Leif POV

"Yeah.. don't do that next time." Wither sighed. "When a big scary red giraffe is having a temper tantrum, don't be walking towards it."

"It was a dinosaur!" I corrected her. "A tyranno... saurus.. rex!"

"Could be an ostrich for all I care."  She rolled her eyes. "We've never really seen one before us so how would we know?"

Her shadow cast over me in this blank tranquil space of unconsciousness. Though she always made herself tall to feel more intimidating, I only saw an amused grin play at her lips.

"I saw it in a book!" I pull the memory from across our headspace. "See? That's a tyrannosaurus. A big scary dinosaur that all other little dinosaurs were scared of."

I fish over another memory, showing a first person perspective of our fingers brushing the pages of pictured books, gifts from Linda and Mrs Landon, once they had realised my fascination with all these unique creatures.

"Yeah I kind of stopped paying attention after the cover page." Wither shrugged. She kept her arms crossed, back steered straight and firm, sort of like the mothers around town I saw watching their children as they played. "Oh don't even think about it."

"What?" I blinked.

"Stop comparing me to a mother." Her face twisted as she seemed to be swallowing awkward laughter. "Every time you do, I can't help remembering what you asked that time. It makes me feel weird."

"You mean you feel like you want to laugh?" I asked.

"Yeah, that weird feeling."

"You can laugh." I point out. "It's not a bad thing."

"Yeah but it doesn't feel right. Not like how it does with you." She frowned, looking about, as if sensing some sort of disturbance or presence.

"W-What's wrong?" I start to stammer, growing fearful despite not knowing what it was. But I suppose that's what's scary : not knowing what's coming.

"I don't know. Just feels.. like someone's messing around with.. us. Whatever's in this space.." Wither murmured in disturbed thought. "It might just be you waking up, but it feels off.. I'll check it out later."

She waves me off. "Go back to 'living'. And seriously, stop getting yourself knocked out."

"At least I got to see you." I smile.

"You can see me when you sleep or just come up here yourself, geez, don't get yourself concussions just for that." Wither grunted. "Don't make me regret letting you be the one living our life. At this rate you'll get us paralysed for life."

"I won't get us paralysed!" I objected, feeling a tickle at the front of my head, which indicated the pulling back into consciousness. "See you later."

"Hopefully not so soon." She mumbled.

~~~

"If you hadn't given me such an epic fight experience and bragging rights, I'd skin you right now!"

I wake to see Saurus meekly nod, spewing apologies as he bowed his head in shame, further shadowing his face more than Storm's looming figure was casting.

"Only I get to smack her around like that!- Oh. Uhh.. hey Leif." Storm's scowling turned into a nervous grin of someone being caught in the act.

"I'm really sorry." Saurus repeated, to Storm and this time, to me. He dipped his head meekly, the black cap I had seen him with before the round back atop his head. His brown eyes rose a moment to meet mine, a genuine face of regret.

"It's okay." I assured, sitting up. "I forgive you. Even though you weren't really the one who did it."

Shock struck him as he struggled to understand how I knew. Either that or I look really bad. But from his fidgeting and sudden adverting of eyes, I guessed I had unsettled him.

"Sorry." Now it was my turn to apologise. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"H-How do you know?" His eyes danced with panic. "How much do you know about him? W..Why?"

"Look, if you two babblers want to nerd around, can we get out of this stupid medic tent first?" Storm spoke up, impatient. Her words earned the glare of a healer.

"This 'stupid medic tent' is where we healed up those punctures of yours. Without  us, you would be on a bed in agony for the next month." She huffed.

"W H A T EV E RR." Storm rolled her eyes before striding over and hauling me to my feet. "This stupid tent is still boring to be in."

As Saurus trailed after us outside, the same pink medic followed us outside.

"Oi, bug off strawberry cake!" Storm spat. "Don't need an oldie baby sitting us."

"I'm only 22," She rebutted. "And if Saurus is going anywhere, one of us has to be with him. Event orders."

"UgHHHGHHHHHHH!" Storm expressed her irritation with dramatic pacing and throwing of hand gestures in the medic's general direction.

"Sorry for Storm. She doesnt like adults watching her do dangerous things." I say on her behalf.

"Then good thing I'm here to make sure you all don't end up in the medic tent again while I'm here." She smiled. "Storm. Her name suits her. I'm Pax, by the way. Do you know what it means?"

"Pack... stuff?" I offered with uncertainty.

"No." She seemed to be more relaxed then when Storm had insulted her and her work. But I couldn't help but feel she had lowered her tone with me. "What's your name?"

"Leif." I noticed she had bent slightly to meet my height.

"That's a nice name. How old are you this year?"

I struggled to remember the number of birthdays Storm invited me to celebrate with her.

"I'm 13 this year." I replied. I couldn't remember what day was my birthday or how people counted days of date at all. I had always known mine came a month and a half after Storm's. Somewhere around there.

I had no one to really remember that date for me. And the only birthday I had to remember was Storm's, which she often celebrated with a cake covered in sweet white stuff. Brownish liquid or pieces would decorate it along with other colours and fruits.

She called it chocolate. Chocolate is good.

Pax looked shocked at my response.

"Oh.. I'm so sorry." She straightened herself, with a slightly embarrassed expression. "You just look and sound so young. You're quite short for your age."

"Yeah, Storm says that when she uses me as a armrest."

"Stop talking to the nerd, Leif!" Storm hollered. "Saurus looks like he's going to wet himself."

I looked to where the boy had waited while Pax had talked to me. He gazed at me in visible attempt to make me out whether or not I was a threat. His eyes held a primitive terror of prey being cornered by its hunter.

"Saurus? You okay?"

"How much do you know." He quivered with each word he fumbled out. "What are you going to do to me?"

"What I'm going.. to do with you?" I was confused by why that had been such a worry to him. "Well.. I'm talking to you right now. And I hope to help with whatever problem you're having."

"You're.. okay with me? Knowing what I'm.." He returned my look of confusion. "You're not scared or angry?"

"Why would I?" I blinked. "All I saw was that cold scary presence in you when you got big and spikey. You seemed really scared and it didn't look like it was being nice to you. So I wanted to help."

Storm and Pax exchanged odd glances.

Relief flushed his face and I noticed only then he had been holding his breath.

"Thank you..." He sighed, his features relaxing. "I've met people in the time I've been away from my village. And some of them don't react well to me. My brother.."

His words trailed off as he seemed conflicted as to share the seemingly painful memory.

"Do you need a hug?" I asked.

"Huh?"

"Linda used to hug me when I was scared or didn't know what to say." I explain. "Also when people have bad days or feel sad, she said sometimes they need hugs too."

"Uh.." He seemed akward. "That'd... be nice I guess."

"Oh heck no. We're not touching a male-"

Wither grew silent as I gave Saurus a hug.

"Great. You gave him a chance to attack and violate."

"Th-Thanks..." He blubbered as I let go.

"Do you feel better now?" I asked.

"Yeah.. I do."

"Yay!" I smiled.

Linda, look! I helped someone, like you would have done.

"Alright, come on, Leif." I felt Storm's hand grasp my wrist, tugging me away from Saurus and Pax. "You're done talking to the nerds. Let's go watch the rest of the matches. Hey, you haven't gone yet! Come on, we have to see if you got one right now!"

"Bye Saurus, bye Pax!" I waved as I was whisked away.

I think that's my first time talking to people from outside town! Well... except Ginn. But that wasn't really talking. That was threatening!

"Good. I almost feared you saw it as a sign to try and be friends with that Ginn person."

Well.. I think Ginn's a good person inside. I think he could be, if he didn't hit or aim guns at people.

"Later you and I have to talk about the differences between good and bad people again."

"Shovel is the victor of this match!" The announcer's words were flocked with the cheers of spectators.

I spotted a black stickman standing on the battle area with a blue figure at his feet. A white cloth concealed the lower half of his face and he hefted a dusty shovel over his shoulder, retriving it from where he must have struck his opponent and knocked him out.

"Eh. I could kick his arse." Storm grunted as she pushed us through the spectators to the cluster of fighters, waiting for the call for the next match.

"Next match!" The announcer hollered, causing the crowd to quieten, waiting in anticipation the selection of fighters they would soon watch spar against each other.

I looked at Storm before following her gaze back to the announcer.

I felt small in this group of people. It seemed these powerborn or users had experience and motivation on their side. Their striving to get stronger, improve, or show off their skills and might.

Yes, I may also have been the shortest there, but I felt younger here. As if this was not my place. Maybe if I hid Gem well enough...

"Leif Lithos will be up against Kick Seron!"

Wait what?

I felt what seemed to me, a million eyes turned towards my direction. Heads spun to face the new fighter to join the annual tradition and event.

This had to be a mistake.

I.. I'm not ready for a fight! I don't want to hurt anyone..

I don't even know why I'm here. I don't have any goal in this. I don't belong here. These matches are for strong people like Storm.

I'm not like her. I'm not strong. I'm not tough.

"Shut up."

I can't do this, Wither.

I see Storm grin from ear to ear as she pushes me forward towards the bordered area.

Can I ask to be taken out? Ireally don't think I can do this. I don't belong here-

"You're not doing this for you or for me." Wither reminded lightly. "You're doing this for us. For Linda."

"We can't let anyone hurt us like that again."

We can't let Linda worry about us.

"Yeah. Remember your promise?"

Have to learn.. get strong.. be able to take care of ourselves.

"Yeah."

Have to grow up..

It's scary. To cross a boundary. To step pass the line. To step out of the front door after years of being told to never go out.

But I met Storm. And Sward. If I hadn't cross that boundary, I would have never met them, or the bigger world that I had never known of.

It felt wrong. Scary.

But..

Maybe it's time to be a bit brave again. Take another step.

"Linda would want you to do whatever it takes to survive."

I suck in deep breaths in effort to steady my leaping heart. My head buzzes with a sort of numbness as the anxiety subsides.

I look up.

He is red, just like Saurus. But he's way older. He has pale orange eyes with black pupils. He wears two odd looking shiny silver boots.

Just another step, to enter another stage. Another border to cross to discover the world beyond.

I step over the lines drawn, marking the fighting area.

I can do this.

"..5 minutes after brief check up from our medics. If you sustain serious injury or feel too unwell to continue, shout for a medic. Now that the rules and conditions have been stated, are both sides ready?"

"Ready." Kick nods, regarding me with analytical curiosity. Trying to figure out what possibly could have qualified me as a fighter.

"R-Ready." I blurt with a shy nod.

"Your 5 minutes start now!"

Okay.. I can do this. Let's do this together, Gem!

A loud blast startles me from watching Gem emerge from the folds of my hair. I look to where Kick stood, only to find dust clouds trailing upwards.

Whipping my head to stare above me, I saw him already descending. His boots enveloped in flame, headed right towards me.

Uhhh I don't think I can do this.

Help.