Aiko awoke feeling the most refreshed she had ever felt in years. The deep ache in her head was gone, replaced by a pervasive hum of energy beneath her marble-white skin. She flexed her crystalline fingers, watching the violet light swirl beneath her translucent skin. Stretching allowed her to feel how fluidly her body was responding, her muscles providing her with effortless strength. She felt good. Alarmingly good, considering the trauma of the past day.
Pushing herself up from the floor, she looked around the Verge ruins around her. A colossal, warped I-beam looming overhead, ending in a run down living room adjacent to what looked like the remains of a dilapidated monastery that had fallen on its side. The whole ensemble made no sense architecturally, but then again she supposed the Verge probably wasn't created with aesthetics in mind.
She found Elara nearby, perched on a chunk of smoothed concrete. Humming tunelessly while fiddling with a complex-looking device made of dark violet crystals and what looked to be a smartphone. Her grey skin seemed to absorb the dim light around her, whilst her violet eyes glowed with their usual, slightly manic cheerfulness. She turned around as Aiko approached, her face splitting into a wide grin.
"Aiko! You're up!" Elara chirped, tossing the device into a miniature rift that popped up out of nowhere. She sprang to her feet, closing the distance in a blur. "How are you feeling? Any residual pain? Tingling? Weird pressure behind the eyes? Hearing voices? Seeing impossible geometries when you blink? Feeling a sudden craving for raw chicken?"
Aiko held up her translucent hands, laughing despite herself. "Whoa, slow down! I feel⦠surprisingly good. Really good. No pain. No voices. No cravings for⦠raw chicken. Just⦠really aware. And strong."
Elara beamed, the violet light in her eyes flaring happily. "Excellent! I'm glad the gem seems to be settling in without any complications." She grabbed Aiko's shoulders, giving her a gentle shake. "But enough of that, you must be starving. Come join me for breakfast! A full body transformation uses up a lot of calories!"
Elara whirled around and opened a rift directly in front of her, strolling straight through before Aiko could even ask where that Rift led.
The rift led to a small, minimalistic apartment. It was fairly dark when she entered because all the windows had been fully covered with thick curtains, but Elara soon flicked on a lightswitch and the whole room was lit up in a soft orange glow.
Which revealed that there wasn't much in the apartment itself. Just a couple cupboards off to the side and a simple wooden dining table at the center of the room with a pair of mismatched chairs.
"What is this place?" Aiko asked curiously.
"One of Mr. Thorne's safehouses that he lets me use." Elara answered with a chirp, pointing at the dining table and chairs at the center of the room. "Sit, sit." Elara instructed before hopping off to fetch something from one of the cupboards. Aiko did as she asked, seating herself gently in the more sturdy looking of the two chairs.
Aiko's stomach rumbled, but her enthusiasm faltered slightly. Realizing she had no idea what Rift-Touched or Verge monsters actually eat. Images flashed in her mind: slabs of unidentified, iridescent monster meat; bowls of bubbling, phosphorescent sludge; eyeballs floating in a foul-smelling broth. Food only suited for Halloween served to people who permanently looked like they were dressed for Halloween.
She braced herself as Elara returned with two bowls and a pair of spoons. Placing one bowl in front of her before proudly pouring an unholy amount of cheese balls into it.
Aiko stared at the overflowing bowl. Cheese balls; puffed corn snacks coated in radioactive-orange cheese powder. The bowls were heaped impossibly high, a mountain range of crunchy, salty goodness.
Aiko blinked. Then blinked again. She looked from the bowls to Elara's expectant face, then back to the cheese balls. "Elara⦠are we having⦠cheese balls for breakfast?"
Elara's grin faltered into confusion. "Well⦠yeah? I remember you used to love cheese balls! Remember movie nights? We'd demolish a family-sized bag in, like, twenty minutes?" She picked up a handful and tossed them into her mouth, crunching loudly. "See? Delicious!"
Aiko slowly picked up a single cheese ball, the orange powder sticking to her translucent fingertips. "I⦠I do love cheese balls," she admitted. "But⦠for breakfast? Elara, it's not exactly⦠healthy."
Elara burst out laughing. "Healthy? Aiko, look at us!" She gestured between them. "Our metabolisms are so efficient we could probably survive on a full diet of gravel and be just fine." She crunched another handful. "So I usually just eat the tastiest thing that comes to mind, and today it's cheese balls!"
Aiko sighed, popping a single cheese ball into her mouth. The familiar, artificial cheese flavor exploded, the taste was bizarrely comforting. They were good, but still⦠"Fine," she conceded. "But only for today. From now on we are going to be eating actual, proper, cooked meals. Deal?"
Elara pouted dramatically, swirling a handful of cheese balls in her bowl. "Ugh, fine. Spoilsport. Deal." Although she quickly perked back up. "But speaking of ridiculous metabolisms and being awesome⦠let's talk about the other perks of this body!" She leaned forward, eyes sparkling. "The speed! The strength! The durability! You experienced it a little when you fought with Crimson and her cronies yesterday, right?"
Aiko nodded, chewing thoughtfully. "It is⦠incredible. And the magicâ¦" She trailed off, looking at her hands. "I used some magic in the fight. Without really knowing how."
Elara's eyes lit up. "You did? Tell me! What did you do?"
"Barriers," Aiko said through another mouthful of cheese balls. "Big violet barriers that blocked Crimson's blades. I just⦠willed them to be there, and there they were. Andâ¦" She hesitated, remembering the Luminary girl crashing through the shop front. "I think I pushed one of those barriers forward. Sent Crimson straight through a store window."
Elara clapped her hands together, giggling as she imagined the Crimson pain being thrown through a pane of glass. "See! Instinctive! And holding your own against a trained Luminary on your first outing? That's impressive, Aiko!"
Aiko felt a flush of warmth, unrelated to the cheese powder. "Was it? It felt like just pure panic and flailing."
"Nah," Elara waved a dismissive claw. "Panic is being on the receiving end of a one-sided beatdown! You managed to hold out your own on your very first day, and you want to know why?" She tapped her own chest where her gem was nestled within. "Because your gem already has been in use for years. New Luminaries typically get a fresh gem from the Celestials, but those gems are practically empty. It usually takes a new Luminary months of time and practice to nurture it before they have the ability to cast magic with it."
She pointed at Aiko. "But yours? It's already been broken in, able to cast magic long before it ended up in your hands. The Luminary who had it before you probably poured years of energy into it. But you basically get to start as a full-grown magical powerhouse!"
Aiko's chewing slowed. The mention of the gem's 'previous owner' sent a cold shiver through the warmth of Elara's praise. The image of the dead woman in the blue and silver costume flashed in her mind; pale, lifeless eyes staring at the Verge sky. She had poured energy into this gem, dedicated her life to serving as one of Earth's protectors. Aiko had stolen her power, her legacy, and was using it to eat cheese balls. She swallowed hard, forcing the thought down. What could she do about it now? Nothing. Not yet. She stayed silent, focusing on the bowl in front of her.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Elara, oblivious to the sudden shadow, barreled on. "So! Training! Obviously, we need to get you polished up. Right now you're still casting using raw, violet Verge energy. Which is fine, but chaotic. Eventually you want to achieve full mastery of your magic, to the point where you could cast even without your gem. We can start tomorrow with basic energy manipulation, some hand-to-hand drills, at least enough combat knowledge so that next time you meet Crimson and her cronies you can send all of them packing!"
"Tomorrow?" Aiko asked. "Did you already have plans for today?"
Elara's cheerful expression faltered slightly, replaced by a sheepish look. She scratched the back of her head with a claw. "Ah. Yeah. Today. Minor snag. I kinda promised Mr. Thorne I'd handle a few⦠errands. You know. Catch up on some of my usual commitments. Do a few quick in-and-out jobs." She waved a claw vaguely. "But!" she added quickly, seeing Aiko's frown. "I'll be super efficient! Get it all done today! So that my schedule would be free for tomorrow! Scout's honor!"
Aiko saw her opening. "Why don't I tag along? You could always use an extra pair of hands, right? I could⦠help carry things?"
And also get a better idea about Thorne's operation. She thought to herself quietly.
Elara blinked, surprised. Then her face lit up with pure delight. "Really? You want to come? Oh, that would be awesome! Yeah! Definitely! Extra help is always good! And it'll be fun!" She bounced in her seat. "I'm sure Mr. Thorne wouldn't mind, butâ¦" She gestured at Aiko's clothes. "Gotta change the corporate casualty look first. You look like you picked a fight with a paper shredder and lost quite badly."
Aiko looked down at herself. Realizing she was still wearing the torn, stained blouse and skirt from the day she'd been kidnapped. Her socks were missing leaving her feet bare and filthy, presumably due to her socks being dissolved by Verge sludge ages ago.
Sighing, she decided that a change of clothes would be nice. "Right. Clothes. What would you suggest?"
"A hoodie and some sunglasses!" Elara replied, gesturing at herself. "The hoodie is comfortable, and the sunglasses help make you look more professional." She demonstrated, donning a pair and trying to pull off a stern, mean look. "Plus, it hides the glowing violet eyes, some people are still a little squeamish about those. I have some spare sets in the closet over there. Feel free to take whatever you want!" She offered, pointing at the bedroom tucked off to the side of the apartment.
Aiko nodded and stood up, leaving half a bowl of cheese balls at the table, and stepped into the only other room in the apartment that wasn't the toilet. She opened the closet to find a massive, battered duffel bag sitting at the base of the closet.
Aiko unzipped it to find the inside was a chaotic avalanche of fabric: hoodies of every color (mostly black, gray, and dark purple), crumpled t-shirts, baggy cargo pants, and several pairs of jeans. It smelled faintly of detergent, so at least everything inside was probably clean. Digging a little deeper she found a jumble of mismatched socks, a few pairs of battered sneakers and boots, and several pairs of oversized sunglasses. No underwear though. Aiko wrinkled her nose. Okay, sharing hoodies is one thing, sharing undergarments might be a step too far. Ultimately deciding that her current undergarments would have to suffice for now.
She selected a soft, dark gray hoodie, a plain black t-shirt, and a pair of sturdy-looking gray cargo pants. The shoes were trickier, Elara's feet seemed to be slightly smaller than hers, but she found a pair of worn black combat boots that looked like they might fit.
She changed quickly, marveling at how the soft cotton felt against her marble skin. The boots were snug but wearable. She pulled on the hoodie, zipping it up high, then donned the oversized sunglasses.
The hoodie was slightly large, the boots a tad snug, but it was infinitely better than shredded office wear. The sunglasses dimmed the world slightly, masking the vividness of her own violet eye-glow. Professional, she thought wryly. Sure. Because all professionals wear hoodies and cargo pants.
She emerged back into the main room. Elara had finished her own mountain of cheese balls and was now surreptitiously picking from the remnants from Aiko's abandoned bowl. She looked up, a guilty orange smear near her mouth.
"Whoa! Look at you!" Elara grinned, giving her a quick once-over. "Perfect! Incognito Rift-Touched operative! Ready for action!" She pointed at the bowl. "Are you done with these by the way? Waste not, want not!"
Aiko gestured for her to go ahead. "All yours." Elara happily scooped up the remaining cheese balls and demolished them in two large bites.
"Right!" she declared, glowing violet energy due to using magic to vaporize every trace of cheesy crumbs off her person and her own dark hoodie. "Ready to rock?"
"Ready," Aiko confirmed.
Elara opened another Rift. Gesturing for Aiko to follow her through it. Stepping back out into the Verge, Elara quickly turned to face her. "First stop requires a bit of a commute. Are you okay with me carrying you over there?" Before Aiko could ask what she meant by carrying her, Elara stepped forward, slipped her hands under Aiko's armpits, and hoisted her up like a large, slightly startled cat.
"Whoa! Elara!" Aiko yelped, instinctively gripping Elara's shoulders.
"Here we go!" Elara chirped, and shot straight up into the air with Aiko hanging on for dear life.
The sudden rush of wind and the dizzying drop below, made Aiko gasp and clutch tighter. The ruined cityscape stretched beneath them, jagged spires of fused metal and crystal, rivers of glowing sludge, the skeletal remains of skyscrapers piercing the bruised sky. Clusters of Rift-spawn moved like ants in the distance, some mindlessly roaming, others gathering near pulsating, active Rifts that scarred the earth like open wounds. Near these Rifts, larger, more complex structures of scavenged debris had been piled up, wrapped in a sickly, fleshy exterior that made them look diseased.
"See those big Rifts?" Elara yelled over the wind, effortlessly holding Aiko aloft. Glowing violet energy streamed from her heels like miniature rocket exhaust, keeping them stable. "The bigger the Rift, the more nasties that gather around them. And if there's enough of them they'll form a nest, pumping out more nasties."
"It's⦠immense," Aiko breathed, the scale of the alien world truly hitting her for the first time. "How are you doing this by the way? The flying?"
"Easy-peasy!" Elara adjusted their trajectory, angling downwards. "It just involves pushing Verge energy out of your heels. Using them as thrusters to propel you forward." She angled her trajectory back up, performing a small loop that left Aiko flailing in terror. Elara laughed and levelled her flight back out. "There's a weightlessness trick too, a way to negate gravity around oneself and allows us to levitate. Combine the two, and boom! Effortless easy flight!" She grinned at Aiko's wary expression. "Wanna try?"
Aiko looked down at the jagged landscape far below. "Maybe⦠not right now?" she managed.
"Smart!" Elara laughed. "You're still fresh to magic, and whilst flying doesn't require a lot of it, it does require a decent amount of control. Trying to fly with violet Verge energy would be like trying to sprint across an ice rink in high heels. A recipe for a crater-shaped face-plant."
"But you're using violet energy to fly right now."
"Technically the energy I'm using is indigo colored, slightly darker, but makes a huge difference. Changing the color of one's magic is a difficult feat so you're usually stuck with whatever color you end up with." She answered. "After I teach you proper magic control flying will be one of the first things I'll show you how to do. Deal?"
"Deal," Aiko agreed, relieved that Elara wasn't about to say: 'Psych! Best way to learn how to fly is through trial by fire'.
Soon Elara banked downwards for a second time, heading towards a smaller, relatively stable-looking Rift shimmering beneath the canopy of an enormous, gnarled tree.
As they descended, Aiko realized the 'tree' was moving. Its massive trunk pulsed faintly, like it was breathing. Thick roots coiling and uncoiling like tentacles in the soil below. Branches swaying erratically in a non-existent breeze. Upon landing Aiko was sure that it wasn't a tree, but a colossal, tree-shaped Rift-monster.
"What is that thing?" Aiko murmured as Elara set them down lightly on the ashy ground a safe distance away.
Elara chuckled. "Aiko, meet Doctor Oaktopus! A Corpse-tree variant. Grew him from a little sapling myself!" She patted her chest proudly.
As if responding to its name being called, several thick, thorn-tipped branches snaked down from the monstrous tree-creature, reaching towards Aiko. She instinctively flinched back.
"Easy!" Elara said calmly. "He's just curious, told him you're a new friend. He just wants to learn your scent, so hold still for a moment."
The branches halted inches from Aiko. They didn't touch her skin, but hovered near her hoodie, her hair, wafting gently around her. The sensation was deeply unsettling, like standing inside an X-ray machine at the airport whilst a TSA agent stood creepily close whilst maintaining full eye contact. After the tree had finished 'sniffing' her, the branches withdrew, coiling back up into the monstrous canopy.
"See, he's perfectly harmless." Elara called up. "Doctor Oaktopus! Tell me, did you catch any new ones?"
The massive tree-creature shuddered. With a grinding sound like roots tearing through stone, four thick branches lowered, each one wrapped tightly around a struggling form. Three resembled monstrous, spiky hounds made of shadow and obsidian shards. The fourth looked like a skeletal deer with glowing green eyes and antlers made of jagged bone. All four of which were still very much alive, thrashing weakly against the crushing vines.
"Oooh! Shardhounds! And a Bone-bi! Excellent haul, Doc!" Elara praised, patting the rough bark of the trunk. The branches holding the creatures snapped off cleanly near the end of the bindings, dropping the bound monsters onto the ground with heavy thuds. The severed ends immediately began to regrow, thick and thorny once more.
Elara effortlessly grabbed two of the vine-wrapped bundles. Aiko, unsure of what she wanted with them, picked up the other two and followed closely behind. The two of them walked casually over to the shimmering Rift beneath Oaktopus's canopy, and Elara casually chucked the two monsters straight through.
"Wait, doesn't that lead back to Earth?" Aiko asked worriedly.
"It sure does." Elara replied with a smile, taking the remaining two monsters off Aiko's hands and tossing them into the rift as well.
Aiko watched, bewildered. "Where did you just send them?"
Elara dusted off her hands, grinning. "To the main event! Come on, you gotta see this!" She grabbed Aiko's hand. "Step through!"
Together, they stepped through the Rift.
The transition was instant. The oppressive silence and alien scents of the Verge vanished, replaced by a wave of sound and smell that hit Aiko like a physical blow. They stood in a dimly lit, cavernous space smelling strongly of damp earth, animal musk, ozone, and metal. Row upon row of heavy steel cages lined the walls, stacked all the way to the ceiling. Inside, Aiko glimpsed shifting shadows, glowing eyes, and heard snarls, clicks, hisses, and the scrape of claws on metal.
Rift-Spawn. Dozens of them of various sizes and shapes, all contained behind heavy bars. Seemingly trapped inside a makeshift prison for monsters.
Ahead, a heavy steel gate, easily twenty feet high, barred the way to a much larger space. From beyond the gate came a deep, rhythmic thumping; not of machinery, but the stomping of hundreds of feet. And riding over it, a booming, unified chant that seemed to shake the very foundations themselves.
Aiko froze, staring at the imposing gate, then back at the cages filled with agitated creatures. Her heart pounding in beat to the stomping of the crowd. "Elaraâ¦" she asked, her voice barely audible over the rising chant. "Where are we?"
Elara turned to her, the dim light glinting off her sunglasses, a wide, proud smile splitting her face. She gestured grandly towards the thunderous noise beyond the gate.
"Welcome, Aiko," she announced, her voice cutting through the primal roar, "to the Iron Maw Colosseum! Biggest, baddest Rift-Monster gladiatorial fight club on the entire East Coast!"