Rodent sat on the cliff and gazed at the world. His eyes closed whenever a breeze appeared. Its coolness tickled his skin. He breathed, the freshness renewing his stale lungs.

  And when his eyes reopened, they looked beyond the valley. The distant, rolling hills were a richer shade of green than he had ever seen. Looking at the sky, the sun was like the one back at home.

  Currently, it felt like late afternoon, but Rodent wasn't sure how time worked here.

  "Everything looks about the same."

  Just then, large, dark clouds swirled in the sky. Everything started to darken, as though a storm was approaching. The air vibrated with tension, and the sizzles of electricity could be heard.

  "Okay," Rodent said, still looking upward. "That's new."

  Rodent stashed the notebook, rose, and noticed the clouds covered this area only. The previous winds were now stronger and colder, swirling in the hidden area.

  Light rain descended. Rodent held out a hand—but none of the droplets touched his skin. His face scrunched. Suddenly… he was being watched. Rodent turned to the pond and looked up at the small mountain behind it.

  High on its cliff, a cloaked figure stood.

  How long had it been there, watching? Its attire whipped with the winds—but revealed nothing. There was only darkness underneath its hood. A darkness that stared at Rodent.

  And Rodent could only smile, his eyes closing for a moment, as he waved his hand.

  "Hey!" Rodent shouted over the increasing storm, still waving his hand stupidly. "This from all you? That's pretty cool!"

  The figure leaned its head at the laughing, smiling man, who showed no fear or hate at this demonstration of power. The figure then raised a hand, which filled with a ball of purple lightning.

  The ball rose to the sky as the figure's hand remained raised, and, seconds later, their hand came down—as did powerful bolts of lightning that struck around the man, drilling into the ground as dirt exploded from it, the sound terrific, precise, and loud.

  And in those spots, only a smoking crater remained.

  Rodent gazed at them each with an even greater smile… which he then looked at the figure with. "How can you do that? Is it magic? Some control over the weather? You gotta tell me."

  The figure stopped leaning its head. It remained paused. Seconds later, held out its hand, raising its index finger. A small, violet bolt manifested from it and was bounced from the finger into the sky.

  And then a much larger bolt struck downard, right in front of Rodent, too close for comfort. Rodent twitched—but nothing more. Then he stared at the figure with less of a smile.

  "Why are you trying to scare me?" he asked.

  The figure returned its hand. They stood there for a moment longer… before drawing back their hood. The darkness disappeared to reveal a young, pale face with long, lilac hair and tired eyes of the same colour.

  The woman stared down at him.

  And Rodent could only look up at her.

  "My god," Rodent said, amazed, blinking.

  The woman started to smile, a tiny one, seeing this.

  "You're beautiful."

  The woman blinked. Her smile was gone. Confusion and disbelief stole her expression. Soon, rage and hate transitioned. Where she stood, a storm descended—a flurry of bolts that raged explosion after explosion.

  Bits of earth rained over the area.

  The dark clouds thinned after every bolt.

  And once the show was over.

  Rodent couldn't help but clap.

  "Amazing! Amazing!" Rodent scrambled to retrieve his notebook and scribbled inside of it. Then he looked up at the woman, the sight and scene, and quickly sketched it. "The kids at home will never believe this. They're going to be amazed!"

  The woman couldn't handle her own scorn. She stepped off the mountain and fell—snapping her fingers so the water from the pond rose and caught her. Standing upon it, she snapped her fingers again, making liquid steps that she walked down to the ground before Rodent.

  And, of course, Rodent drew this too, until the woman approached, grabbed his throat, and raised him from the ground. Rodent, wincing and groaning, couldn't help but look down at the lady.

  "I-Is t-this… s-s-strength?" Rodent choked. "O-Or… m-magic?"

  The woman glared… face scrunched in rage… before forfeiting and tossing the man aside.

  Rodent hit the ground, curled into himself, gasping for breath. He felt his throat and how easily the woman could have crushed it. His head shook as he recovered, looking at the woman facing forward and only turning her head to look at him.

  Rodent made a pained, confused face. "D-Did I… do something to upset you?"

  The woman raged.

  "FEAR ME!" she said. "BE SCARED, TERRIFIED!"

  "Oh." Rodent blinked. "D-Did you… want me to do that now?"

  The lady sighed and walked away.

  And Rodent felt bad as he picked himself off the ground.

  "H-Hey! Don't feel bad," he said, keeping a respectable distance. "I'm sure anyone else would have been terrified."

  "Quiet," the woman said, a hand covering her face. "I will not be reassured by my victim."

  "V-Victim?" Rodent gasped, looking afraid, touching his chest. "Y-You mean you're going to—"

  "I KNOW YOU'RE PRETENDING!" The woman removed her hand and turned to glare at him. "Don't pity me."

  Rodent made a face and glanced away. "Damn."

  He then saw something on the ground, the cane from the old man, wanting to check on it… but holding off. He focused on the lady who had gone quiet again. He was confused.

  "Hey…" he started. "The stuff you did before. Can anyone do that? Or just you?"

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  The woman glared. "Why would I ever tell you?"

  "Fair point," Rodent said. "I just wanted to learn some cool tricks."

  "What's wrong with you?"

  "Lots."

  "Why aren't you afraid that I'm going to kill you?" The woman turned to him. "Or why I'm going to kill you?"

  "Death happens." Rodent shrugged. "I accepted that long ago." His head tilted. "Be nice to know why you want me dead—as long as it's not a hassle."

  The woman curled a fist, and great winds blew outward from it. "I-Is this… some sort of trick?"

  "Trick?"

  "Through these ponds… an important person is supposed to arise… and I am supposed to kill them." Her fierce, violet gaze burned through him. "A hero is to be made here. Yet, I see none."

  "Is that what this is about?" Rodent chuckled, smiling, holding up his notebook. "I'm no hero. Here. This is all I wanted to do in this world." He approached and came next to her. They nearly brushed shoulders as the woman stepped away. "See? Nothing about being a hero."

  The woman looked at the notebook, face scrunched as she came closer, turning to him. "I… what is this?"

  Rodent mirrored her. "What do you mean? It's a list."

  "It's just.. lines and shapes." The lady's head shook. "There's nothing written."

  "Can't you read?"

  The woman made a fist, and purple lightning burst within it. "Care to ask again?"

  "Nope." Rodent thought deeply for a second. Then, he flipped to an empty page—handing her the pencil. "Here. Write something. Anything."

  The lady glared. "Is this a trick?"

  "No." Rodent looked annoyed. "Listen—I can't beat you." He slightly raised his shoulders. "What do you have to lose?"

  The woman relented and did as asked.

  Rodent took the book back and deflated at what he read.

  He glanced at her. "Really?"

  For the first time, the woman seemed remorseful, turning her head away. "S-Sorry."

  Rodent blinked. "Wait. I can read what you wrote." He exhaled through his mouth. "But you can't for me." He turned to her. "Right now. What language are we speaking?"

  "Are you stupid?"

  "Just answer the question."

  "Kralven."

  "Kralven? But…” Rodent exhaled. "I'm speaking English. I'm hearing English from you." His hand raised to his mouth, his knuckles touching his lips. "B-But… when I speak… my lips are moving differently from how they're supposed to."

  "That… was your gift?" she asked. "Speaking our tongue? Nothing more?"

  "Who knows?" Rodent closed his eyes and held out his free hand, trying to do… something. Seconds later, nothing happened, and he felt like an idiot. "Nope. That's it."

  He chuckled.

  And the woman could not understand him.

  "How… can you laugh?" she asked. "In a different world. Away from your own. Powerless. Sure to die. By me. The land. Its creatures. Anything."

  Rodent nodded

  "So… where is your fear? Your despair?"

  Rodent thought about it, shrugging. "Never really saw the point in either, really."

  The woman glared. "You're a fool."

  "Mmm-hmm."

  The lady was shocked and confused… but soon remembered her purpose.

  "In either case," she began. "I am here to kill those who come through the pond."

  Rodent's gaze drifted to the side. "That sucks."

  "That… sucks?" The lady blinked, tilting her head. "It… sucks… that you have to die?"

  "Not really." Rodent lowered onto his knees, putting away his notebook and gazing into the unexplored world. "Sucks for you."

  The lady could not understand him. "S-Sucks… for me? But… you're the one who's dying!"

  "Exactly! I'm dead." Rodent smiled, hands behind his back, but his fingers twirled his wedding ring. "Nothing more I can do. But you? You're the one that has to go on killing."

  "And why is that so terrible?"

  "I don't imagine a life being cruel is an enjoyable one."

  She glared at the back of his head.

  But Rodent kept staring forward.

  "You could have killed me from the start," Rodent continued. "Snapped your fingers—that would have been it." He appreciated the view. "But you wanted to build yourself up. Demonstrate your power. You were looking for a reaction from me—fear."

  The lady was more and more disgusted with him.

  But she didn't stop him from speaking.

  "Maybe you enjoy the horror on someone's face," Rodent said. "Or perhaps my fear makes you feel more powerful. Who knows." His eyes closed as he breathed deeply. "I… just couldn't imagine that being a fulfilling life."

  "And you know all about that, do you?"

  "No." Rodent's head shook. "I just know the stuff that hasn't worked for me yet." He turned his head to look over his shoulder, looking at her for the first time. "But I say all that for another reason."

  She gazed.

  "I don't think your heart is in it."

  "My heart… isn't in it? Do you know who you're speaking to?" The lady made a deranged face, swiping her hand with a discharge of bolts, which composed a sword that she then held. "I AM SILA! SHE WHO WILL SLAY ALL!"

  Rodent smiled, his head shaking a little, eyes locked onto her crazed ones. "I don't think so."

  "YOU DOUBT ME? YOU'RE CHEERFUL BECAUSE OF THAT?"

  "No. You'll do it." Rodent faced forward again. "But you would have killed me sooner if your heart was in it." He prepared for death, humming. "That's why I think this sucks for you."

  Sila stood behind him, rageful. Her anger empowered her sword… one strike to remove any atom of this man's existence. Her spite demanded it. She was one of the strongest in the world… and right now, she felt… inferior… to this nobody.

  "A-Any," Sila breathed, preparing to swing. "Last words?"

  Rodent chuckled, finding it funny his childhood fantasy had come true… only for him to be put to death. It was funny enough for him to not mind it at all. He had a good laugh at it, one lasting several seconds until he hung his head. "Nope. Do it."

  Sila glared at him, watching how the kneeling man smiled at the breeze and how deeply something like the wind could affect him. Her gaze raised from him to the direction the wind came from.

  Her hair lifted with it.

  And her eyes closed like his.

  But just for a moment.

  Sila wanted to know who this man was.

  The world he came from.

  "Your world," she started. "You know a great deal about it? The people in it?"

  Rodent shook from his tranquillity, blinking. "Uh. As much as anyone else, I guess."

  The lady processed.

  "This world," she began. "You won't survive it."

  "Probably."

  "Even if you did—I'd just end up killing you?"

  "Yeah."

  "And you would…still do it anyway?"

  Rodent shrugged, nodding.

  Sila sealed her eyes, the anger fading from her, the electricity sizzling from existence. She breathed—unsure of herself. Her eyes were tired. But when she looked out at the world like the man did…

  …she could almost see it with the freshness that he had.

  "You're not the hero I was sent to kill," Sila said. "More like you might appear. Ones I know nothing of." She broke away from him, stepping aside. "Your knowledge might be worth keeping."

  Rodent glared from his knees. "I won't help you kill."

  "You'd be no good anyway." The lady smiled. "But should the need arise, you can answer my questions." She looked to the sky. "No matter where you are, I shall find you—even if it's your corpse."

  Rodent struggled. "You're… letting me go?"

  "Nothing to be lost in doing so," Sila said, "but everything to be gained." She shook her head. "This isn't a favour. You will die. Only when has changed."

  Rodent smiled, rising to his feet and walking toward the woman, who took a stance toward his approach. Before she could think of his possible attack, the man wrapped his arms around her, drawing the lady into a gentle hug. "Thank you."

  Sila choked, unsure of a counterattack, frozen for the first time. Seconds passed in the embrace… until she pushed him away. "E-Enough! N-Never do that again!"

  Rodent, stumbling backward but catching himself, chuckled and nodded. "You got it."

  "Hmmph!" Sila turned and, with a powerful expulsion, launched herself back atop the mountain behind the pond. She stood on the cliff, glaring down at him. "Don't forget. You're just a rodent in this world. One soon to be hunted and exterminated."

  She turned and left.

  But Rodent watched on.

  Smiling.

  Never having given her his name.

  ~ Triple Triple