Lexy held her fathers knife tight and focused on meeting up with Jackson while she closed her eyes. She opened her eyes and let out a strangled cough as pain rikashaid through her. Lexy coughed and watched with wide eyes when blood fell from her lips and into the sand. She looked up to see she was out in the desert and there was sand and a random door in front of her.

Lexy turned around to see Jackson and another person staring at her with wide eyes.

This person looked to be a bipedal mouse with kangaroo legs, tail, and has long mouse ears. They were female and had a white blouse with a jene blue vest on top. They had baggy pants on their legs. She also had two quivers with four crossbows.

This woman looked to Lexy and frowned,

“Are you going to be ok?”

Lexy wiped the blood from her mouth,

“as long as i don't do that again for a bit. I think so.”

Jackson raised a brow,

“Right, next question: how did you get here? We're not even at the meeting spot.”

Lexy took another glance around,

“Well, I thought about this place, closed my eyes and opened them and I was here. While on horseback I had accidentally done this only instead I thought of home. I'm still figuring this out.”

Jackson looked to his friend,

“Well sense we're already here this saves us a lot of time. Should we just head through the door Fendres?”

Fendres shrugged,

“I don't see why not. I mean we can just move it. It is a door in a desert.”

Jackson nodded,

“alright then.”

Jackson looked to Lexy,

“Alright, just head through the door.”

Lexy looked at the door and back to Jackson. Lexy was going to say something when she spotted movement on top of a sand dune on the horizon. Lexy furrowed her brows and focused on what was moving. To see lines of sand moving. Lexy tilted her head,

“What is that?”

Jackson and Fendres stopped and turned around to see what Lexy was talking about and their faces changed to absolute horror. Jackson quickly grabbed Lexy and rushed to the door with Fendres. Jackson kicked the door open and ran through. Lexy watched as Fendres ran behind them. Lexy looked in awe as they went through the door where their whole surroundings changed to a medieval stone built town with rows of trees along the streets. However just like on the other side there was a door here too.

Fendres was quickly behind Jackson and Lexy, when Fendres spinned on a dime while she swiftly unclipped two crossbows and fired them through the doorway. The arrows flew through and landed into one of the large bumps moving through the sand.

Feral growling and clicking was heard as a monster rose from the sand. It had a human structured torso and head. With white and grey scales and sharp spikes going down from the top of it’s head, all the way down it’s back to the tip of its tail. It’s eyes were a haunting orange and there were black marks around its eyes. 

It’s body reminded Lexy tales of a centaur. Only instead of horse legs the front legs were that of a bird and the back legs were that of a centaur while the arms were the front legs of a lion while the rest of its body was reptilic.

The arrow Fendres had shot was embedded in one of the creature's spines and with how it had its eyes narrowed and was growling. Lexy could tell the creature did not appreciate that. It let out an angry roar and went to go through the door only to be shocked by an invisible wall in the door.

Jackson set Lexy down and looked to Fendres with a frown,

“Why did you have to piss it off when you knew they couldn't get through?”

Fendres looked at the monster and the other that was exactly the same. Fendres shrugged,

“Because I wanted to.”

Jackson groaned,

“See, this is why we can't have nice things.”

Fendres raised a brow,

“But we do have nice things.”

Jackson stared at her for a long moment and then huffed. Small plumes of smoke came from his nostrils,

“That is not what I meant and you know it. Besides, we'll have to deal with them later when she has to go home.”

Fendres smirks,

“exactly.”

Jackson shook his head,

“Sometimes I hate you.”

Fendres only smiled,

“You know you'll be thanking me when I have to fight again. It will be all like ``oh thank you Fendress so much.”

Jackson rolled his eyes and looked to Lexy,

“Alright, follow me and ignore her.” he said, gesturing to Fendres who only smiled while her left ear flicked a bit.

Jackson began to guid Lexy to one of the taller buildings as they did. The three pass a huge stadium. Lexy looked to Jackson,

“What’s that?”

Fendres began to speak before Jackson could,

“That is the Gershon stadium, here if you have a problem with somebody or a dispute, or just want to fight you go there. Thene beyond there you'll just find housing and then endless green flat fields. Oh and craters from all of Leo’s crazy inventions.”

Jackson smirked,

“Hey, give him at least some credit. They're quite fun to smash.”

Fendress nodded,

“There is something we can agree on.”

Jackson led Lexy to the entrance of a tall building of stone brick and dark wood. The treo entered the building and Lexy looked in awe when she saw all sorts of creatures in a large cafeteria area. However one thing Lexy noticed was how despite what these people are they all have a vest, some dark green others, yellow, red, black, and blue.

Jackson continued to lead Lexy past the cafeteria and into a set of hallways past it and eventually to a door. Jackson knocked on the door.

“Come in.” came Alcore’s voice from the other side.

Jackson opened the door and Lexy walked in while Fendres and Jackson walked in after her. Lexy looked at Alcore and an unusual white dog.

Alcore approached Lexy. He towered over her, looking down, his violet eyes met with her storm blue. “How did you manage magic, you're human and how did you even return home before we hadn’t helped you?”

 Alcore eyed her skeptically, getting lost in his thoughts. 

“hmmm,” his chest vibrates. 

“I think maybe not all is as it seems.”

Lexy raised a brow,

 “I have no idea what you're smoking, but I was just thinking of home. Earlier today I thought of Charter then I thought of here and I started coughing blood.”

Alcore interrupted her, "Charter?! How in Tethys’s  name did you end up there?” He demands. “Are you really trying to tell me you just thought of here?"

“Yes, you nitwit”, Lexy pointedly attacks. “If you were listening to me, that is exactly what I said.”

 Lexy crossed her arms. Fendres and Jackson could be heard in the background chuckling. Fendres wrinkles her nose, “what’s he smoking? I’ll be inquiring about that later. Fire? What fire? I smell no fire.”

“Nitwit? What is Tethys's name ? Did you just call me a child?”

 Alcore shook his head. He had no idea what the hell a nitwit is. He decided to let it go as Lexy chose not to answer him. She just glared at him fiercely. And continued.

“As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted”, Lexy looked at Alcore pointedly. “While I was moving around and had glances into Charter. The Anawrath soldiers were collecting taxes from people as an excuse to take kids away. I gave myself up for some other family so they had time to get away. But those people looked to be suffering from malnutrition and lack of medical supplies. You will allow me to help save these people. I will do it with or with your help. Someone has to step in and stop the madness I saw from spreading.”

Alcore heard this little spitfire going off on him as if she had some real teeth to her. He knew, however, the road in front of them was treacherous. He was unsure if he should allow her to join them. Hesitantly he asked her, “are you meaning to tell me, that you would attempt to fight the soldiers yourself?”

Alcore watched the little girl in front of him swell with anger, determination, and righteous indignation as she responded to him. 

“Damn right, I will not allow those children to be taken. They do not deserve to live so poorly.” He watched in awe at the fire she spit out for being so small.

He concluded that he would rather add her to his numbers than to allow her to go off halfcocked and get herself killed.

Alcore breathed out a long sigh and he looked at the strange white dog and back to Lexy “alright let’s say I do consider what could a little thing as you do for me?”

 Lexy smirked “I may not be the best for fighting but I could bring supplies and if the need comes for fighting I am skilled at archery.”

 Alcore shrugged, and asked “you will bring food, are we talking real food or fake toys?”

Lexy puffed her chest and snarled, “You will find judging me by my size is a horrible mistake and if you give me the chance, I will bring you food that’s well worth eating.”

Alcore shaked his head

 “I’d have agreed that it is worth considering. What else though, because I am not sure that is worth the danger you will be in? This is not a game little one. The dangers are real. You're putting your life on the line for people you have barely met. Is that worth a little food to you?”

Lexy feelt rage erupt from every fiber of her being when she blasted back at Alcore as she remembered Callum, “We have to fight for today, to protect the young. They cannot defend themselves. I know I can help. The odds may be stacked against us but if we don’t fight who will? You will not stop me from helping. It’s a matter of question. Do you want my help or not? If not I won't pester you again but it doesn't mean I won't do things on my own.” she seethed at him.

Alcore took a step back as he felt like his body was being hit by waves of fire, he watched in shock as the entire countenance of this little girl shifted. Power emanated from her, power he cannot control.

The magical aurora rolled off Lexy in tidal waves brings everyone but Alcore to their knees. Shock went through Jackson, Fendres as they were forced to their knees and this made the strange dog look at Lexy.

Lexy looked behind her to see Fendres and Jackson kneeling, it caused her to lose focus. Surprise overtakes Lexy,

“What the hell? What on earth is wrong with everyone?”

Alcore, now able to recover from the negative effects her magical aurora was having on him, stepped forward,

 “You have convinced me, I will allow you to assist us.” He turns to Jackson, and mumbles under his breath,

 “Keep an eye on her, she is not what she thinks she is.”

Alcore looked back to Lexy,

“Tomorrow you can bring the food but first meet Varikin. He will be your bodyguard since you don’t know how to fight against the enemy yet and don’t worry about how he will look to other humans. He will just look like a normal dog to everyone once you’re around someone else. ”

Lexy watched as the strange dog standed up and walked up to her. It was once that she was focused on this creature she made the swift realization this was not a dog. This was a white wolf. Varikin held his head high as walked over to Lexy and just stared at her,

 “um hi Varikin I am Lexy” Varikin gave no response.

“It’s ok he’s shy at first”

 Alcore kneeled down and petted Varikin.

Lexy petted the wolf who kept a stoic expression while she gently patted his soft white fur. Lexy scrunched her nose slightly in confusion “so is this permanent or is this just until I can prove I can defend myself?”

Alcore shrugged,

“Well see if you do well with him or not. But if you do. You’ll find the bond you have with him will lead to something a bit magical.”

Lexy noded“I won’t let you down, ok Varikin let’s go,” she says slightly unsure

Alcore nodded and watched the small blond and Varikin leave. “I wonder what type of solder she will grow to be”

Jackson walked up to Alcore,

“So if she does well with Varikin does that mean the canine unit gets a new member? Just asking” Alcore turns to Jackson “of course and your captain of the canine unit I would have been surprised if you didn’t ask.”