After class in the middle of the day, Baron stood on the edge of a dilapidated multistoried building as the winds pulled on the ruffled brown strands of his hair. The smog-filled air hung over the constant chatter of a city, which he looked at below with his Manifest, Intent’s Confession activated. Baron could see the emotions and distress of The Haven of York, a melting pot city hidden between dimensions.

  While there were Cognizant towns spread throughout the real world, The Haven of York, was a beacon of Cognizant society. It was the biggest gathering of their population in the world. In the end it was a vanishingly small percentage of Earth.

  He had donned Spriggan’s uniform. A magically infused, loose-fitting black undersuit was covered by a knee-length, dark blue cloak that split in the front. It came up to a tall collar that covered his face from the nose down - not that he actually needed to hide his identity. It was common for people to openly use their magical abilities, and there were many people who became professional hunters and mercenaries for profit with their supernatural capabilities. But Baron did it for himself, not others.

  With one last look down at the city before he took the last, full measure that made him Spriggan. He focused his mana over his face with a small illusion spell that should only last around three hours, before needing to be recasted. This turned his bland brown iris and pupil a clean white, like the sclera of his eye.

  Next, his loosely messy light chestnut hair turned jet black and shaped into a sleek middle-parted style that appeared an inch longer than it did before. The final touches were to slender out his face into a sharp jawline with stronger cheeks, and a nose that was bigger than Baron’s, since he felt his own was too small.

  Spriggan smiled confidently, and took a step off the ledge toward a fatal fall. He plummeted from the rooftop and twisted himself through a series of flips and gainers. Spriggan was happy to be back in the city. While the buildings were densely packed together, and not too dissimilar from New York, this would always be home-with its multicultural districts. Filled with people that would be considered mythology, or the insane ramblings of someone disconnected from reality, they roamed about the ancient, yet modern city like the people of anywhere else.

  Gravity pulled Spriggan down past multiple stories, toward the busy street below with more acrobatic flips. As he fell, his mana flowed through the vines that supported each arm. It caused one to rapidly unravel with his push of magical energy.

  He slowly burned through his forgiving mana reserve to fire off his right vine toward the towering skyscraper on his left - an old tower of aged brick. It unraveled from his arm until there was only enough left to support his forearms. More than enough.

  The wind blew through his more fashionable hair. As he nosedived toward the loud street below, his vine found a grappling point to latch onto. Spriggan’s mana enforced the vine supporting his arm, before it pulled back and catapulted himself. Forward, he flew through the sky. He flipped as he soared over top of a happy couple in a crowd, while moving faster than what was possible with physical ability alone.

  In a flash, he passed over those below as his white eyes scanned over the many transparent aura trails. Each was emitted by an individual of the dense population of The Haven. The individual whispers came together to form an ever evolving cloud of emotion that danced together in a mix of melancholy blues, and happy, honest greens that clashed against angry, overwhelming reds with slippery, yellow strands of uncertainty snuck between.

  Spriggan streamed toward the street’s end at a breakneck speed. As he confidently smiled underneath the black collar that hid his face, he gracefully twisted himself sideways. Both vines zipped out like bullets to the stone building overhead, where they latched onto a barred window as he soared closer to the end of the block.

  With a touch of mana, he empowered the strength and elasticity of the Liana vines under his control. They slung him around the corner without losing the momentum he’d gained. Not only relying on his control of Life Magic, Spriggan pivoted his body through a quick series of flips to face forward. Quick as he moved, both vines reeled back toward him.

  Exhilarated as he flew through the Haeirmont district’s dilapidated streets without losing the flow of flight, Spriggan smiled to himself confidently. It felt natural as he swung, and more importantly it made him feel free from his worries. It felt like he was born to move like this, but was forced to run onto the ground like everyone else when he was himself.

  Through the mix of visualized emotions, Spriggan picked out a consuming aura of dark inkiness among the more vibrant and common feelings. This unignorable bleakness was utter fear, and not just the unsure anxiety you felt through your day over your peer’s judgment, or that stressful feeling when you knew that you were late for something. This inky shadow that devoured someone’s mind without discretion was the hopeless despair of approaching death.

  Spriggan swung forward. Softer than before, he slowed his flight as he urgently tracked that obsidian-colored aura through the dense mix of the local area’s emotions. It was hard finding the source through the overwhelming stimulation during his flight. But Spriggan could do it.

  No! He knew that he needed to do this or she wouldn’t make it. And Spriggan couldn’t let that happen. Not Today!

  Yes! He had managed to find them in time. In distress was a young girl with two goat-like, curled horns that were still growing with her. A Dimidium child, no more than eight, he quickly identified.

  While Spriggan remained focused in this dire situation, he secured a vine to the closest building that slowed him. Left hung over the busy street below, he was ready to act.

  A bus slammed on its break, before the innocent child that didn’t deserve to lose her life. It was evident that the incoming traffic wouldn’t be able to stop in time. And judging by that hollowed gloom of inky blackness that bled from her psyche, she knew it too.

  Spriggan knew what he needed to do, and he didn’t spare a second more to do. The spare vine, which wasn’t used to hold himself in the air, urgently unraveled from his arm. Through the air, it traveled as the bus's brakes loudly screeched. The driver seemed just as desperate to stop the vehicle from the fearful yellows that filled the driver’s seat.

  The vine uncoiled quickly as he could at his current output. Desperately, it reached out for the child with its coiled grasp. Still though, the vines weren’t going to make it. He was running out of time.

  From a forced effort of his mana reserves, Spriggan pulled on that energy as a sense of subtle tiredness took its place. He willfully shoved that tangible force through the strong, and the individual fibers that made-up the whole of the vine. With a tight focus on the output of mana, Spriggan unraveled it faster as the vine endings desperately reached out for her.

  Just a little more! Be faster Spriggan, or she’ll die! Spriggan’s thoughts and vine raced against the bus. Shut up! Stop thinking and save her! In times like these for reasons unexplainable to him, his focus felt sharpened as these urgent seconds passed.

  The vine secured itself around her chest before it was too late. Spriggan did it!

  Frantically, Spriggan snatched her up. Her body narrowly avoided catastrophe as the bus tore through her previous spot in the road. Spriggan pulled her into his arms with the vine supporting their weight, which made him seem and feel a lot stronger than he really was.

  After he pulled her closer, Spriggan got a better look at her horns and red-hued skin that most likely made her a Fiend-Blood Dimidiae. Familiar with the term, to Spriggan and others Dimidiae was the blanket term that referred to the offspring of a human and an arcane creature. They usually didn’t look too dissimilar from mundane society, except for their inhuman features gained through their magical inheritance.

  While many combinations of Dimidae were wholly unique to their births, they tended to fall into a few categories. Fae-Bloods, those that had ties to the Feywild dimension, and tended to take on the animalistic features of that world’s mythical beasts. Then there were Fiend-bloods like this girl, who had familial-ties to unholy ‘abominations’ and hellish devils that were distinct with their demonic characteristics. The last of the more common subgroups of Dimidae were the Spirit-bloods; they were born from ethereal bodies that have been referred to as ghosts, lesser gods, Djinn, and Yokai through man’s history.

  On the much rarer side, there were the Dragon-Blood Dimidae, who generally had evident draconic features, and they tended to be more gifted, both physically and magically, than other Cognizants.

  Suspended in the air, Spriggan allowed the Dimidae child to cry into his cloak’s shoulder as he held her tightly. “It’s ok! It’ll be ok. We’re gonna find who’s taking care of you” Spriggan spoke softly with his voice, which he pitched down with the previously cast Illusion spell. Personally, he thought it sounded more masculine and interesting than Baron’s natural one voice of a more squeaky nature.

  Specifically, he was searching for the same dark terror that helped him find her originally. After all, he assumed, any reasonable guardian would be terrified to death over losing their child in an unsafe part of a city like this. With the crying child held tightly in his arm, Spriggan searched for a relative through the vibrant display of emotions only he experienced from his vantage point.

  It didn’t take long for Spriggan to find the blackness that snuck through the more enjoyable emotions. Back with acute accuracy, Spriggan tracked it and found a demonic looking man that stood tall at 7 '0” with a tanky build and impish wings, which were both too small for his body. On his head was a set of long pointed horns over dark red, leathery skin. The demon-man was in a panic, as he pushed through the crowded sidewalk, and called out something unheard over the loud noises of the city.

  The vine that held Spriggan stories above the road, lowered him to the hustling sidewalk, where her father shouted out for her. “Hey,” Spriggan called out from yards above him. “Is this your daughter?” Gently, he descended toward him.

  Her father gasped with tears in his eyes. “Sera!” He reached up with his big arms, taking the sobbing girl into a warm embrace. “Thank you! Thank you so much,” he said through tears of joy. “Is there anything I can get you or do for you?”

  “I’m alright, just take care of yourself,” Spriggan said, while still suspended by the vine’s tight grip a few feet over the sidewalk

  The father looked up while still teary eyed. “Are you sure? Not even a free lunch?” A delicate stream of joyful green began to radiate from the reunited family. That happiness he saw with his Manifest made him smile underneath the tall and dark blue collar that hid that part of his face. To him, that was all he needed to feel fulfilled.

  “I’m really alright, just have a good day.” The vine that held Spriggan in the air pulled him multiple stories up as it reeled around his forearm and bicep. Forward, he swung himself from the daunting heights with both his body and the powerful force of his vine.

  He flew toward a tall building once more, before he tossed himself higher from the peak of a short and tight swing that had an upward angle. From the sharpness of the vine movement, Spriggan sailed skyward with great acceleration, and before reaching his apex, he shot out the vines ahead. Each grappled to a skyscraper on each side of him.

  He smirked, with a self-assurance foreign to his daily life. To increase those rapid speeds, the two vines slingshotted himself to ascend further.

  Exhilarated, he laughed to himself. Spriggan managed to clear the towering building with an impressive series of controlled, multi-directional flips that led smoothly into a series of advanced somersaults that twisted, and turned his body elegantly as he descended through the smog filled air on the building’s other side.

  With reckless abandon he swung forward, while his supernatural eyes looked for more people in need of aid.

  The streets below seemed clear of any danger, so, as he did before, he flew over the next building with a combination of vine maneuvers and flips. He soared through the next street in search of anyone in need. It seemed however like everyone was alright enough to not need saving or help, which was a good thing in Spriggan’s opinion. It just meant he needed to look elsewhere. He continued on through the next few blocks, each with a similar scene of impoverished chaos of the poorer side of city life.

  Wonder what Rose is up to. He asked himself between swings to distract himself from the familiar scene of poor maintained roads and infrastructure. He really couldn't seem to keep her off his mind, even if he knew that he needed to stay vigilant as Spriggan. He just couldn’t help himself.

  Without realizing it Spriggan had swung to where Hairemont, the district he had been patrolling, bordered the Outskirts. He slowed his swing to match the buildings, which were shorter than before. Still stories taller than the street level, he maintained a good pace. Well versed in the area, as Spriggan was in most of the other city’s districts, he looked around to realize that it had been a little too long since he had last visited St. Joan.

  In a pivot around the corner of the street, he swung forward toward a small church built from cut stone of faded greys, which still managed to stand in its old age. It was tall with its polished stained glass windows, and sharp steeple that was broken in half long ago. Left unprepared, only a set of boards were used to block off the outside world. Nicest of all, a well maintained courtyard that had a welcoming atmosphere.

  No one was quite sure how ancient St. Joan was, but rumor had it, the church was made in the 15th century, when Joan of Arc escaped her execution to build a new home in The Haven. While the truth of its rich history was almost entirely lost, it was repurposed into a homeless shelter. and soup kitchen that Spriggan made a habit of volunteering at.

  From a distance, Spriggan saw jolly greens that led back to the lady who ran St. Joan, who stood in the middle of the church as she tended to the potted plants. Around her, flowers were placed near a simple fountain that no longer worked, alongside many other green ferns and plants. With her were two children that chased each other in circles, giggling as they played tag. Nice. Seems I caught them at a good time.

  “Clear the runway!” Spriggan called out as he slowed his descent, before he carefully released himself in the air above them. With a tight set of back flips he fell toward them, where he cleanly landed with his arms strung out like a showman. In that flashy display, he pulled down the collar-mask to reveal his smile. It made him feel goofy when he showed off for their entertainment, but he didn't really care about what anyone thought of Spriggan. That was the whole point actually.

  “Oh, very good Spriggan! Ten out of ten, impressive as always,” Miss Valentina said, as she clapped along with the two children that cheered for him. In their squeaky little voices, they called for him excitedly.

  Ahead of him, Miss Valentina was a tall, tan, and skinny middle aged woman that stood around 6 '5. But what stood out most was the flashy set of peacock tail feathers that folded down like the rear end of a long dress. The feathers of vibrant green and blues tended to drag upon the ground behind her.

  Those tail feathers were exotically colored, and once, Spriggan got to see their hypnotizing beauty. But usually she tended to wear her Sister’s Habit, except for the lack of her traditional head covering, and the bold colors of her Thaumic Mutation.

  “Thank you! Thank you!” With a bow to them, he stepped closer. Spriggan slipped out three small seeds from one of the six pouches sewn into the inside of the cloak. With an easy usage of Life Magic, he quickly brought two of them alive. The two blossomed into long-stemmed, pretty blue Cornflowers that Spriggan handed to each of the smiling children.

  “Flowers are for girls, Spriggan! How many times do I have to tell you?!” The younger Ezekiel handed his flower to Claire, who already seemed happy to get a singular flower let alone a second one.

  “I forget that every time.” As Spriggan rubbed the back of his head, he again pushed a cornflower through the stages of growth in an instant. In a blink, it stood out from the top of his head, and it made the two children laugh. He picked it from his head, and offered it to Miss Valentina, who lovingly smiled as she tended to.

  “Why, thank you Spriggan.” As she spoke, she inspected the delicate flora closely with the dark mascara around her nearly black eyes. To match them, her lips were stained purple with a lip stick that stood out.

  “Spriggan has flower brains!” With a jovial giggle, Ez yelled as he pointed at him accusatorially. It made his frizzy haired and darker skinned counterpart join in his laughter.

  “Now, now Ez. You should be nice to Spriggan, since there’s nothing to be done with his flower brains. And we love him for that.” She teased Spriggan to make the two kids innocently laugh. “It's an incredible surprise to have you visit us. What has brought you by?”

  “Just passing through the area. Need any help around the place?” Spriggan asked, as he followed her through the tiny courtyard. They watched the children run and resumed their game of tag. The two little kids had a hard life with their parents, who were addicts that were stuck battling their demons. Spriggan had helped them a year ago, and luckily, convinced them to keep their children safe during their rehabs. Luckily, they ended up trusting Miss Valentina as their temporary guardian, which made him really happy when he first heard.

  “Not currently. We just finished serving lunch, so we’re taking a little walk during our break.” As she talked, he noticed her glance toward the small home-made greenhouse. It was cheaply built from cracked plexiglass and two-by-fours. “Well, maybe you could do the traditional little check up?” she asked with a soft tone.

  “I’d love to.” Before he could respond, she already pulled out the St. Joan’s keychain. It appeared she knew that he’d always help her in any way he could. To the greenhouse’s door that was protected by a long series of locks and bolts, Spriggan followed her. She began the tedious, but necessary process of unlocking them one by one, when a tiny hand slapped against Spriggan’s leg.

  “You’re it Flower-Brains!” The undersized Claire tagged him, giggling as she ran around the broken fountain to hide. Both kids looked to him from their separated positions with a cheerful look with innocent greens that came from their psyches. I’ve got more time. Why not give the kids some attention.

  “I’m gonna show you two what this Flower-Brain’s gonna do to you!” With a smile, Spriggan began chasing after Claire, who ran from him with a high-pitched squeal. She dodged between potted plants, and ducked under the branches of short seedlings. Carefully, as he ran with her, Spriggan kept a consistent pace with her that made Claire feel like she was winning. “I’m gonna get you!” He teased.

  “Hey! Leave her alone, you bully!” Ez closed the distance progressively in an attempt to get Spriggan’s attention.

  In a sudden burst, Spriggan peeled away from Claire, who had quickly tired. Redirected, he pursued Ez, who turned to dash away from him. Ez didn’t chuckle like Claire. He took this much more seriously than her. Spriggan understood that, so he increased the intensity of his chase to match his energy.

  Ez didn’t use the environment like Claire. He’d rather sprint away at his top speeds to challenge himself. Still, Spriggan stayed on his heels, while always allowing him the chance to escape in the end. Thankfully, since neither had awoken a Bloodline Manifest, a Thaumic Mutation, or learned Magic, this was never too hard.

  “I’m right behind you,” Spriggan said. He allowed Ez to cut right in a hurried sprint, toward Miss Valentina with her short black hair, who stood aside the unlocked door. “Race you back, Ez!” While he watched the young boy run harder than before, he smiled alongside the giggles of Claire. In response, Spriggan increased his pace to close the distance between them, but not overtake him. Of course in the end, he was going to let them win. He just liked to let them feel like they earned it.

  They crossed the imaginary finish line with Ez in the lead. “Oh, yeah! I win again, Flower-Brains!” With his knees on his knees, the freckled covered boy breathed heavily with a proud smile.

  “Spriggan always loses!” Claire reaffirmed her position beside Miss Valentine, who now had a metallic pink water bottle she sipped from.

  “You guys are just too fast for me.” Just like Baron, the alter ego of Spriggan wasn’t the best actor or liar, but it was more than enough to harmlessly trick the kids.

  “Excellent job children.” As Miss Valentina handed Ez a bottle the same as Claire’s, except for its blue color, she ushered the kids out of his way. “Hydrate as you give Spriggan some time to work.” With a nod to Spriggan, the children stood by her side. Each sipped on their waters as they watched.

  In the doorway of the greenhouse, he stood on a soft bed of clovers in place of flooring that smelled of fertilizers and freshly watered plants. He gently stepped to the soft clovers, and wished that he could feel the ground with bare feet. To begin he slowly did as pass through, as he checked the state of the produce that hung from posts, and beds of dirt that surrounded the outside room. The building wasn’t large, so they had to maximize every inch they could use for St. Joan.

  Almost everything was green and likely to provide a productive harvest, except for the short sapling that wasn’t looking well. It was a bell pepper plant that wouldn’t survive long enough to bear fruit with its hues of lifeless browns. Luckily, Spriggan was there to aid it before it was too late.

  He guided his mana into the plant. Again, he pushed that invisible energy through the plant’s fibers and roots. His mana brought it back to life, until it stood vertical with a deeper green than before. He didn’t stop there. Instead, he spread his field of control out to the rest of the garden to boost their vigor, but not rush them through their growth cycle. The greenhouse felt more alive than before, each plant glowing brighter with their natural beauty. Luckily, it took only a small amount of his energy.

  “It just needed a touch-up. Honestly, you’ve gotten a lot better at gardening,” Spriggan complimented, as he stepped out of the doorway with a smile.

  “Thank you. I’ve had a great teacher after all.” With a compliment in return , she began the process of locking up their home-grown food source. “Will you be available for dinner preparations, or will you be busy today? It’s alright if you are. I think we can all agree just having you visit was a blessing within itself.” She spoke for herself, and the children who were distracted by a centipede in one of the nearby flower pots.

  “I’d love to, but I’ve got somewhere to do in…” Spriggan felt a surge of panic. He had completely lost track of how long he’d been out. “What time is it?”

  “It’s 3:18,” From a petite wrist watch, Miss Valentina read to him the time. “We’ll handle dinner. Just make sure to visit again soon; even if it's just to say hello,” she said with an understanding tone.

  “Yeah, I’m sorry, I’ve got to get back home at 5.” His right arm reached upwards as he spoke. “I’ll stop by again, when I’ve got a little more time.” The corresponding vine zipped through the air to fasten around the streetlamp above.

  “Don’t stress yourself over it, we already appreciate everything you do,” she said with that same warm smile as she waved him off. While sad to say goodbye, the two children joined her with their own little waves.

  “Bye, Flower-Brains,” While Ez waved him off. The little kid stuck his tongue out at him.

  “Bye-Bye, Spriggan!” Claire waved him off as she held onto the side of Miss Valentina’s leg.

  “I’ll stop by again soon,” he said with a smile, before he catapulted himself into flight. Through the air he twisted to find his center, before he swung forward off another street light ahead.

  I need to visit them again soon. He thought to himself in the apex of his trajectory. He looked over the outskirts, where there was not much joy in the air. It was primarily colored by sad blues, dishonest yellows, and desperate reds that came together to form a depressing smog that lingered over the district’s streets. Considerably, there was lots of trash, needles, and debris that tossed in the air through the damaged property. To him, it looked like this was where all the litter from the city ended up for some reason.

  Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

  Just as the vine grappled to the street sign with a shorter length that catapulted him up with a tight, angled swing that sent him skyward. The surrounding buildings that still stood were only two to three stories tall, and much shorter than Hairemont’s. Unfortunately, many of the blocks were piles of rubble, and the structures that survived barely did so with cheap and unreliable repairs that got them through. Sadly, the worst part of this ever spanning district was the smell of sewage that lingered in it.

  Spriggan pivoted his momentum with the vine that secured itself around the base of an old business sign that had long faded. Toward the roof, he pitched his body in a flip and landed with a soft roll over his shoulder that carried him into a full sprint. He kicked forward with a quick and powerful stride. Fully committing with a bold confidence, he leapt over a large hole in the roof, which would be too far for any Non-Cognizant to clear.

  Easily, Spriggan cleared the distance of that well, exceeding 30 feet, where he landed into a full sprint toward the edge. From there, he dove off with a front flip that sent himself into a slower, more concise flight in this more contained environment.

  His next point to swing from was an old lamp post, not too dissimilar from the one near St. Joan’s, except that this one probably didn’t work at night. Things this far out in the Outskirts didn’t get repaired by the city too often. Spriggan propelled himself over it, and zipped forward himself to glide through the air.

  Instead of continuing, he pulled himself onto the rusted platform of a decrypted billboard. He looked across the outskirts, where in contrast to the steadfast joy seen in Hairemont, there was a smoke-stack of violent and bold reds. That would not be anything to be concerned about. If not for the black threads that escaped its suffocating presence that was. He didn’t hesitate, as he stepped off of the ledge to traverse over the few blocks in between them.

  Spriggan landed softly on the rooftop that oversaw the dark alley that emitted these emotions, where four people kicked someone in the fetal position. Openly in sight of the public, they jumped him in an alley, and no one bothered to get involved. He didn’t blame them, their lives’ were hard enough already as many were addicts or homeless. From the roof above them, he dropped down to the fire exit below him. With an audible landing, the metal frame shook with a loud creaking.

  Before he engaged, Spriggan identified the recognizable features of the four to the best of his abilities. It didn’t take him long to assume each of their races, since he knew how to tell the subtle differences apart. There seemed to be a human like him with nothing else of note to them. A Lunar-Enthralled that had a distinct untamed glint in their eyes, and facial features that were slightly more sharp and wolf-like. Then there were, what looked like, two Vampires with their much-too-pale complexion with slitted eyes suited toward night vision. Yet to notice him, they continued their victim’s beating.

  “I think that’s enough.” Confidently, Spriggan projected his voice to draw each of their attention to him. Each of the four looked confused at first, until they each began to laugh at him. As they did, the battered and blooded victim tried to crawl away, but one of them grabbed his collar to yank him back.

  “Yeah? What’s a dressed up bitch like you gonna do?” The human with naturally colored hair of silver asked. With a confident smirk, he kicked out his foot and sent the frail homeless man into a painfilled twirl on the ground with a ruthless demeanor.

  From his vantage point, Spriggan leapt down feet away from them as he landed. While Spriggan wasn’t sure if they had martial weapons, firearms, or Magic, he knew that it was time to interfere. It mattered little the threat they could potentially pose.

  “I’ll give you one last chance to leave him alone.” The last time he warned them, and he really hoped that they’d accept it for peace. He understood the criminals in this area were only trying to survive, that however didn’t mean Spriggan could just let them get away with this. They turned toward him, and quickly their short-lived amusement shifted to a violent rage that bled red from their subconsciouses.

  That color cue was enough for him. Time for action, Spriggan. He stepped forward with his left foot toward the human. Luckily, he wasn’t much bigger than him. With two quick, snappy jabs that peppered his nose, he caused his eyes to water-up involuntarily. After Spriggan slid back from this landed attack, to create distance between them with smooth footwork that didn’t overlap or trip him.

  He stumbled back with his nose in hand, where he fell into the much taller and broader Lunar-Enthralled. A moment without those two was created. Within it, the vampire with a dark hood moved forward. His hands were up in a loose guard that had too many openings. Spriggan had been tactical with his positioning in the tight and cluttered alley. Where he stood it was difficult to be surrounded, and currently only two of them could pursue him at a time without running over each other.

  The victim of their brutal attack took the chance to flee from the other end, while their attention was diverted elsewhere. They don't know what they’re doing. Spriggan smiled confidently underneath the collar, this was going to be even easier now that he didn't need to defend that person.

  As he ran, the hooded vampire in the lead stepped forward with a sloppy punch that was heavily telegraphed. With ease, Spriggan lowered his knees and ducked his head to roll underneath the attack. In a burst of movement, he followed up with an uppercut that exploded from the strength in his legs.

  The hood snapped back off his head, and Spriggan continued forward with a thrusting teep kick that stabbed into his stomach like a spear with his heel. It sent him crashing into a hollow dumpster that knocked the wind out of him. Loudly, the dumpster rang, while Spriggan’s focus was kept on the thick-bearded Werewolf, who pushed past his human friend with a wild flurry of swipes of his sharp, dagger-like claws.

  Effortlessly, Spriggan bobbed and weaved past the attacks, until he entered the ‘pocket’ - the area where both opponents could land strikes or start grappling. Spriggan knew that, even within this space he couldn’t win in a straight brawl against the physical superiority of the Lunar-Enthralled, which traditionally surpassed the enhancements of a baseline Cognizant.

  Within this ‘pocket’, he snapped his elbow in on his nose with the forward momentum. As it impacted with a crunch, it caused his nose to stream blood, but he knew it wouldn’t be enough to put him down. Fortunately, it was only a distraction. Placed against his outer leg, he held his own behind the much bigger person’s calves, and he pulled them out from under him as he shoved with his arms and lifted with his legs to sweep him into a rotted pile of trash.

  As the bigger foe floundered on the floor, the silver-haired one, who recovered from the first attack, leapt at him with open arms in a formless takedown. It was too predictable. Spriggan darted upwards with a pull from his right arm’s vine to easily avoid their sloppy attack. However, something caught his eye from the rear.

  A red thread from the shorter vampire with chunky cheeks, led through the air toward Spriggan’s point in the air. That could only mean one thing. From his position in the air, he twisted himself into the side. Past him, he only narrowly slipped past a busted-up shopping cart. In the crucial moments, Spriggan threw out his spare vine to watch it with a quick binding. With it in his ranged grasp, he shifted its trajectory at the hooded one, and slammed into the dumpster, where it exploded into rusted parts.

  Probably a Manifest of some sorts, something telepathy based? Spriggan noted the opponent's potential Bloodline Manifest before thoughtlessly reacting to the next threat. Luckily, while few of them recovered on the ground, the others were unable to reach him.

  Spriggan with his own Manifest, Intent’s Confession, followed a second red thread that led to a rusted AC unit on his right. In an instance, it violently shot out of the window. But Spriggan knew that would happen. His vine collided with the fire exit above to shove him downward as the AC hurdled over him. It loudly crashed through the damaged wall of bricks on his other side. Against the hard concrete ground, his knees folded with the impact. From there, he swiftly slipped a seed out from one of those hidden pouches, and he threw it toward the shorter vampire in the rear. Specifically, the one those red strands had been coming from.

  That small, dark, oval-shaped seed sprouted to life in flight as it expanded into another long Liana vine just like the ones around his arms. As the vine sprawled around his legs, it bound them to themselves as it snaked up his body in twisted knots that left him helplessly squirming on the floor. One down.

  Between the human and bloody nosed Werewolf, Spriggan landed as each began to surround him in his descent. They both lead into their own attacks at the same time, Spriggan knew it was impossible to keep track of each of their movements in this scenario, so he fell back on his reliable Manifest.

  He followed the whispers of red that gave their attacks away. It made it easy to predict when and where they would attack. Under a series of straights, Spriggan dodged as he rolled under a clawed swipe that grinded against the wall behind him. It was followed by a sloppy kick and with his forearm, Spriggan pushed the kick to the side. Successfully, he knocked them off balance as he slid past a powerful overhand from an unseen foe.

  They attacked him in sync in a mess of sloppy punches. Each of them targeted him with everything they had in an untrained assault. Past them Spriggan dodged and slid through their attacks, all while he kept a tight fixation on their next attacks.

  The human fell out of sync with their timing, which allowed Spriggan to counter turn his body and kick outwards to shoot-out his spin’s momentum into the attack. His heel reverberated painfully with the impact. It bounced off a hard, rounded off layer of carapace that made his heel reverb painfully. Spriggan didn’t allow them to seize the moment of his mistake, instead he shifted a step back to narrowly avoid the next string of attacks from his left.

  Definitely a Mutation. Seems like it gives him a shell-like outer layer. He assessed his opponents, and continued to dodge their attacks, despite the light throbbing in his foot.

  Refocused on their auras as he dodged, and slipped past their offenses, he waited for his time to counter.

  The opportunity revealed itself as the bearded Werewolf overcommitted on a sharp uppercut that sent him stumbling past him. From a third pouch, Spriggan grabbed a singular podded seed, before he cut the angle to dodge around him an unruly hook from his left. He passed by him as he placed the seed onto the fabrics of his clothes. And with a strong push of mana, it burst to life.

  It sprouted into a tall white birch that grew around the Werewolf. The tree wrapped around him and the brick wall behind him to create an enforced, wooden prison that perfectly fit his body. Pointlessly, He struggled against the entrapment to no avail. The physical augmentations from his Lunar-Enthralled ancestry appeared to not be enough to break through. Two down.

  He noticed another twine entered the sway, which led to the Vampire that stood up again, whose hands were sparking and crackling as they charged with electricity.

  Most likely, low-level Elemental Magic. He noted as he continued to avoid the single opponent’s strikes. Even more untouchable now as their numbers dwindled.

  Even so, he continued to dodge his attacks, though Spriggan couldn’t let him fire that spell off. He fired off his vine that crashed into the dumpster behind the Vampire, who sidestepped the attack as he continued to charge with electricity. But luckily for Spriggan, he wasn’t aiming for him.

  That vine took hold of the dumpster behind him. Then it ripped forward with great force that crashed it into the spell-caster’s back. It sent the spark-filled vampire cascade hard to the ground, which interrupted his spell with a bounce against the unmoving pavement.

  Quickly, Spriggan flicked another Liana seed out as he danced around the silver-haired one, who still continued to come at him. Like before, it extended to life in a mess of knots that sought out the fallen Vampire to bind him just like his friends. Three down.

  “I think maybe now is a good time to surrender,” Spriggan said as he slid back out of the range of a messy straight. “You can’t think, you possibly have a chance. Just give up…” He cut himself off. There was deep rage in his blood-red aura, which seemed to lead toward something unseen on his waistline.

  Spriggan watched his hand reach for something on the strap of his waistband. Intent’s Confession, luckily allowed him to predict the thug’s next moves. From his right arm, Spriggan shot out an arm's vine, which quickly isolated their hand, before it was used to slam him into the wall beside him. The force made him crumble, and the vine, which held him detached from Spriggan to bind him. The final one of the assaulters was left writhing on the ground. That's all of them.

  A relieved noise escaped Spriggan, as a new vine grew to replace the one he lost with an effortless flourish of mana. He turned his head up and down the alley. It seemed that their victim escaped, and was nowhere to be seen. He wanted to make sure he was okay. But it’s probably best he got out of here when he did.

  Before he left, he stepped over to the silver-haired one, who pointlessly struggled as Spriggan took his phone from his pocket. Seamlessly, he dialed 911, which made the phone ring only once before being answered.

  “911, where is your emergency?” The raspy and sleep-deprived voice asked. Over all, they were attentive to the potential danger their caller was in.

  “I’m at…” Where am I actually? Unsure where he exactly ended up, Spriggan lightly jogged to the alley’s end. There, he looked for a road marker that was still legible. “I’m in an alley off of West 43rd street, a turn before the dirt lot,” he said as paced back to the phone’s owner, who helplessly called out for his property.

  “What is the nature of your emergency?” They continued their questions in a calm and reliable tone.

  “I got four guys tied up out here that were just assaulting someone. This is one of their phones actually. Could you send some officers to pick them up?” Stood over the phone’s owner, Spriggan looked down with a blank expression, though it was partly covered. “I’ll leave them here for you.”

  “Sir, please do not leave the scene! We are sending Police and EMS now…” After ending the call, Spriggan read the phone's clock at 4:39. It seemed he completely lost track of time again.

  “Shit.” He returned the borrowed phone, before a vine sent himself flying out of the alley in a rushed flight.

  As he raced around the block, Spriggan traveled at greater speeds than before. Toward the towering city of bleached stone, cement, and glass that refracted the sun’s light. He didn’t see it, while traveling deeper into the Outskirts, but the main part of the city always lingered over the abandoned district, suffocating it with its grander stature. And above it all, The Spire stood proud in the middle of it. A symbol of Cognizant society’s unity in The Haven.

  At his current pace it would take little time to clear the border that connected the Outskirts and Hairemont's western side. Past it, he zoomed with a flip that recentered his balance against the wind that attempted to whip him around.

  Onwards, Spriggan flew until something of concern caught his eye. The sight made him come to a stop and land on taller rooftop. One with a good view of what happened below. There, Spriggan saw a fire that left an old, shady motel destroyed. Rumor had it that it participated in shadier practices. Maybe that's what led to this, but no one had any evidence. Just baseless word of mouth and rumors.

  He watched the Haven’s PD, as they surveyed the area from any potential danger as firefighters attended to the small inferno. One of them blasted water from the palms of his hands, and the others manned a firehose that worked to similar effects. Out of place from the City’s officials, there was a young female reporter of East Asian descent with tied back black hair, who took pictures of the fire and asked officials questions. They appeared to ignore her, while a few of them tried to usher her off the scene.

  He watched the scene play out as he shook his head. There was no time to be idling. With a leap off that building, Spriggan swung away. It looked like they had it handled anyways. Not that his arsenal of plants could do much against a fire anyways.

  His destination, Dirk’s Express was only a few streets down now, which was still in a less-than-privileged area of The Haven. It only took a few swings to reach the old convenient store built into the corner of a much taller, and larger structure that he first leapt from today.

  Dirk’s Express had windows that were covered in outdated beer and cigarette advertisements. Over the glass door, a plain sign read, ‘Deli & Groceries & Lotto’. Spriggan landed into a hurried walk, and he pushed through the glass door that rang the bell overhead.

  Inside, it was a typical bodega with tightly packed aisles of packaged foods and refrigerated goods. Spriggan walked through the mostly empty store in a rush, with a wave to the middle-aged worker behind the counter, Dirk. Who hung his scared face low to look toward the ground in a visible sense of defeat.

  “I’m gonna be using the New York closet,” Spriggan said as he pet a fluffy cat that purred, not far from the grill behind the counter. Dirk, unbothered by the health-code violation, responded with a low grunt and a slight nod. In Spriggan’s experience with him, that meant yes.

  “Thanks, Dirk.” Before jogging down the short hallway, he gave the cat another scratch behind its ear. It led to another exit and a set of restrooms, which paralleled a trio of doors labeled LA, NYC, and DEN.

  Spriggan opened the door labeled NYC, where he stepped into a cramped closet that stank of cleaning chemicals and mildewed mops. Behind him he locked the door, and then reached upwards to a small shelf to retrieve his backpack from behind a box of hand soap. Nice! Still there.

  Luckily, no one had stolen it, which he didn’t think would be an issue. Who’d steal from Dirk’s nasty mop-closet? He took out his phone from a secured spot on his suit to check the time. It read 4:48, and he got a message from Rose 15 minutes ago. ‘Hey, not trying to be annoying or bother you. Just wanted to make sure we’re still meeting up?’

  Shit. He texted her back with rapid thumbs. ‘For sure. Sorry, got stuck up doing hw lol’. After he put down the phone, and began to take off Spriggan’s suit. The process started with the collared-cloak, and then the black undersuit. Both pieces were shoved in his bag. In exchange, he put on his own typical blue jeans, and plain t-shirt that he paired with one of NYU’s sweatshirts.

  It didn’t take him long to change, and even less time to deactivate Spriggan's facial illusion spell. Unfortunately, it returned him to his dull, rounded features, alongside his squeaky voice and bland brown hair.

  With the backpack slung over his shoulder, he unlocked the door and exited to the same hallway. Except that this time, there was only the one door labeled ‘Haven’, which he exited from. None of this to Baron was worth a reaction, nor did he understand the pathways between, but they were no different than a car or any other form of transportation. It was an unknown science, but it was reliable once a pathway was established or discovered.

  Baron walked out through the main exit. Toward Dirk he waved at the worker, who still stood with his depressingly blue cloud that filled the store. Though the cat was missing, which made more sense then Dirk being in two places at once. Odd as it was though, Baron learned not to question how it worked.

  Baron pushed through the glass doors of Dirk’s Express, which sat on the corner of an even taller building than before. Outside was no longer the old dingy Hairemont district, but now the modern glass skyscrapers of New York City. A city not just busier, but in much better condition and a lack of old world architecture.

  Luckily for Baron, his dorm was only a few streets away from the Bodega. He took off into a light jog. They were nothing compared to the powerful and confident strides Spriggan took on that sunken rooftop earlier.

  Hastily, he moved through the more crowded sidewalks, before crossing an active street. The cars halted with a honk, as Baron waved and mouthed an apology. Swiftly, he made it to the other side. He cringed at himself, it made him not just feel rude crossing before his turn, but it also made him feel like a bother in their lives. But there was no time to spare. It was already 4:54.

  After he spent so much time as Spriggan, Baron decided to pick up his pace. In hope that the other college students weren’t judging him for being the only one running, he tried to not worry about it. Only a little further. Baron just needed to turn the corner, and cut through the courtyard to the side of their dorm, where their window sat four stories high.

  Baron made it around the block, and ran through the grassy courtyard with his backpack that bounced uncomfortably. Thankfully, there weren’t many people around, or at least no one paid him any mind. Why would anyone anyways? You’re, you after all.

  As he jogged, Baron took command of the old oak outside their window with a stretched out grip of mana. It lowered one of its stout limbs for him to grab onto, then sent him upwards through its leaves. At the same time, he shifted and covered his ascent from others with the thick foliage. It brought him to his floor, where he used smaller, more delicate branch endings to squeeze through the seams and open the window.

  Hurriedly, Baron climbed through the window. Filled with uncomfortable anxiety that he didn’t make it in time, he sent the reliable branch to its original place when his feet were safely on the carpeted floor. What if she hates me! He couldn’t help but think of all the bad scenarios that could happen.

  With a graceful touch, he silently landed in the small dorm with a bunk bed and two desks that took up a wall each. The room was decorated with a variety of succulents, flowers, and potted plants that gave the room a smell of fresh air. In the remaining space, a small corner, Abel kept his bass, electric guitar, keyboard, and other instruments he knew.

  Baron pulled out his notification-less phone. 4:57. He made it with time to spare. As he took the opportunity to take a seat on his desk’s chair, a relieved sigh escaped him. This was the first time he’d gotten off his feet since his classes started early in the morning, and he was starting to feel the fatigue. His legs, arms, and almost every muscle in his body felt some form of strain. Not to mention his foot still throbbed from earlier.

  He sank into the cheap office chair as he finally took a breath, and allowed himself a quick respite. Maybe it was time to save up for an espresso machine. Seemingly, he was alone in the dorm while Abel was at his band’s rehearsal. At least he should have been.

  “Seems like Spriggan had a busy day.” From the silence Dawn spoke up. Startled, it made Baron jump in his seat. He must have not seen her behind the partially closed back out curtains that surrounded Abel’s bunk.

  “Dawn!” Quickly, he lost that feeling of unexpected fear in place of a familiar comfort. “I mean… Sort of,” Baron said with an unsureness about him. It always made him feel childish when she or Abel brought Spriggan up to him. Even if he knew they weren’t trying to make him feel that way. “How about your day?”

  “Eh,” Dawn said unenthused as she played with a strand of ginger hair that hung from a loose bun. “Definitely have had better days.” She tried to look cheerful, but it felt forced compared to her naturally contagious smile. “Anyways, I just thought I’d swing by. I know Abel’s at practice for that show coming up, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do something fun without his lame ass.” Still, she tried to maintain her normal, playful energy, but her tone felt flat and almost sarcastic.

  Baron’s gaze shifted to the ground. An uncomfortable feeling took hold of his mind. Since they started hanging out, Baron hadn’t yet told Dawn no, nor did he like denying anyone for that matter. Especially his new friends, which treated him better than any peer in High School. “I’m sorry, Dawn. Me and Rose are going out to Central Park here in a little.” I’m so selfish for picking Rose over her. Guilt ate at Baron, once he saw the disappointed look on her face.

  “Oh…” For those short seconds, Dawn wasn’t able to hide that beaten look behind a smile. The sadness slipped through her facial features, before she obviously forced herself to look happy for him. “That’ll be nice.”

  “You okay?” For a moment, Baron considered using Confession’s Intent as he looked at her with a hesitant look. Even if he just wanted to help, he knew, she’d probably beat him up if she ever found out. “I can reschedule if you need. I’m sure Rose will understand.” He wasn’t actually completely confident she would. What if she hated me forever, and never wanted to see me again because of the last second call off? The thought made his visibly anxious clear through his poor poker face. But he couldn’t just leave Dawn like this.

  “Nah, I’m good…” A rhythmic knocking on the door cut her off. Before Baron could get it, Dawn stood to open the door. On the other side, Rose awaited with her shoulder-length blonde hair, and full cheeks that he couldn’t help but want to kiss. “What’s up, Rose.” Dawn greeted her with a fake smile that only Baron could notice.

  “Oh. Hi, Dawn. How’re you doing?” Rose asked with her bubbly smile, but Baron couldn’t linger on these feelings of desire because of his growing concern.

  “Been chilling, but I heard about your guys’ cute little date.” Dawn tried to tease them again, but she just sounded tired and sad. “Third one right? Things must be going well.” Even if something was up with her, it was obvious to Baron that Dawn really was happy for them.

  “Yeah.” Rose bit down on her lip to suppress a bashful smile, but Baron could see the red blush of her cheeks. “Baron mentioned that he’s never been to Central Park.” Dawn let Rose in as she spoke, before she took a step toward the exit herself.

  “That’ll be a good time.” Dawn looked between Rose and Baron, who hadn’t yet stood from his chair. “I’m gonna get out of your guys’ hair, and let you two lover-birds enjoy the date.” Lover-birds?! Without much effort, she managed to make both of their faces flush; both still embarrassed by their newly found feelings.

  “It was nice seeing you though,” Rose said with her joyful tone as Dawn walked away from the dorm door. But before she could get too far, Baron stood from his seat on sore legs that struggled to find their ground at first.

  “Hold up, Dawn.” Baron followed her through the doorway, where she turned back for him. “You sure, you're alright? We can swing by your dorm after if you’d like?” Baron couldn’t hide his concern in his tone, which seemed to break through Dawn’s tired demeanor.

  “Dude. Of course I’m good. I’m always good,” she said as she did her best to smile, but the look in her eyes betrayed her. Dawn didn’t wait for Baron’s response, instead she headed toward the elevator down the mostly empty corridor except for the few other male college students, who only seemed to pay any mind to Dawn’s backside.

  He was still so worried about her, and he wanted to go after her, but he knew that she’d probably be stubborn and get frustrated. Outside of his dorm, Baron watched her enter the elevator door, until he frowned as she left his line of sight.

  “Is everything alright?” Quietly, Rose asked him as she sounded worried from within the dorm. As he turned to her with an unsure look, she unintentionally distracted him with her pretty eyes and floral perfume.

  “I don't know.” He shook his head and stepped back into the dorm without entirely closing it. “I think something is bothering her.”

  “Oh…” Rose started to look concerned, before speaking again. “Do you want to go check on her? We can always reschedule.” I probably should… But can I?

  I cant… “I’m not sure, she’d like that. She didn’t seem like she wanted to talk about it.” Baron responded. A weight was placed on his conscience. He wasn’t entirely sure if he was conceiving Rose, or himself. Yeah, she could be hard-headed at times, but she waited in the dorm for me. Maybe she even planned on opening up before I chose Rose over her needs.

  Lost in thought, he bit down on his inner lip to pinch it softly between his canines. What should I do? Baron couldn’t help but get stuck questioning his own judgment. A part of him felt he was being selfish. Yeah, he really did want to go out with Rose and looked forward to it all day, but he still questioned himself. How good of a person could I be when I chose to go on a date, instead of supporting one of my closest friends?

  “Well. If you’re sure.” Rose didn’t sound fully convinced, but she didn’t press him on it further. “Should we get going then?” she asked. She helped Baron escape the pitfalls of his mind. He looked up from the floor, where he noticed her pretty face that adorned a light layer of make-up. At least he assumed. Personally, Baron struggled to identify these sorts of things.

  “Yeah, you’re right, let’s go before we miss the train.” Before he left, he grabbed a seat of keys. They stepped out of the dorm, and Baron locked the door behind himself with Rose beside him, who stood there in her white skirt matched with a dark blue, wool sweater.

  Hopefully, she’ll be alright. With a quick turn of the key, they turned down the hall together. Goofily, Baron smiled with her and their arms brushed together on their way to the elevator.

  r.