1. A Small Trick (Patreon)

A breeze pulled at the brim of my hat. It tugged at the tip of my rifle where it peeked over my shoulder, almost playful. The heavy metal band on my hat and the leather strap on the rifle held both in place, even as the breeze grew to a gust. The sun crisped my exposed arms, vicious at midday, undeterred by the cool gust. I licked my lips and felt the moisture evaporate immediately, leaving my poor lips cracked. A smile broke across my face. Nothing like a desert afternoon.

Perched atop a stone wall, I squinted toward the sun, pushing aside my mask to see it better. Distaint mountains cut across the horizon, the border to the vast grayish-brown expanse of shrubs and dust between me and the Wilds. Between the arid climate and lack of trees or buildings to block my view, I could see for miles and miles, all the way to the mountains, deceptively clear in the dry air.

Atop the mountains, invisible from this distance, a chain-link fence topped in barbed wire marked the ridgeline. Though I couldn’t see the fence, I knew exactly where it cut. On this side of the fence, bare stone crawled up the dusty slopes. Scoured by the elements, blackened by wildfires, cut through by rivulets and basins where the water ran off during a rare storm, they were the opposite of lush and green. A few dried, wide stumps remained here and there, bleached white by the sun.

On the far side of the fence, thick, tall trees blanketed the mountain, dipping away as the mountain fell. Tall and wide, some easily topped a thousand years and several hundred feet tall. Thick green canopies soaked in the sun, and old timber remained a rich, dark shade, except where it bleached at the forest’s edge.

Unseasonable storm clouds boiled high above, storm clouds that refused to cross the fence-line.

I licked my lips and sniffed. An electric tingle cut through the musk of leather and the sweet, heady, ripe-fruit stench from the mana pools below.

“Someone’s in a mood,” I muttered to myself.

Over the mountain, deep in the forest, a massive snake coil appeared. Ridged, almost fishlike fins lined in rainbow feathers spread from its sides at regular intervals. It coiled on and on, endless, scales and feathers and scales and feathers, arcing over the trees.

“Ha, you heard me, didja, Quetz?” I cocked a finger-gun at everyone’s favorite one-that-got-away and fired an imaginary bullet.

The tip of the huge snake’s tail flicked over the trees and vanished.

Shaking my head, I turned away, pulled on my mask, and hopped into the fence. Enough messing around. Time to get down to business.

In my best narrator voice, I muttered to myself, “The lone monkey seeks out moisture in the desert, despite the danger posed by passing predators. Lions, tigers… but the monkey must drink, or else perish.”

Blue, idyllic pools, tinged luminous green in their depths, awaited me. Even under the harsh sunlight, the pools glowed faintly with their own light. About two meters in diameter and a hand-span or so deep, they marched into the distance, evenly spaced. Vapor shimmered off their surfaces. Blue and white crystals collected at their edges, heaping up in clumps. Some pools, the ones further from me and closer to the short, dingy management building in the distance, were nearly completely obscured by the crystals, surface all but closed off. Here, at the edge, most of the pools only sported a few clumps, maybe a spar reaching out into the pool’s center.

They’d been harvested recently. I’d been tracking it.

Digging a pouch out of my pocket, I stomped at the young crystals. They snapped off, and I shoveled them into the pouch. Not too many, not too few, just enough to make it worth it.

Pouch full, I slung the sniper rifle off my shoulder and bent, dipping a hand into the pool. Blue liquid pooled in my palm. Nudging the mask up, I took a long sip, dipped again, another, another. Heated by the sun, it had no right to be as refreshing as it was. I licked my lips and smiled in satisfaction, savoring the last drops. Tastes like peach.

“The monkey’s back! Someone catch her!”

“The lions arrive! Caught off guard, things do not look good for our poor, small monkey!” I yanked down my mask, dunked the sniper rifle into the pool and sprinted off. Blue drops danced in the air, slinging off the surface of the rifle as I swung it over my shoulder.

Half a second later, two guards rounded the corner, sprinting full out. With a snarl, the one in the lead burst with muscle and fur. Claws burst from his bare toes and fingers, and a mane curled from his neck.

Leaping, I caught the top of the fence and threw myself over. The rifle banged against my back. The scent of leather filled my nose. “Angered by the monkey’s playful antics, the lions strike with all their might!”

The second guard growled. He bounded over the fence, legs transformed, recurving under his loose trouser legs. “What playful antics? You damn thief! Pay for your mana, damn it! We’re under green this quarter because of you!”

“My, oh, my! The lions roar to scare off the monkey, but this monkey isn’t afraid!”

“Stop narrating!”

I laughed and sprinted away, turning back to sight down the rifle.

The lead guard flinched back, hands raised.

Low mana. Auto-lock non-functional. Spells may fail.

Scowling, I slapped the rifle’s side. “Low mana my ass! I just refilled you, stupid gun!”

The rifle shook slightly. Heat warmed my palm where the half-core sat in the grip.

Low mana.

“She’s bluffing! Get her!” The second guard shoved the lead. He stumbled, then sped up.

“Seeing through the monkey’s clever ruse, the lions speed their chase!” I dropped the rifle and spun forward. Worn jeans creaking, loose shirt fluttering, I ran. Ahead, the fence turned a corner, falling away to the left. Beyond that, the city awaited. I lowered my head and sprinted. Just a little further!

“Damn! Don’t let her reach the city!” the second guard snapped.

“It seems this pride has one useful hunter, and one who likes to delegate all his work! With only half the pride making an effort, will they be able to catch the highly intelligent monkey?”

The lead guard frowned at his friend. He continued to run, but he ran slower, distracted, burly arms barely pumping. “You know, you could run faster.”

The second guard scowled back. “Don’t fall for her provocations! She’s just talking shit.”

“Seriously, Tom. We’ve been on this team for half a year, and you’ve never taken the lead in chasing her.”

“Are you kidding me, James? Can’t this wait?”

Giggling to myself, I turned back and flipped them off as I jumped around the corner. “What an incredible move! The lions are distracted and fail to catch the brilliant monkey yet again!”

“You know what, Tom, it can wait.” Eyes narrowed, the lead guard followed me around the corner, surging to catch up. Claws scythed at my neck.

I jabbed at his wrist with my knuckles. Mana warmed my gut as I struck, core burning in my chest. Black callouses crawled over my hand, gold fur flaring at the back of my hand. Deflected, his hand fell back, failling to find flesh. He growled and bit, revealing sharp teeth. I danced back. Claws again, a low sweep at my gut. My other hand blackened and caught his. Gold fur ringed my wrist and chased up the back of my hand.

“What is this? The monkey can fight the lions? This is a first time sighting, viewers!” I narrated at a half-whisper.

“I’m going to stuff your mouth so far up your ass you’ll be narrating to your stomach,” the guard snarled.

“The lions’ quips need some work, but it’s quite impressive that a less intelligent species can grasp the concept, don’t you agree?”

The guard growled again and pushed against my grip. My arm fell a little, but I held on and smirked. "It seems this is all the more strength the lions can muster!"

He narrowed his eyes and pushed harder.

Sweat dripped down my back. Mana flowed steadily through my veins, the heat building in my chest. I grimaced secretly to myself. Fuck. Too much more of this, and the whole trip will be a waste.

The second guard circled around to the left, trying to block off my path.

I see you. Twisting my lips, I stumbled back, pretending to falter under the first guard’s blow.

Sensing his window to flank me closing, the second guard pounced.

Eyes locked on his prize, the first guard laughed and jumped after me.

Two heavy bodies flew through the air. I darted back out of their paths and let physics do the rest.

Panic flashed over the second guard’s face mid-air. “No, you idiot—”

The two collided midair and fell in a muddle of limbs. I grinned down at them, not that they could see behind the mask. But then, the mask did it for me, the leather-wrought monkey’s face caught in a perpetually exaggerated smirk.

“Yet again, the monkey escapes!” I crowed, standing over them.

One of the guards clawed the ground, reaching out after me. His compatriot kicked himself free. Anger simmered in his eyes as he crawled upright. He growled, a horrible, brutal sound that welled up from deep within him. The human faded out of his eyes.

I took the better part of valor and fled into the city.

Low-slung buildings hewn from the local stone awaited, the same grayish-brown as the rest of our world. Laundry hung from wires strung between buildings. Half-breed horses, some bearing feathers, others bearing vestigial horns, others yet shimmering in odd colorations that vanished when you looked at them full-on, pulled carts of goods down dusty roads. Overhead, message-skeletons swam through the air or skittered along the side of the street, seeking out their recipients, the small cores embedded in their foreheads glinting in the sunlight. The city’s inhabitants hurried about, most dressed in denim, loose shirts, leather jackets, and boots, or some variation on the theme. Stalls beckoned buyers of all description, luring them with trinkets, mana crystals (fresh today!), fruits, and the odd piece of old, worn cored gear, always advertised as a relic from the Great War. Underfoot, dust swirled from the unfinished road, occasionally interrupted by the stray bush or cactus.

Urging the mana again, I focused it downward. The end of my backbone tickled and sprouted with a golden-furred tail. Shivers surged up and down my spine. I resisted the urge to stop and stretch and instead leaped into the crowd, to a building, and jumped up to a window, flicking my new appendage to familiarize myself with it yet again. Reaching out on my tiptoes, butt-first, I caught a laundry-laden wire with my tail and slid out onto it, swinging gently. The crowds underneath rushed by. Occasionally, a passerby glanced up at me. I smiled back, enjoying the view and the brilliant blue sky above.

"There!" one of the guards shouted.

Jolted back into motion, I kicked myself back to build momentum, then jumped for the second floor of the opposite building, taller. This building had no windows at ground level for the guards to climb up, but plenty of windows on the second floor for me to climb. I snatched a window’s ledge, swung my weight toward the wall, kicked off it, then backwards-somersaulted up and hooked the roof ledge with my legs. Hauling myself up, I sprinted along the roof’s edge, surefooted as—well, a monkey.

Muscling through the crowds, the guards grimaced up at me. The lead one—James?—jumped after me, leaping onto a nearby building, while the second paused and pointed. “Thief! Stop her!”

Most passerby ignored the guards. A few well-meaning citizens turned toward the roof. One raised his pistol and fired a few rounds. Lead bounced off the stone around me. I jumped and ducked at the same time, curling into a ball, landed, then whirled the rifle over my shoulder and sighted back.

Low mana.

“Yeah, whatever. Cher, attach.”

Wires snaked down my hand and sunk into my wrist, right under the ruff of golden fur. Blood surged back, sinking into the gun. Cher’s core synced with mine, their heat combining. I felt her mana pool, the shape of her magic. Instinctively, I built the spell, shaping the heat between our cores as if her magic was mine. Flame swirled, obeying my will under Cher’s reluctant control. Not too much. Enough to scare, not to injure.

I pulled the trigger.

A blast of fire slammed out of Cher’s muzzle. She bucked and kicked my shoulder with all her might, throwing me back. The man shouted and threw himself to the side, not that he needed to. I watched the fire singe the wall behind him harmlessly before I fell backward off the roof’s ledge and landed ass-first on the roof.

“Damned diva.” Shaking my head at the rifle, I bucked back and jumped to my feet.

“Stop there!” One of the guards hauled himself over the edge of the roof, the second close behind.

I grinned and raced away.

With practiced familiarity, I danced from roof to roof, sprinting at full speed. Left. Right. Left, left, right. And--! A wide gap rushed up at me, too wide for me to fully leap. I sped up, pumping my arms, head down.

Behind me, the guards slowed and reached for their weapons. "She can't make it! She's bluffing!"

I came to the ledge and leaped. One of the guards gasped. I flew out into space, arms flailing, tail spinning for balance. I searched, heart beating wildly, adrenaline pumping through my veins. Come on! Come on! I know it's there!

A laundry-wire, strung horizontally three-quarters of the way across. I reached and missed. My heart jumped. No! Again, try again!

I reached out with my tail. It coiled around the wire, clenching tight. Haha! I knew I could! Home free!

Caught up in the force of my fall, I spun a full three-sixty around the wire. Swinging to a halt, or at least a slower swing, I hung there, staring between my legs at the roof behind me. My heart hammered in my chest. Shit! I couldn't see that at all! Shit!

Aloud, I laughed. "The cowardly lions are too scared to chase the monkey! Today, the monkey gets away!"

The guards came to the edge and jerked to a halt, unable to make the jump. One drew his gun and fired it. A pathetic jolt of lightning made it halfway to my position, then fizzled with a sad pop.

“Aww, poor mana-factory guards and their sad little nonlethal lightning pistol,” I mocked, slapping my rear end at them. “If only they had a real gun. An ordinary gun that fires regular lead bullets. Then they could catch me.”

“I’m filling for that upgrade,” James grumbled, eyes burning with impotent rage, lips lifting to show his impressive canines.

I raised Cher. “Better run away before I show you what a real cored gun can do. One built on something better than that shitty mass-produced ten-year core yours has.”

“As if you would,” the first guard mocked back.

I pulled the trigger. Cher kicked, and a ball of fire rushed at the guards.

“Fuck!” The guards ducked below the roof’s ledge. Below, the townsfolk dropped and covered their heads, hiding from the battle. A few more excitable types ducked behind wagons and buildings.

I released my hold on the wire and dropped into the crowd below. Landing in a squat, I stood, yanked my golden hair out from under my hat, and slipped my grip on Cher so she hung hidden behind my leg. A quick tug on the ties released the monkey mask, which vanished down the neckline of my shirt and gave me a makeshift paunch. I shook my shoulders, and my sleeves reappeared, hiding my slightly-crispy shoulders.

A little boy stared up at me, big eyes wide. Grinning, I raised my finger to my lips.

He pointed at my butt.

Oh right, the tail! Closing my eyes, I released the mana in my core. A tickle at my rear and my hands. I flexed my palms. Soft flesh. Weak human fingers. I was back.

I opened my eyes and raised my eyebrows at the boy. He glanced me over and gave me a thumbs-up.

The fire died out. Up above, the guards peeked over the rail.

“Where’d she go?”

“Dammit, again? The boss is going to ream us, James.”

“And whose fault is that? Did you even land a blow?”

“Tom, seriously. She’s trying to turn us against one another.”

“Rightfully so!”

Shaking my head, I turned down an alleyway and disappeared, a triumphant grin on my lips. "Another win for the plucky monkey."