hold and headed toward them.
Anton and Blitz gave her a passing glance as she zigzagged through the people. Perhaps this small group had been part of what Zak spoke of last night. Maybe they’d been sent for answers.
Zak all but sprinted to the stocky boy in their center, wrapping his arms around his neck like some long-lost lover. For all she knew, they could be.
“They’re in the fourth realm already, just like I said they’d be. We’ll be out of this hellish game and back home in no time!”
Zak glanced at her, cleared his throat and tilted his head in her direction. The new arrival took note of her and chewed his lip. He tried and failed to lower his voice as she stalked closer. “She doesn’t know?”
“Know what?” Irritation seeped through her voice.
“She just got here last night.” Zak said, ignoring her question.
“Oh.” The stranger rubbed the back of his neck. “My bad.”
Zak sighed. “She was going to find out eventually.”
“Find out what?” she growled.
“Maybe you should sit down.”
“I’m fine where I am.”
Zak held out his hands. “Relax, I was going to tell you, I just didn’t want you to freak out is all.”
“If you don’t—”
“We’re in a game.”
“A what?”
“A game, you know, like the ones you play on your phone. Chronopoint?” Vixin’s mouth opened a fraction. “Don’t ask me the details because I can’t explain it, but we’ve all been put inside a game and essentially we have to beat it to get out.”
Her mouth opened again and closed as her gaze roamed between Zak and the newcomer. She waited for their laughter, a snicker that would tell her they were joking, and it was just some stupid initiation rite for the new members. But both continued staring.
“That’s the most outrageous thing I’ve ever heard.”
“But it explains the magic, right?”
She didn’t answer, so Zak turned back to his companion, keeping a wary eye on her. “We’re ready to head to the second. The portal is right around the corner and—”
Vixin spun on her heel and stormed off. How utterly ridiculous. Who did they think she was? Some kind of fool? A game, how moronic—
“Vixin!”
She didn’t stop at Zak’s voice. Instead, she marched straight through the people and then the trees, determined to put as much space between herself and their insanity as possible. Let them all die out here believing what they wanted.
“Vixin, wait up. Hey.” Zak grabbed her elbow and her fury split the ground. Greenery of all sorts sprung up in mass numbers, wrapping around his body in a deadly vise that secured his limbs and lifted him from the ground.
She stared at his wide-eyed horror for a moment, willing herself to calm so she could speak. “Stop following me.”
“Would you just wait a minute and listen? This is why I didn’t tell you right off. Everyone thinks it’s insane at first. Look at what’s around me right now, does this look like anything that could happen in the real world?”
Vixin paused, her blood racing as she tried to digest the concept of magic. Magic. It didn’t exist, just as she’d said, but… Her gaze lingered on the greenery surrounding him, holding him captive at her will.
“Look, it’s all right to be scared—”
“I’m not scared.” And she wasn’t. At least that’s not what it felt like. Confused yes, unsure about the whole situation? Absolutely. But scared? She knew how to take care of herself.
“Fine, then you’re not scared, but don’t go running off by yourself.”
“Why?”
“Because there are other things out there. Monsters, creatures like you’ve never seen.” She was silent. “Please, just come back with me, stick around for a while and once you know what you’re up against, if you want to leave, I won’t stop you.”
She eyed him, debating
. Was it worth it to stick with a group? She could care for herself, yes, but she needed to think rationally. They knew things she didn’t. Or thought they knew things. What were the chances they were right? Could the answer be something so outlandish?
Vixin huffed and relented. “Fine, but you're going to tell me everything, no matter what you believe I can or can’t handle.”
Zak nodded. “That sounds fair enough.” She eyed him, then stalked back toward the camp. Zak called after her. “Aren’t you going to help me out of this thing?”
~~~
Vixin stared at the swirling mist they called a portal. Zak claimed it’d take them to another realm. A place similar to where they stood now, yet different enough to warrant travel. She clenched her teeth, certain a single step inside that inky blackness would be her one-way ticket to hell.
She stared at the swirling mist and then into the void itself. It was alive, she was sure of it. It wriggled and moved, pulsing as if a creature were breathing. Or hands were waiting to clutch around her throat and devour her whole.
The air that poured from the portal chilled her to the bone and Vixin desperately fought against the urge to flee as fast as her feet could carry her. No life surrounded the purple tendrils floating like morning fog. It was cold. Desolate. As if it sucked life straight from the source.
Zak’s people filed through one by one. Some hesitant, others uncaring. Zak stayed behind, encouraging those who were hesitant.
Vixin swallowed hard. She’d told Zak she wasn’t afraid, and she hadn’t been. But that was before now.
Another person entered the icy void of death and their body stretched beyond human limits before getting swallowed by the darkness. Vixin’s heart pounded as she took another step forward, the last in a single line.
She stopped when she and Zak were the only two left. “Are you sure this is safe?”
Zak held out his hand. “I’ve been through it before. There’s nothing to worry about.” He flashed her a grin, but it did nothing to ease her racing heart.
She eyed his outstretched hand, took a breath, and marched right past him. Vixin didn’t stop and her pride prevented her from simply sprinting through like the scared little girl she was.
Icy fingers crawled over her skin as Vixin stepped into the blackness and closed her eyes. She took several shallow breaths and her mind spun as she imagined her body stretched and twisted in a way that should have killed her. She simply kept her legs moving, walking without a solid foothold.
Nausea crawled through her stomach and she clenched her teeth. Her hands tingled, but before panic could set in, Vixin’s feet hit solid ground. She stumbled but remained upright and opened her eyes to find Zak’s companions to her front. Zak emerged a second later.
The large pathway before them caught her attention first. It was straight. Completely straight. As if someone had used an eraser to simply delete part of the landscape. Not a single bush or tree sprout. Only dirt and patches of grass. Maybe Zak and his theories weren’t so crazy after all.
Zak raised his voice for everyone to hear. “We’ll move until nightfall. Sam has a new location for us to hit. You all know the drill.”
And just like that, they obeyed. Sam was the new arrival from yesterday who’d slipped up about being confined in a gaming world of some sort. A world supposedly made from virtual influences yet felt as real as the one back home.
Her mind spun just thinking about it. Ten realms total, each different from the last. Those stationed at the front lines currently resided in the fourth realm, waiting for their scouts to find passage to the fifth.
Vixin’s stomach gave a violent toss and she clamped a hand over her mouth. Her gaze darted between people. Zak was an ever-growing thorn in her side and would likely chase—she darted from the group, sprinting far away from the main line before retching behind the nearest tree.
The contents of her breakfast splattered on the ground, but despite its empty state, her stomach heaved again and again. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes and it took Vixin several moments to settle herself. So much for a hot meal.
She groaned at the crunching footsteps behind her. Vixin took a few more steadying breaths, wiped her mouth, and leaned against the opposite side of the tree before looking at him.
“It happens to most of us,” Zak said.
“Every time?”
“Just the first time through.” He looked her up and down as if gaging whether she’d be able to go on. She almost snorted. “Ready to go?”
Vixin pushed off the tree and followed. Thankfully, Zak didn’t mention her episode to anyone and he fell back into his leadership role. As they traveled, he passed food to those who needed it and unrolled blankets for those chilled by the early spring air. He went so far to ensure their comfort despite the impossible circumstances.
Vixin furrowed her brow. What made him care so much? She’d never have been that way if people followed her. In fact, she hadn’t babied Anton or Blitz at all. Her philosophy was learn or die. Survival of the fittest. Maybe there was something she could learn from Zak yet.
Dusk fell and Zak veered them from the trail to an area that appeared as though it’d been used before. It was far enough away from the main path that no one would notice them. As long as they didn’t light a fire.
Vixin sighed at the first sign of a spark.
She eyed each member in the group, but her gaze ultimately fell on Zak. He tightened a sword at his side and shoved a knife in his boot. He caught her gaze and a glimmer of a smile appeared on his face before he approached.
“Want to come with?”
“Where to?”
“To scout the perimeter of our next target. See what we’re up against.”
“Why ask me?” He had plenty of capable people.
Zak shrugged. “Why not you? Besides, that little gift of yours could come in handy.”
Vixin crossed her arms. “So you’re using me.”
Zak let out an exasperated sigh. “Would you stop over analyzing everything? I just thought you might enjoy it.” When she didn’t respond, he disappeared through the trees. She took several moments to consider the negatives, then ultimately decided sitting here with these fools would bore her to tears.
Vixin followed the sound of his footsteps through the forest and caught up to him easily. “Don’t you feel guilty?”
Zak glanced back at her, the setting sun illuminating his face. “Not really, we don’t steal from those that need it.”
“You realize that doesn’t make sense.”
“I mean we don’t steal from people who would suffer because of it. That’s why we scout. Most places are supported by larger groups.”
At least he paid attention to details. Some details at least. “Do you keep everything for yourselves?”
He shook his head. “We trade some of it but keep most of the food. There are people who still need weapons and clothes from the first realm so we try to supply them with any extras we can grab.”
“Aren’t you the charitable soul?”
He flashed her a toothy grin. “Not in the slightest. Like I said, we trade most things.”
Vixin scoffed, but Zak seemed to ignore it.
If they did trade items for other supplies, then where were they? What had they gained from traveling back to the first realm?
Zak shifted to a trot and Vixin did the same. He often stopped to offer his hand when they came to a felled tree, but time and time again, Vixin swatted him away. The less contact, the better.
“What made you resort to stealing?” she finally asked.
“You sound as if you disapprove.”
“There are other ways to go about it.”
He raised a brow. “You didn’t seem opposed to it a few days ago.”
Vixin glared at him. She had been stealing, but— “I needed supplies. It was a onetime thing.”
“We need supplies too.”
“Well, you weren’t just attacked by a group of boys trying to cut you
r head off.”
Zak stumbled. “What?”
“Forget about it. I handled them.”
He gaped at her and cleared his throat before resuming their walk. “The reality is that no one is caring for those left in the first realm. Most who have progressed raided the supplies. Since they’re able to care for themselves now, I think it’s only fair to return the starting materials, if you will, back to their rightful place.”
“Sounds like you don’t care for the larger groups.”
He shook his head. “It’s not that. They’re just—They have a goal in mind. So they tend to forget the people left behind.”
“You don’t plan on joining them?”
“Hell no. I’m not risking my life for anyone that’s not family.”
“You’ve called them that twice now.”
“Because that’s what they are. We take care of each other, watch one another’s backs. What else would you call them?”
“Is that what you’re trying to make me? A member of your family?”
“If you’ll let me.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “Do I need a reason? Maybe there’s just something about you I like.”
Vixin flushed and turned away. She kept quiet after that, following Zak through the growing dark until light drew her attention ahead. Both slowed and quieted their footsteps as they inched toward the town. At least Zak was quieter than Anton.
The light came from two braziers sitting on either side of the front gate. She eyed the guards.
Zak inched closer, knelt at her side, and whispered, “Looks like two guards by the gate and another in the tower.”
Her eyes roamed over the rickety tree house he was calling a tower. It looked like it’d been built by a three-year-old. Vixin pointed. “Three towers.”
Zak squinted in the dark. “They’ll have long-range weapons, so we’ll need to take them out first.”
A twinge of panic shot through her body. “Guns?”
Zak chuckled. “No. Bows. But they aren’t any less dangerous.”
“Damn. We really have been thrown back in time.”
“Something like that.” Zak jerked his thumb back toward the trees. “Let’s get the others and make a plan.”