"How much longer will we have to walk?" Cody groaned.

"I don't know! Stop asking me!"

"I haven't even asked you that many times."

"I started counting them but gave up when I hit 35." I rolled my eyes and bit back a grin. "Just be patient!"

"You know I'm incapable of that." He laughed. I refused to laugh but relented when he bumped my shoulder.

"Okay, well I think we're almost there."

"Yes, finally!" He paused, "Wait, where are we going again?"

"The huge metal thing, remember?"

"Nope, I'm dying of dehydration, starvation, and heat pressure. I mean heat... extinction. Wait..." He stared into space with a quizzical expression on his face.

"Heat exhaustion?" I said, trying not to laugh.

"Yeah. See it's getting to me!" He collapsed onto a tree root. "I see the light. Tell Rose she can have my chores and my cot." He coughed dramatically, "Bury me with some food you know I'll get hungry."

"Dead people don't eat Cody."

He scoffed and hit my sleeve, "Have a little respect, I'm dying here." Then rolled his eyes to the back of his head. "I'm... I'm going to the light..." He stuck his tongue out and went limp.

"Finally, I thought he was never going to die."

"Jokes on you, I'm a zombie!" He bolted up. "Don't worry you're safe though. I only eat brains." He winked and pointed finger guns at me.

"You need to realize that every insult you ever try to use, you borrowed from me."

He narrowed his eyes. "That must be why you never laugh. Your insults are terrible."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

"See you're speechless." He said as he brushed off his shoulders nonchalantly. "Don't worry, I tend to have that effect on people."

"Come on, we need to get moving."

"Okay fine." He ran his hand through his hair, then stopped and pointed into the distance. "Is that it?"

And there stood the huge metal thing we had seen casting an enormous shadow on the trees. It was huge! Probably as big as that old statue of the girl holding a torch. Which I think was in repairs or something. The... metal thing had smooth, but incredibly sharp looking spikes jutting out from it like the spines of a sea urchin.

"Let's go check it out." Cody said and started running towards it but I yanked his arm back.

"Quietly."

He groaned but crept with me past the bushes.

We were in a more forested area of Nova, a few miles away from Crescente and Inci. In hindsight, the 'thing' had seemed a lot closer when we started out.

"Come on." I whispered, beckoning him forward.

We snuck, moving past bushes and shrubs. I inhaled sharply when a thorn pricked the back of my hand. Cody sent a questioning look at me but I waved off the concern.

The 'thing', whatever it was, cast a huge shadow across us. I could feel the air get a few degrees colder and shivered. The nearer we got the more terrifying the prospect looked. We were only a couple feet away.

"What's the plan?" Cody whispered, staring ahead.

"I don't-"

I was cut off with a loud clunk as one of the spikes started moving. Smoke came across all of the sides. Cody and I ducked behind a bush.

"Is it going to explo-" I covered his mouth with my hands and put the other to my lips. Cody could never stay quiet.

The spike glided down, the side facing up completely flat and covered in smoke. Then the spike shifted. The metal slid into the stairs, breaking into rectangular pieces.

I gasped and Cody shoved his hand over my mouth and put his finger to his lips. "Shh."

I rolled my eyes and knocked his shoulder lightly.

A silhouette of a woman appeared in the fog. A high heeled stiletto stepped out onto the stairs followed by a black dress swept out, made of a leathery material.

I immediately wondered why anyone would wear a leather dress in this heat. And the heels. Whoever this lady was, she probably was slightly crazy.

The fog cleared, she stepped out reaching up to the sun with long sleeves that stretched to a point, hooking to her middle finger. Her dress was tight, and flared out at the edges, with a hood covering her eyes and most of her features. Locks of jet black hair trailed out of the hood.

Cody whispered to me, "Who is that?"

"I have no idea."

"Should we go help her?"

"I'm not sure."

She spoke in a smooth commanding voice, out of dark red lips on a pale face, "Where am I?"

"She seems pretty lost." Cody whispered. He fidgeted with his hands and his foot tapped a rapid beat on the ground.

"Just wait." She continued to walk down the stairs slowly, taking in everything.

He gave me a glance as he fidgeted more then looked away and bit his lip.

"Okay fine, let's go help her." I whispered. "Be polite." I glared at Cody.

"Okay, okay." Cody jumped up and reached out his hand to me. I grabbed it, pulling myself up. We walked forward a little warily.

"Who are you?" She snapped her head towards us, still covered by the hood. My confusion only grew. How could she see out of that thing?

I took a couple of steps forward. Cody stood a little in front of me, almost in a protective way, which endeared me to him and pissed me off at the same time. He knew I could take him down almost any day of the week.

"My name is Scarlet." I said keeping my voice steady. "This is Cody." I gestured to him.

"Where am I?"

"Uh, Nova?" Cody said. "Can we help you? Your thing," He said pointing up, "Caused quite a ruckus."

"My ship?"

I don't know what she was on but that thing definitely wasn't a boat.

"I apologize for any inconvenience. This was the only way." She seemed very distant with an unknown ache mingling in her voice, so I didn't ask.

Cody climbed the stairs and held out his hand. "Here."

She took it, delicately and seemingly floated down the steps, Cody alongside her.

"Thank you." She said a little stiffly. She walked with a perfect posture and a confidence in her steps I could only dream of.

"What's your name?" Cody asked.

I stood with my arms crossed a few feet away.

She lifted her hood off of her jet black hair. "My name is Nylena."

A/N Sorry this one is shorter. Happy apocalypse to you guys!