I sighed, staring out at the practically empty desert that was ahead of me. My parents had sent me here after the attack on our planet happened. I knew that they had a good reason for it, but why a desert of all places? As a Smoke Shifter, I have two forms. The first is my human one, a 17 year old girl with long, curly, dark brown hair. Tan skin. and wearing whatever clothes I have. Right now that would be my jean shorts, and my light grey t-shirt with black tennis shoes that were a brand called 'Nike'. My second form though, was a gray wolf, with deep blue eyes, and a pretty thick pelt. That was why I didn't like the desert, is because no matter what form I'm in, it's always hot. And besides, according to what I had heard about deserts, there were no wolves.
I sighed, but started walking north, glancing down occasionally at my compass, one of the only things I owned besides my dirty clothes, and maps in a small satchel. I was sent to this barren land when I was 14, and had pretty much been walking north the whole time. So far I hadn't come upon anything, which was why I was still walking. At first I thought this planet was uninhabited, but soon I found traces of animals and actually saw a person that looked kinda like me. Of course I didn't say anything, considering I don't know them, and I knew that we weren't the same.
It was rare to find shade, so I was often shifting between forms to try and not be quite as hot. It helped for awhile. Finally I came upon the first building I've seen. It looked like some older place, but I didn't care, it was a building, which meant shade. I changed into my human form before getting too close, and ran toward it. I made it to the door, and pushed it open. A rush of cool air hit me, and I smiled. Boy did that feel good compared to the sun. I walked forward, and sat down at some seats in front of the counter.
The smell in this building was amazing. So much different smells. There was an older gentlemen that was looking up at a TV screen, and a younger women that was caring to a different elderly couple in the corner. I looked up at the screen also, seeing what was on it. It seemed to be some show about a gentlemen who went on different journeys, and fought aliens. "Ah, if only people believed me that there are aliens out there." the man sighed, still looking at the TV. I was slightly confused. "But of course there are aliens out there." I said, and he looked over at me. "You think there are aliens out there?" he asked, and I nodded. "It makes sense." I replied, "Why would we be the only life out there?" I asked, being careful to not say anything about how I was technically an alien to this gentleman.
"Yes, that was exactly what I was thinking. What can I get for ya?" he asked. I shook my head, "I don't have any money, I just wanted to get out of the sun." I replied, and he slowly nodded. "Grace, what's on the house today?" he asked, looking over at the younger women. "The Hawaiian pizza." Grace replied, walking back behind the counter. The gentlemen nodded, before looking back at me. "Would you like some Hawaiian pizza?" he asked, and I considered his offer. I didn't think that I've ever had this 'pizza', so I decided to try it. "Yes, please." I replied, and he nodded, going back into his kitchen.
I looked back up at the TV that had the show on again, before looking around the building. There was something that I remembered from my homeworld, a jukebox a few feet away from me. It was playing a song that I wasn't familiar with, but I thought it was really good.
Armor
Landon Austin
I'm not bulletproof when it comes to you
Don't know what to say when you made me the enemy
After the war is won
There's always the next one
I'm not bulletproof when it comes to you
Maybe I'll crash into you
Maybe we would open these wounds
We're only alive if we bruise
So I lay down this armor
I will surrender tonight
Before we both lose this fight
Take my defenses
All my defenses
I lay down this armor...
I lay down this armor...
I lay down this armor
I do what it takes to make this right
But we got to stop before the regret
After the war is won
There's always the next one
I'll do what it takes to make this right
Maybe I'll crash into you
Maybe we will open these wounds
We're only alive if we bruise
So I lay down this armor
I will surrender tonight
Before we both lose this fight
Take my defenses
All my defenses
I lay down this armor...
I lay down this armor...
I lay down this armor for you
I'll be you escape
I'll be your safe place
I'll be your shelter
Your shelter, yeah
I'll be you escape
I'll be your safe place
I'll be your shelter
Your shelter, yeah
Maybe I'll crash into you
Maybe we will open these wounds
We're only alive if we bruise
So I lay down this armor
I will surrender tonight
Before we both lose this fight
Take my defenses
All my defenses
I lay down this armor...
I lay down this armor...
I lay down this armor for you
I lay down this armor for you
Once it finished, it went to a different song, and the older gentlemen finally came back. He set down a box in front of me with a medium sized thing that must have been 'pizza'. I recognized small pieces of pineapples and shredded cheese on it, along with some slices of ham. I had never had any of them together though, so I was curious what it tasted like. I took a triangular shaped piece, and took a bite. It was soooooooooooooooo good. I swallowed, and took another bite as a bell dinged. I looked back at the noisey group that had just entered into the building, looking them up and down.
There were 5 males, and a female there. The female had dark skin, and her dark brown hair up in a tight bun. She was wearing some sort of suit that was dark green. The one next to her was a male that had blonde hair with a piece sticking out in front. I noticed the fire that was streaking back on the sides of his head. Like the girl, he was wearing a similar suit, but his was dark red. Next to him was a tall male that was wearing a light blue suit, and a shorter male that was probably shorter than me wearing a dark blue suit. Next to the two who were probably related or something was a male in a purple suit and red hair that was up in a... what was it, fohawk? Yeah, that's it. He was boasting loudly about something, and it looked like he started flirting with Grace when she walked past them. The last one was a younger male that was probably around my age. He had black hair that was kept out of his eyes by a orange and white headband. Unlike the others, we was wearing a suit that looked to be more padded, and had a helmet near his feet. He was wearing a orangish yellow suit with some red and white.
I turned back to my pizza after I finished looking them all over. Something about them didn't sit well with me. My senses kept on telling me to be wary of them, and I knew that if my senses were acting up from my wolf side, to listen to them. I looked back up at the TV as it came back from a commercial break, and ate and watch the show that was on. I heard that it was called something like 'Bladors Quests', or something like that. It seemed to be pretty interesting, but I could tell that it was very inaccurate. But I also knew that it was just for entertainment reasons, and wasn't supposed to have everything completely correct. I glanced back as a certain conversation caught my attention from the group. "You can't do things like that in a battle zone, Zoom, it's too risky." the red male said. "Ugh, I hate getting lectured." the black haired boy who was probably Zoom groaned. "Come on, kid. You-" the short, dark blue suited guy said. "Don't call me kid!" Zoom snapped at him, before standing up, and moving to the counter a few seats away.
"Battle zone?" I muttered, then my eyes widened as I remembered something from back in school. Battle zones. You access them through stormshocks. So this was that group that the last Blue Sentient had recruited. They were from Earth, which meant that was where I was at. Finally, some answers! I took another slice of the pizza, glancing over at Zoom, who was sitting with his hands in front of him on the table, looking slightly annoyed, and... sad? Yeah, he looked sad. He glanced over at me, and I quickly looked back down at my Hawaiian pizza. "You new around here?" he asked, and I looked back at him, trying to see if he was talking to me. He was looking at me, so I figured he was, and so I nodded. "Cool, where you from?" he asked, and I tensed. I tried to remember any places from the maps of Earth. "Uh, Germany." I replied, remembering one. My mom had said that I sounded like a German folk once, so I guess it was sort of convincing. Zoom nodded, "Nice, I'm from Thailand." he replied, and I quickly remembered where that was.
I glanced up as the older gentlemen, Zeke, as I heard his name was, walked back up to the counter, looking up at the TV screen. "Pardon me, Zeke. But is there a town around here that I could stay the night in?" I asked him, and he looked over at me. "Sure, but it's about 15 miles from here." he replied. I slowly nodded, taking another bite. "I couldn't help but overhear that you're from Germany?" Grace asked, coming up to the counter, and setting a glass drink in front of Zoom. He thanked her, and I slowly nodded. "Yeah." I said, taking another bite. I had also taken German back home because my mother had learned it on her many travels, and had taught me. "That's pretty cool. Not often we get foreigners around here. Unless you include Zoom and his friends." Grace replied, nodding back at Zoom's friends, who looked to be arguing about something. I heard the words 'battle zone', 'stormshock', and 'Sage' come up multiple times.
It was quiet after that, except for the arguing, and the TV. I finished the whole pizza a few minutes later, and glanced up at a clock that was on a wall. 6 o'clock. "Thank you, really. The pizza was amazing." I told Zeke. He nodded, "Come back tomorrow, and you can get... oh, what was it, Grace?" he asked. Grace rolled her eyes, "Meat Lovers pizza." she replied. "Ah, that's right. Meat lovers pizza that's on the house. I'm sure you'll love it." he finished. I perked up at 'meat', and nodded. "Oh, I'll come." I said, standing up.
I was about to walk away when a voice stopped me. "Wait, what's your name?" Zoom asked, and I turned to face him. I hesitated for a moment, before finally responding. "Rieka Howl." I replied, before swiftly turning and walking out of the diner. Once I was far enough away, I shifted into a wolf, and took off beside a road that Zeke said led to the town.