welcome to earth

My eyes flash open. I look around me, panicked, observing my surroundings. My eyes are overwhelmed with the color green all around me while above is a staggering cerulean. My senses flowing with the bursting smell of flowers and a disorienting buzzing sound.

This is the earth. The air feels alive here, bursting with smells and sounds I barely recognize. Trees tower around me, their leaves swaying gently, while the buzzing of insects hums in the background—locusts, Sola informs me. I'd never seen or heard anything like this before. It's maddening.

I'm here. Actually here. On the planet! Does that mean that Kieran's Arcanic worked? If it worked, shouldn't he be here, too? But there's no way I'm still on the moon. 

"Hey!" I shout. "Kieran! Where are you!?"

"Kieran isn't here."

Ah, my Guide. He'd - she'd - they'd -

"If we're assigning labels—and I suppose you enjoy doing that—consider me more woman than man. Sola, if you please."

Sola it is. If you consider yourself a woman, then what do you look like?

"Is that really the most important thing to be asking right now?"

I suppose not. So, where am I? And is this really the best way to communicate? It's...kind of creepy.

"Once Kieran becomes your Vessel, we can chat about options. Until then..."

Got it. Information from Sola flows freely into my mind. For now, I have to live with that.

Kieran's not here. We must have gotten separated when the Arcanic went off. It was a teleportation device. Did the moon quake throw us off from each other?

That's the most likely scenario.

I stand up. Somewhere in the commotion, I lost my robe.

Just me, a pair of shorts, shoes, and a whole world I know nothing about. Great.

"I'm here too!"

Great.

I walk through the green - grass, I believe it's called. We don't have any of this on the moon, but I do recognize the trees.

If Kieran and I were separated, I wonder how far away from each other we've ended up.

I hear Sola in the back of my mind. Wherever Kieran is can't be too far. From there, it's just a matter of finding an earth shrine and completing the rites.

Magic is governed by the guardians of the planet below - although I guess it's not 'below' anymore now that I'm here. Each guardian lives in an earth shrine, and when visited by someone with a Guide like myself, they wake up. Since the guardians know the old language, they're able to make contracts between Magicians and their Vessels. 

Magic was once plentiful. That's not true anymore, at least not on the moon. I suppose the state of humanity on this planet is a big question mark for me.

I've never seen a human before... I wonder what they're like?

"They look quite like you. A bit taller, perhaps. Humans do age quite a bit faster than Nephilim, though. They're considered adults by 18, and only rarely live past 100."

Such short lives. But aging faster means that compared to a human sixteen-year-old, I'll be at a disadvantage. Physically speaking.

It doesn't help that I have no weapons or gear with me. I have heard horror stories of humans killing each other. Some even do it for pleasure. I'll have to be careful not to run into any while we're here.

I just have to find Kieran, find a shrine, and then get back home. I'm worried about everyone. Didn't the barrier come down?

"We will need to get you some supplies. Starting from zero the way you are now, things will be quite difficult for you."

Yeah, yeah. Sola, I figured out that much.

I walk forward a bit more, and the buzzing of the insects in the trees begins to quiet. I am suddenly alerted when I hear a crunching sound, followed by what I can only describe as deafening silence.

My head jerks to the right. From behind a tree, a figure emerges. But it is not human. It lurches forward on spindly legs, each step unnervingly deliberate. Its tiny head tilts, yellow eyes gleaming like two embers in the shadows. The face reminds me of an owl, but its emaciated body—shaggy and gaunt—is closer to a starving dog or a fox.

"This is an Encephalim," Sola informs me. "A small one. The humans call Encephalim like these 'fiends', I believe."

Great. I know what it is. But it looks hungry, and like it wants to take a bite out of me. It's small, much smaller than me - but what can I do, unarmed and defenseless?

"You do not have a Vessel, so your body cannot contain much of my magic. We have enough for a basic spell, though! We may only get one chance to use a spell today. Should we risk it?"

This is happening within twenty minutes of arriving on the planet. There's no guarantee more won't be coming, soon. Potentially stronger ones. If I use my one spell now, it could cost me later.

But do I have the luxury of choice? I could fight. I work out nearly every day. Compared to the average Nephilim, I'm strong - and quick on my feet. I just wish I'd taken more time to learn hand-to-hand combat. I'm much better with a sword. A creature like this wouldn't stand a chance against me if I had a blade.

I clasp my fists. There's no telling how fast this creature is. Running might put me at greater risk. I think I have to kill it. My fists are shaking, clenched tightly. Hopefully, this creature doesn't have any armor. I'm giving it all I got on my first swing.

I brace myself, fists trembling, every muscle coiled to strike. But just as I step forward, the creature jerks back, its beady eyes widening. With a low, guttural screech, it spins on its spindly legs and disappears into the brush. My fist freezes mid-air as I exhale, relief washing over me in waves. I let myself relax and unclench my fists.

"Excellent work, August. We are victorious."

I exhale, stress leaving my body so quickly I can almost fall to my knees in relief.

Let's pray everything else on this planet is as skittish as that fiend. I wouldn't consider myself victorious, but I'm alive.

I feel a knot form in my stomach, thinking about my best friend. Kieran is alone here. He doesn't have a weapon either. What if one of those comes across him? Will he be able to scare it off?

"Kieran is alive. I can sense these things. He is the one destined to become our Vessel, after all. Don't you remember your vision?"

That vision from last night... I can't say I forgot it. But...from what I can tell already, the future isn't going to be *quite* how I imagined it.

"By the way, there's a human nearby," Sola remarks casually. "And I think we might be getting ambushed."

My heart skips. Before I can react, a sharp pain shoots through my head, and the world dissolves into darkness