“No shit?”
I steady myself with a breath. “No shit.”
And no pressure.
The starting gun goes off, and I take the fastest route to the second-tallest point while others rush to the base of the pole and into other towers to hunt for different eggs or strive for the 10,000 credits for ringing the bell.
I climb up the structures until I leap onto the bell tower. A Nytheralian and an Alustrian fight each other to climb for the bell.
I eye the distant pole and know I’m not going to make it without a running start. So I pick a better trajectory as males try to climb the pole from the bottom. Then I sprint across the bell tower’s roof and launch myself off of it. I stretch my body out as my lighter weight in the lowered moon gravity carries me across the ropes course.
My hands catch the pole far above the sticky green goblin below me. He looks up and hisses. I ignore him and climb, using my boots and hands. The males below shake the pole, trying to fling me off. On instinct, my tail whips around the metal and coils up, tethering me to it.
I climb and move my tail. As I reach the top, the pole swings a little too far, and the egg pops loose from its platform. I see it fall, and my heart nearly shatters.
It’s not an actual egg. I know it isn’t. But instinct makes me throw myself from the pole, wrap my body around it, and let gravity do what it must.
Billowing fabric hugs me and softens my fall. Males swear and walk off as the inflatable donut deflates and rests me on the ground.
Brynna rushes up to me. “Jorusk!”
“I’m fine.” I frantically inspect the egg. When I don’t see any cracks, I hold it up, and a series of fire cannons go off around the ropes course.
My beautiful female jolts and taps her thigh as she looks back at the nearest cannon. Her hand finds nothing. “Damn it. I do not like the explosions without a weapon on me. Scares the piss out of me.”
She extends a hand to me. I offer her the egg. Brynna frowns, then takes my wrist and lugs me to my feet.
When I’m upright again, I admire the egg. “It’s like they know.”
“Maybe they do.” Brynna hesitantly touches it. “It’s warm.”
I smile, watching her gently take the egg and look it over with curiosity. The light of it reflecting in her eyes makes me reconsider a family. Brynna is a caring female, tough but gentle, protective. And she doesn’t hate my kind.
But deep down, my Inferno knows she’s not ready forus. She is still a fragile human.
Ohni hovers down beside us, three cameradrones staying close. “Congratulations, Jorusk! Secretly, I think we were all rooting for you. And I’m so glad we finally have a winner. I was starting to think that game was too hard for these guys.”
She opens a case and extends it to me. Inside are three golden cards. One is for a week's vacation on Pearl de Gaia, all expenses paid. Another is for 100,000 credits. And the last contains a data chip.
“What’s the last one?” I ask.
“There is a surprise hidden deep in the moon. That will grant you access to its wonders and a prize at the end. But beware, it is not for the faint of heart.”
Brynna wiggles her fingers in the air. “Spooky.”
Ohni grins.
“So it’s an experience?” I ask. “Or more like a vacation?”
“It is a challenge,” Ohni clarifies. “Brave the tunnels to seek the treasure. You may survive, you may not.” She laughs. “Just kidding. You’ll survive. You just may not win the prize at the end.”
“But how does it compare?” I ask.
She shrugs. “Kind of the point of a secret, don’t you think?”
A hoverdrone hums up to Brynna with a slot clearly built for an egg. She reluctantly sets the shimmering egg on the drone and watches it buzz away like she was growing attached to it.
Ohni chews a lip. “Unless you need the money or you want the trip, Jorusk, I would recommend Option Three.”
