The local transporter bus rumbled down the dusty brown road, its sleek, futuristic body gleaming beneath shafts of late sun filtered through towering, leafless trees. Inside, it was a rolling cross-section of Skylands society, royal tech meets earthy grit.
Braxill couldn't help staring, wide-eyed and beaming. He pressed his face to the cool glass, taking in every scuffed seat and blinking light.
He'd never imagined riding this bus: the only one allowed to travel across the entire island. Each passenger's seat, he'd heard, was purchased with a royal passport, the kind Knight Naggi paid for all their passes.
Braxill "Aren't you scared of Parasites or Els bacteria's attacking the bus?"
Peekol, his loyal friend, leaned in and said just loud enough for everyone nearby to hear, "This is no ordinary bus, Braxill. It's only for the royals and their special guests so it rides through safe zones. It's uncommon, since all the years iv'e taken this buss to deliver important messages ive never had an issue with paarsites."
Braxill grinned, heart pounding with excitement. Every bench was packed: monkeys chattered in the back, lizard folk basked in the sun by the window, a trio of polished cyborgs quietly whirred, and a clutch of furry, round-bellied creatures with tiny ears huddled and giggled near the middle. One of them caught his eye and winked. Braxill tilted his head, completely mystified.
He nudged Gravixor. "Are those bears?" he whispered.
Peekol slid closer, brimming with facts. "No, a koala is not a bear. It's a marsupial. More closely related to kangaroos and wombats than to bears. The name 'koala bear' is a misnomer."
Braxill frowned, thinking hard. "Then why call it a bear why not Koalaroos or Koalabats?"
Peekol "Those are more suitable names."
From across the aisle beside Garvixor, Levy scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I bet your stupid Joy god named it that. Just to confuse everyone."
Gravixor shot him a tired look. "You know, it wouldn't hurt to be a little more nice?"
Levy's voice sharpened, cold. "Being nice to your kind, or any Zoners, is disgusting."
Gravixor raised a brow. "Levy, aren't you a Zoner too?"
Levy set his jaw, voice taking on a defensive edge.
"My father says it's the artists' fault why we aren't living with the royals beyond the King's Gate."
Gravixor raised an eyebrow. "How so?
Levy straightened, clearly repeating words he'd heard a hundred times at home. "Long ago on the surface, Artimancers were a worldwide phenomenon. In the ancient world, they were called tradesmen, and every man wanted a trade. But then the Golden Age came, and women started creating art. Nobody cared at first, nobody took them seriously. But they started getting massive support, and eventually this 'poison' spread to men, too. Men started creating art.
He continued "Beta behavior if you ask me. As the years went by, the tradesmen community began to dwindle. A tradesman could work blood, sweat, and tears and only make a hundred thousand in revenue, while some weakling girl would just sing a song and make a hundred times that. It was a disrespect to trades. Soon, everyone wanted to be an artist. When the Age of Evolution came, because of that witch Fotma, art became something beyond just pen and paper. The world became obsessed with that power. The tradesmen community was practically gone, and that's how we got the stigma of being useless. But, of course, with the evolution of art came the evolution of tradesmen, which is now the power of the Artimancer. Once we prove our worth, King Mr. Green will accept us. FATHER TOLD ME ALL THIS AND FATHER'S NEVER WRONG."
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Gravixor sighed, ruffling hair. "If you say so, kid, but do know your moms a woman?"
Levy "I hate her, the only reason I put up with her is because the supreme council says her and my father have shared custody, so she takes care of me half the year but I always run away because i'd rather stay with father, he's friends with the King."
Gravixor sighs.
Braxill leaned over to Peekol, wide-eyed. "So... he's a Zoner too?"
Peekol nodded. "Yes, but even the Zoners discriminate against each other. There are two main branches under the Zoner leaders: The Knights and the Artimancers. The Knights are for the Zoner people, but the Artimancers, like Levy, usually cater to the royals."
Braxill: "Peekol, what's the difference between artists and artimancers?"
Peekol: "Artists like you are born with that creative spark, it lets you use your Abi to turn imagination into real, physical things. Artimancers, though, are more like skilled crafters. Think about how Grutix forges her battle axes: she gathers raw earthen Abi and compresses it into the weapon. Artimancers do something similar, but their power comes from both their own energy and the earth. It's about storing that combined Abi into whatever tool or device they choose."
Braxill blinked. "How do you know all this?"
Peekol smirked. "Grutix is well versed, not just in weapon crafting but world history. You should talk to her sometime."
The bus jolted forward again, rolling deeper into the russet-brown forest. Braxill, undaunted by tension, wandered over to the koala humanoids, grinning shyly.
"Are you guys bears?" he asked.
The group burst into laughter. One poked his round belly and grinned. "Nope! Not bears. We just look like we'd rather nap than fight."
The girl koala winked at him. "You're cute! Where are you from, handsome?"
"Berryville," Braxill replied.
"That sounds tasty," another giggled. "So where are you headed?"
Braxill smiled wide. "The Zoner Knights district."
Eyes widened all around. "The Zoner Knights? I've never seen one in person, have you?"
He nodded, puffing his chest. "I've met two."
"Wow," one whispered, "you must be really important. The Knights are our guardians. Without them, we'd all be stewed hahah get it food for human."
All the koal's chuckle.
Braxill with a confused look.
The first girl grinned. "So... do you have a girlfriend?"
Gravixor, overhearing, bristled and pouted, her ears twitching.
Braxill blushed fiercely. "I... I kinda do have a girlfriend."
The koala girl giggled. "She's a lucky girl."
Gravixor's blush deepened.
Meanwhile, Levy surveyed the interior with disdain. "Look at this bus! It's filthy and it's too slow. Tell your god Joy to speed it up, or maybe this is the best he can do for a bunch of... well, you."
Braxill leaned in to Gravixor, muttering, "He's annoying."
Gravixor smiled gently, patting his head. "I know, but he's misunderstood. I think."
Outside, the transporter bus rolled on, a tiny kingdom of drama, hope, and everything in between, carrying the next chapter of Skylands straight into the unknown.
One of the koala girls peered out the window, her eyes going wide. "Look at the pink flowers!" she shouted, her voice bright with wonder. Instantly, everyone scrambled for a better view, faces pressed against the glass, mesmerized by the glowing, delicate petals drifting across the roadside.
But Braxill's expression twisted with unease. He narrowed his eyes. "Those aren't pink flowers," he muttered. Before anyone could react, the blossoms outside writhed, petals shifting and splitting into countless squirming shapes. In an instant, the "flowers" transformed into grotesque parasites, lunging at the bus in a frenzy. Their fleshy bodies slammed against the windows with sickening force, their shrieks and screeches shattering the peaceful awe.
The bus rocked violently, metal groaning as it tipped and crashed onto its side.
Horrific screams filled the air, punctuated by the sound of flesh tearing and glass breaking. Braxill's vision spun, the world blurring to streaks of blood and shadows.
The only sound that cut through the chaos was Gravixor's frantic voice, echoing in his ears:
"BRAXILL!"
Dizzy and drifting toward unconsciousness, Braxill groaned, "Stop screaming... I'm not stupid..." as his eyes fluttered shut and darkness claimed him.