“Ooofff… damn that shit hurts!” Tye shouts landing hard against the stone outcropping of the canyon peak. Mist blanketing it completely. It’s hard to see much in further than a few feet. Thick as pea soup the fog. 

The crash and tumble and Grumbles of other familiar voices brings some comfort to one young Tye Lancaster’s heart. Thumping. Thumping.  Gravel. Ground. Nothing…

“Holy shit dude it’s a fucking Cliff!” Tye squeals.

He takes in a deep breath of ice cold air into his lungs. Eyes wide but unable to see much beyond the muting sound of fog white mist. Even so there is more sound now than has been in a long time. Things are aching and breaking. Creaking and groaning.  Out of sight. Collapsing. Ice breaking. Debating to spewing?

The foot that has made him aware after pushing the loose rock clangs down nonchalantly for extended amounts of time. Each new note sending a shiver down young Lancaster’s spine. Gulp.

“I hate heights.”

“Tye. You’re on solid ground. Stay still. Listen to my voice.” A familiar voice calls out. Locke, no doubt. Come to save the day. Finally

“Hey, Doesn’t this remind you of Chiricahua Mountains man?” Tye calls out with exasperation. Gulping.

“Don’t remind me about those damn mountains…” Locke demands.

“Hey, it wasn’t my idea to wear meat necklaces and run around the middle of the night to find that mountain lion. My dad is the devil.” Tye replies.

“I said don’t remind me…” Locke groans.

“Hey, how was JoJo and Corin going to shoot the lion again through all that fog the next day? After we tired it out?” Tye asks.s

“He wasn’t.” Locke dead pans.

“Yeah, I know.  Fuckin’ hate my dad sometimes.” Tye cries. 

“So what do we do?” Locke asks.

“I don’t know.. Move slow and keep talking.” Tye declares as he hugs the ridge and shuffles towards what he thinks is Locke’s voice. 

“You’ll have to do the moving cuz I’ve got the big guy next to me. Don’t wanna lose him.” Locke replies.

“Oh great. Why didn’t I get so frickin’’ lucky?” Tye complains as he crawls along a Boulder face that just might be dangling over open space or buried comfortably into the ground. With such fog you couldn’t be certain. 

“I think if you make it to us you’ll be good. I think this is a road We’re sitting on.” Locke calls out.

“You think?” Tye calls back.

“Well, it’s cobblestoned, not very modern but definitely purposefully put together. I think we might be on a court yard or something even.  I don’t want to move around too much. Don’t want to lose anyone.” Loche calls out. 

The sound is definitely coming from over head. Tye pulls himself upwards, crawling to a more level and flat top of this canyons peak. Breaking the crest he can see the cobblestone floor. Never had anything so mundane been so fruitful a sight for one young progeny of the Lancaster line.

“Oh my god… I think I almost missed it.” Tye declares as he throws himself onto said cobblestone surface.

“Almost bit it. For sure.” Locke agrees materializing out of the fog pushing his glasses back into position on his face having just wiped them for the third time from fog. Brent’s hand lay on his shoulder and he comes into view alongside Locke. Disheveled but not completely bothered. 

“I can’t believe this is happening?!” Tye screams as he flails on his back rocking this way and that. “I have school tomorrow! I’m going to take over my family business!”

The other two look at him strange.

“Well it’s the goal. The girls can’t always be the best with the moneys. Sometimes one of the guys are brilliant too. Like my late great uncle Pounds Penny Lancaster. Great investor. Grew the fortune by like two-thousand percent. That’s a lot.”

“Yeah well, Tye Lancaster. Have you seen anyone or anything else?” Locke interjects.  

“What you mean like that demon or fury chick?” Tye replies.

“Or…”

Corin. He thinks his heart sinks. Shit did we forget them back there. I should say them right? He’s a guy but he’s a girl right now so he’s a she. It’s proper to call it like you see it or is it proper to ask for pronouns? I think the later. I’ll ask them when I see them. If I see them. 

“Fuck we didn’t leave them behind did we?” Tye declares aloud.

“I thought she jumped with us.” Locke replies.

“…” Brent motions something about his arms are big and he could see past them when he jumped flailing as he did. Fair enough.

“She?” Tye inquires.

“Well you saw, that’s a girl, our Corin had finally grown up.” Locke replies “Matured physically definitely not mentally.”

“You don’t know if that’s what they wanna be called. Like I’m not trying to be one of those SJW’s on ya man but I’ve got confidence my friend knows who they are regardless. Besides didn’t it sound like it could happen to us.” Tye finishes unable to help but look himself over as well as he can. Patting all his familiar parts. He doesn’t have to look around to hear the other guys doing the same thing

“Not yet at least.” Locke declares.

“I love my dick. God please. I don’t need enlightenment I’ve got my burden and I know how to wield it.” Tye declares. 

“Really poetic man. I’m very proud of your growth.” Locke confides.

“Seriously though.. you don’t think Corin froze do you?” Tye asks. “We gotta not only figure out how to get back we are gonna have to get back there and get Corin from that thing.”

“Is that even possible?” Locke asks looking around aimlessly through the fog. “I mean I can barely see either of you much less myself. How are we going to find Corin and that summoner lady… Nora was it? We need her too.”

“I don’t care what it takes we’re gonna bring them back. Remember the pact.” Tye demands

Tye and Locke’s meet eyes and grasp each other’s hands shaking them intensely. Drawing upon an ancient vow they all had made prior to going off on the mad adventures of Money Lancaster’s global escapades.

“No man left behind.” Tye States.

“No man left behind.” Locke confirms. Shaking his head.

“Dead or alive.” Tye finishes.

The giant that is Brent materializes from just behind Locke and throws his hand on top of the twos to complete the trio’s oath. The shake and nod in synchronization. Closing their eyes and opening them again just as a feminine hand lands on top of their’’s. One belonging none other than female Corin.

“I thought you all just voted me off the island?” Corin asks with a smirk rocking back and forth heel to toe. Her other hand holding onto a furry one. That of Nora Nebula who seems to be covering her mouth in a snicker.

“Dead or alive.” Tye replies flatly.

“Alive.” Corin declares eyebrow twitching.

“Just enough for Gwen to bury is honorable.” Locke interjects.

“Oh my god are you guys mad at me or something?” Corin complains.

“We don’t trust you.” Tye declares pulling back his hand from the center. Dispersing the group. They all turn their backs to each other to attend to their dressings. Inspecting what they can through this thick fog.

“I didn’t do this Tye.” Corin complains.

“We’ll actually, you kinda did.” Nora Nebula inserts herself. “At least, you’re the one I was promised and that thing it seemed to belong to you some how. Are you a goddess?”

“What?! No, I mean. I was a dude for like twenty something years till right now. I don’t even know if I’m really me anymore.” Corin complains.

“So you’ve been possessed partially by a deity to act as an avatar?” Nora asks.

“No. I don’t know. I’m me. You said you could say what was going on after Brent told you his name. Can’t you tell us?” Corin asks reaching her thoughts for anything to use in her defense.

“Oh yes, phasing sickness. It happens when a being from a lower realm goes to a higher realm. They fill out. More information. Default is to just add the opposite sex. In flux. So they say.” Nora says becoming less sure of herself the longer she continues. “Well, so Palius and the books say. There hasn’t actually been a summoner of the Olcan tribe for a long time. Not since the demon arrived.”

“So I’m just gonna be changing my gender forever now?” Corin asks as she smacks her hands to her face and collapses. Tye can’t help but feel the same as a grown crawls out of his throat.

“No, it’s temporary. You’ll solidify into what you’re prime is. Your alpha identity. The apex of what your soul identifies as. At the highest level of existence.” Nora replies “at least, that’s the theory…”

“Souls have gender preferences?” Tye says aloud incredulously. “Like the immaterial eternal thing ima be when I go to heaven and bang all those angels?”

“You’re going to heaven?” Corin asks.

“Of course I’m going to heaven. You’re the one cohorting with demons and shit. You don’t know nothin’ bout me.” Tye declares, thumbing his chest. 

“You’re mind has a preference. It is mailable to change but since something must be in order to be at all times a choice must be made. Either either or neither neither. Doesn’t matter your soul picks and chooses. Manifests it till it decides otherwise.” Nora replies “but really, this is very theoretical Aether studies. Nothing is very concrete when it comes to those things. Aether bends the rules as it’s nature. So to have rules for it just seems… illogical to hold onto too tightly. That’s at least what Gran Gran says…” 

“Well you sound so confident. Can’t wait for my dick to fall off again on again. Thanks Corin.” Tye finishes.

“You’re welcome.” Corin spits back.

They stick their tongues out at each other and then turn their heads away. Arms folded and throwing a tantrum.

“It’s not important right now.” Nora inserts herself. Stepping between the group. “We must get back to my estate before it’s too late.” 

“Too late?” Tye replies.

“Like curfew?” Corin asks.

“It isn’t very dark right now is it?” Locke says as he collects himself rising to his feet.

Brent simply grumbles as his crouch extends to a full stance. Towering over the rest of them carelessly. Giant.

“The demon’s curse. It drains Aether. You haven’t noticed the little spirits consuming them all around you?” Nora replies pointing all around her. Now that she points it out there are countless number of spirits running about playing games with each other and bumbling into things. Bones and treasure and structures. Into and through. One another. 

“Holy shit! Forest spirits! Oh my god that Japanese shit was true!” Tye shrieks jumping into the arms of Brent. 

The others back into each other to face the ever growing collection of sprites entering into procession. There have got to be thousands of them. Tens of thousands. Hundreds… the thought scared Tye. Scared Nora.

“These things eat… what life force?” Tye asks.

“Drain it yes. We must get moving. I don’t think we can last long with so many outside my estate’s barrier.” Nora agrees as she presses forward. Into the fog looking back with her hand outstretched. “Hold hands, follow me, stay close. Hopefully we make it back before they drain us.”

“Hopefully?” Corin asks with a gulp.

“Is it a long trek?” Locke interjects.

“They can eat my farts these fuckers think they can take me?!” Tye screams as he kicks at and through the sprites. Which then imitate his actions in some sort of play fight.” I hate these things.”

“Hurry, don’t waste any time or energy. It is a long trek but I know the way back. We’ll move quickly and with luck we’ll survive.” Nora replies. Finishing the statement she pulls the group forward at a rapid pace. Using her third eye and memory to help her find her estate’s gate…

Obstacle Seventeen. Eyes, Lies, Liars…