Chapter 6: Rook Attack

Wonder couldn’t understand what was happening. Just a second ago he was so relieved to see his friend again and now he was sprinting for cover from the Rook attack, whatever that was. He didn’t understand the words Magic Rock had shouted, but the meaning was pretty clear when he and Mr. Trinkets started running toward the signpost at the other end of the street.

Wonder looked up to find Koro still wheeling circles overhead and cawing loudly in distress. “It’s a Rook attack, Koro! We’ve got to get out of here! Follow Magic Rock and Mr. Trinkets!” He pointed at his two new friends running just ahead of him.

Koro stopped screeching long enough to consider everything that had just happened and then swooped down to perch on his shoulder. “It’s OK, Wonder, stop running! There’s no Rook attack! We’re fine.”

Wonder, used to taking prompts from his more experienced friend, stopped running immediately, “Oh, OK. That’s good. I’m not sure what a Rook attack is, but it didn’t sound fun. I’m glad it’s not really happening.” Then he shouted to the others. “Guys! Hey! It’s OK! Koro says there’s no Rook attack! Come back!”

Magic Rock and Mr. Trinkets slowed down and looked back at Wonder standing several yards behind with Koro perched on his shoulder. They stopped and looked at each other puzzled.

“That’s your friend, Koro?” Magic Rock shouted back.

“Yeah! This is Koro! She says there’s no Rook attack so it’s fine.”

“Oh…” Magic Rock trailed off not really certain how to continue. Then more quietly to the butler, “Mr. Trinkets, perhaps we should go officially make Koro’s acquaintance.”

Mr. Trinkets was not so sure if this was such a good idea and said so under his breath. “Are you, crazy?! That thing is a—“

“I know! But something is up and I want to know what it is before we do anything rash.”

Slowly they walked back to where Wonder and Koro were waiting. Well, Mr. Trinkets sort of shambled and Magic Rock hopped, but it’s as close to walking as they get.

“So, guys, this is Koro!” Wonder beamed as he introduced his friends. “Koro, this is Magic Rock and Mr. Trinkets. They’re going to travel with us!”

“Nice to meet you both.” Koro did not sound like she thought it was nice to meet them; she sounded like she found it terrifying.

“Yes, likewise I’m sure.” Magic Rock eyed her suspiciously while she did her best to hide her face behind Wonder’s head. After a moment he prodded Mr. Trinkets.

“Oh, right, yes. Mr. Trinkets, at your service,” he offered, though not very convincingly.

If there was anything odd about this exchange Wonder didn’t seem to notice as he was still too overjoyed at being reunited with his friend, and probably still feeling more than a little of the effects of the rush of fear he had just experienced; another new emotion for him.

“Well, Koro, we’ve heard so much about you; it’s nice to put a face with the name. So you’ve been with Wonder since right after he woke up?”

Koro was extremely uncomfortable talking to Magic Rock, but for Wonder’s benefit she knew she needed to keep up the pretense as long as they were willing to. “Yes, that’s right,” she answered in a shaky voice.

“He told us you know a lot about Glitch culture,” Magic Rock continued.

“I, uh, I suppose so. I know a little, I mean.” Koro was feeling very uncomfortable and Wonder could sense it.

“Is everything OK, Koro? I can feel you trembling. Are you cold?”

“No, no, I’m just so excited to see you and I’m still a little surprised I guess.”

“I bet! And then with that Rook attack scare; that was crazy!”

Koro darted a glance at Magic Rock who glared back at her.

“What is a Rook attack anyway?” Wonder directed the question at Magic Rock. If he had been more observant he might have seen Koro hold Magic Rock’s stare with a pleading look, but he wasn’t so he didn’t.

It was the one topic Koro had been hoping to avoid since she met Wonder, and now here it was; her whole cover would be shattered.

“Well…” Magic Rock started, but suddenly found himself unsure of how to proceed under Koro’s pitiful gaze. He broke her stare and looked back at Wonder. “It’s nothing, really. Just something that used to happen from time to time. Bad sorts trying to do mean things to others, but I don’t suppose we’ll have to worry too much about that anymore.”

“Oh.” Wonder was confused. “Why is that?”

“If I had to guess I’d say the Rook all disappeared the same time the Glitchen did so I don’t think they’ll bother us anymore. I thought I just saw one, but it must have been my imagination.” He shot one more glance at Koro who was meeting his eyes with the most grateful look you’ve ever seen on a bird’s face. Beaks are bad for making expressions, but Magic Rock understood.

“Well, that’s good then. What do Rooks look like anyway?”

Koro inhaled sharply but tried to stifle it, but Magic Rock was one step ahead and already answering. “It’s hard to say. I’m not sure I could describe one to you. It’s the kind of thing you know when you see, but like I said I don’t expect we’ll see any. They’re probably all gone.”

Koro slouched with relief on Wonder’s shoulder.

All the while Mr. Trinkets had been silent, but he was quietly watching the exchange trying to figure Koro out. In the end he wasn’t quite sure what to think. It seemed that Magic Rock was willing to trust her, at least a little, so Mr. Trinkets guessed that was enough for now, but he would keep a sharp eye out just in case. He had never met a Rook he liked (to be honest he had never met a Rook, but that was beside the point) and there was no reason not to be careful; not at times like these when all the rules seemed so topsy-turvy.

“Well, now that we’ve all been introduced, should we continue our adventure?” Wonder asked. “To be honest I’m quite ready to move on and visit someplace new.”

Koro, too, was ready to move on. “That sounds like a great idea. While we’re walking you can tell me all about what happened after you disappeared. I wasn’t sure you were ever coming back!”

“Oh yeah! Well, first everything went black and I felt like I was being squeezed into a tiny speck…”

So their party was complete and their adventure began even though they didn’t have a goal in mind. I imagine if anyone had been around to witness it they would have laughed to see a Glitch, a Magic Rock, a butler and a Rook traveling together, but these were strange times when strange things were happening.

And, of course, no one was around, so no one laughed and they continued on alone. 

<< Chapter 5: Inventory | NOTES | Chapter 7: A Quest! >>

Chapter 6: Rook Attack

Wonder couldn’t understand what was happening. Just a second ago she was so relieved to see her friend again and now she was sprinting for cover from the Rook attack, whatever that was. She didn’t understand the words Magic Rock had shouted, but the meaning was pretty clear when he and Mr. Trinkets started running toward the signpost at the other end of the street.

Wonder looked up to find Koro still wheeling circles overhead and cawing loudly in distress. “It’s a Rook attack, Koro! We’ve got to get out of here! Follow Magic Rock and Mr. Trinkets!” She pointed at her two new friends running just ahead of her.

Koro stopped screeching long enough to consider everything that had just happened and then swooped down to perch on her shoulder. “It’s OK, Wonder, stop running! There’s no Rook attack! We’re fine.”

Wonder, used to taking prompts from her more experienced friend, stopped running immediately, “Oh, OK. That’s good. I’m not sure what a Rook attack is, but it didn’t sound fun. I’m glad it’s not really happening.” Then she shouted to the others. “Guys! Hey! It’s OK! Koro says there’s no Rook attack! Come back!”

Magic Rock and Mr. Trinkets slowed down and looked back at Wonder standing several yards behind with Koro perched on her shoulder. They stopped and looked at each other puzzled.

“That’s your friend, Koro?” Magic Rock shouted back.

“Yeah! This is Koro! She says there’s no Rook attack so it’s fine.”

“Oh…” Magic Rock trailed off not really certain how to continue. Then more quietly to the butler, “Mr. Trinkets, perhaps we should go officially make Koro’s acquaintance.”

Mr. Trinkets was not so sure if this was such a good idea and said so under his breath. “Are you, crazy?! That thing is a—“

“I know! But something is up and I want to know what it is before we do anything rash.”

Slowly they walked back to where Wonder and Koro were waiting. Well, Mr. Trinkets sort of shambled and Magic Rock hopped, but it’s as close to walking as they get.

“So, guys, this is Koro!” Wonder beamed as she introduced her friends. “Koro, this is Magic Rock and Mr. Trinkets. They’re going to travel with us!”

“Nice to meet you both.” Koro did not sound like she thought it was nice to meet them; she sounded like she found it terrifying.

“Yes, likewise I’m sure.” Magic Rock eyed her suspiciously while she did her best to hide her face behind Wonder’s head. After a moment he prodded Mr. Trinkets.

“Oh, right, yes. Mr. Trinkets, at your service,” he offered, though not very convincingly.

If there was anything odd about this exchange Wonder didn’t seem to notice as she was still too overjoyed at being reunited with her friend, and probably still feeling more than a little of the effects of the rush of fear she had just experienced; another new emotion for her.

“Well, Koro, we’ve heard so much about you; it’s nice to put a face with the name. So you’ve been with Wonder since right after she woke up?”

Koro was extremely uncomfortable talking to Magic Rock, but for Wonder’s benefit she knew she needed to keep up the pretense as long as they were willing to. “Yes, that’s right,” she answered in a shaky voice.

“She told us you know a lot about Glitch culture,” Magic Rock continued.

“I, uh, I suppose so. I know a little, I mean.” Koro was feeling very uncomfortable and Wonder could sense it.

“Is everything OK, Koro? I can feel you trembling. Are you cold?”

“No, no, I’m just so excited to see you and I’m still a little surprised I guess.”

“I bet! And then with that Rook attack scare; that was crazy!”

Koro darted a glance at Magic Rock who glared back at her.

“What is a Rook attack anyway?” Wonder directed the question at Magic Rock. If she had been more observant she might have seen Koro hold Magic Rock’s stare with a pleading look, but she wasn’t so she didn’t.

It was the one topic Koro had been hoping to avoid since she met Wonder, and now here it was; her whole cover would be shattered.

“Well…” Magic Rock started, but suddenly found himself unsure of how to proceed under Koro’s pitiful gaze. He broke her stare and looked back at Wonder. “It’s nothing, really. Just something that used to happen from time to time. Bad sorts trying to do mean things to others, but I don’t suppose we’ll have to worry too much about that anymore.”

“Oh.” Wonder was confused. “Why is that?”

“If I had to guess I’d say the Rook all disappeared the same time the Glitchen did so I don’t think they’ll bother us anymore. I thought I just saw one, but it must have been my imagination.” He shot one more glance at Koro who was meeting his eyes with the most grateful look you’ve ever seen on a bird’s face. Beaks are bad for making expressions, but Magic Rock understood.

“Well, that’s good then. What do Rooks look like anyway?”

Koro inhaled sharply but tried to stifle it, but Magic Rock was one step ahead and already answering. “It’s hard to say. I’m not sure I could describe one to you. It’s the kind of thing you know when you see, but like I said I don’t expect we’ll see any. They’re probably all gone.”

Koro slouched with relief on Wonder’s shoulder.

All the while Mr. Trinkets had been silent, but he was quietly watching the exchange trying to figure Koro out. In the end he wasn’t quite sure what to think. It seemed that Magic Rock was willing to trust her, at least a little, so Mr. Trinkets guessed that was enough for now, but he would keep a sharp eye out just in case. He had never met a Rook he liked (to be honest he had never met a Rook, but that was beside the point) and there was no reason not to be careful; not at times like these when all the rules seemed so topsy-turvy.

“Well, now that we’ve all been introduced, should we continue our adventure?” Wonder asked. “To be honest I’m quite ready to move on and visit someplace new.”

Koro, too, was ready to move on. “That sounds like a great idea. While we’re walking you can tell me all about what happened after you disappeared. I wasn’t sure you were ever coming back!”

“Oh yeah! Well, first everything went black and I felt like I was being squeezed into a tiny speck…”

So their party was complete and their adventure began even though they didn’t have a goal in mind. I imagine if anyone had been around to witness it they would have laughed to see a Glitch, a Magic Rock, a butler and a Rook traveling together, but these were strange times when strange things were happening.

And, of course, no one was around, so no one laughed and they continued on alone.

<< Chapter 5: Inventory | NOTES | Chapter 7: A Quest! >>

Chapter 5: Inventory

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Wonder asked, looking at the key Mr. Trinkets held in his hand.

“Of course.” Mr. Trinkets held the key out a little further. “You saw the note. I am my own master and this house is mine to do with what I wish. Right now my wish is that you go inside and gather some supplies for our adventure.”

“Well, if you’re sure.” Wonder was not at all sure, but he reached out and took the key from the butler anyway. “So I just fit it in that hole in the door and turn?”

“That’s what master used to do.”

Wonder turned and walked up the steps to the front door of the house and placed the key in the lock. It fit snuggly and turned with little resistance. He heard a click and tried the nob. This time it turned and the door swung open! He removed the key and looked back over his shoulder at Mr. Trinkets with a smile.

He stepped in the house but stopped just inside the entrance. There was so much to see! He didn’t know where to begin. After a minute or two of taking it all in he heard someone clear their throat at the far end of the room. It was Magic Rock sitting just outside the back wall! But he was certain he had left him sitting next to the front steps.

“Can I offer some assistance?” he asked.

“But you were just—how did you…?”

“They don’t call me Magic Rock for nothing. So, what do you need?”

Wonder tried to rearrange his thoughts and get back to the task at hand. “I’m not sure. There’s so much stuff in here. What is all this?”

Now don’t get the wrong idea. When Wonder asks about all the “stuff” in the house don’t imagine there were items and foodstuffs strewn about everywhere like the rest of Ur. No, not at all. Sebastian kept a tidy home, even when he knew the end was coming. What’s more, Wonder wouldn’t have been phased by a lot of random bits and bobs lying around willy nilly. He’d seen that on every street he’d visited. What amazed Wonder was something he hadn’t seen: furniture and decorations.

Having never been inside a Glitch home, or even an abandoned apartment building, he had never thought about how Glitchen lived or where they kept their belongings. Now seeing the neatly wallpapered room with matching carpet and all the tables, chairs, lamps, cabinets and paintings hung on the wall he was understandably taken aback. He couldn’t say why, exactly, but he immediately felt at home.

Magic Rock smiled kindly and replied, “This is our master, Sebastian’s, home. I suppose you’ve never been in a Glitch house before have you?”

Wonder continued to look around, his eyes touching on all the things he hadn’t seen. “Nope. This is a first for me.”

“Well, I can tell you they’re not all like this. I’ve seen a lot of Glitch homes and some of them are dreadfully cluttered and have no sense of style. Sebastian was much more inspired when it came to keeping a fashionable and tidy residence.”

“What is all of this stuff for? It’s too big to pick up easily and certainly too heavy to carry with me.”

“Yes, I should think so. These things are what we call furniture. They adorn the house and make it more comfortable to live in. This is a table; you set things on it. These chairs are for sitting on; they go with the table. The lamps will give you light when it gets dark. That shelf is kind of like a table, but on the wall and more out of the way, sort of for more ‘long-term stuff holding.’”

Wonder followed him around the room as he explained the uses of everything. Finally they reached the large wooden cabinet.

“In here you can store things to be retrieved later.”

“What kinds of things?” Wonder asked. His mind was racing with possibilities.

“Any kind of thing you might want to keep.”

“So, what’s in there?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you open it and see?”

Wonder gave Magic Rock a sideways glance to check if he was serious before opening the doors. Inside was a great hodge-podge of things: seeds, food, drinks, music blocks, some tools Wonder didn’t understand, and what seemed like a hundred other items. “I’m still a little out of my depth here,” Wonder admitted. “Would any of this be useful on our trip?”

“I’m sure it would, but you won’t be able to carry much right now. Let’s go upstairs and collect a few things first.”

Magic Rock led Wonder through another door to the second floor of the house which was another entirely new experience for him. Who would have imagined you could stack rooms like that? Upstairs was the bedroom. Magic Rock again explained the pieces of furniture and their different functions, leading Wonder to stand in front of another cabinet.

“This one is a little different,” he explained. “This is a wardrobe. It’s full of clothes. Now, don’t get me wrong, I saw plenty of Glitchen running around in the buff before all this craziness started, so it’s completely up to you if you want to wear clothes or not, I just thought you should have the option.”

Wonder, being imagined without clothes and living his entire life up to this point without seeing another Glitch, was still a little confused until Magic Rock showed him the inside of the wardrobe and all the shirts, pants, dresses, jackets, shoes, hats and masks found within. Keep in mind, Wonder wasn’t embarrassed to be naked, no Glitch ever should be and he didn’t even have a concept of the word until this moment, but he couldn’t help but be overjoyed at all the possibilities before him. “It’s like decorating a house,” he thought, “but the house is you!” He tried on combination after combination and eventually settled on a look that suited him.

“Excellent!” Magic Rock exclaimed. “Now there’s one more thing you need before we start loading up for the trip. Follow me.”

Magic Rock led them up one more level to what he referred to as the attic. In the attic there were many more cabinets and shelves and several large bags stuck in a corner.

“Here we are! Grab those bags,” Magic Rock instructed. “They’ll let us carry far more supplies than normal. Oh and grab that red box marked ‘Tools’ as well. It may come in handy. I’ll see if I can’t teach you a thing or two while we’re on the road.”

Now Wonder and Magic Rock set to the task of deciding what to bring and what to leave. Mostly they packed a lot of the pre-made food and drinks they found since Wonder wasn’t capable of making his own, but they also packed a few odds and ends like a few music blocks Wonder especially liked, some powders and potions and a toy that Magic Rock called a Cubimal. He explained it was mostly useless, just for entertainment purposes, but Wonder liked its translucent body and the little fire inside it—he thought it looked cheery—so he named it Firedog and found a spot for it in a bag.

Now fully loaded and ready to go they walked out of the front door to collect Mr. Trinkets. They found him sitting near a garden plot. When he heard them approaching he quickly stuck something he had been examining into one of his secret pockets. Wonder thought it might have been the note from Sebastian, but he couldn’t be sure.

“Are we all ready to go?” the butler asked.

“I think so,” Wonder replied.

“Yes, yes, we’ll be fine. And you, Mr. Trinkets? Are you ready?”

Mr. Trinkets took a look around at the plots and crops growing there. “Yes, I think I am, though I don’t quite know what to expect out there. This is uncharted territory for a butler, you know!”

“This whole situation is uncharted territory, so I wouldn’t worry about it too much.” Magic Rock reassured him.

“I suppose you’re right as usual,” Mr. Trinkets offered. Then in a slightly lower voice, “By the way, I’ve gone ahead and harvested the Purple Flowers, just in case we might want some during our adventure.”

Magic Rock’s eyebrows lifted imperceptibly and he quickly turned to Wonder. “Alright, then, Wonder, are you ready to return to the street from which you came?”

Wonder began to feel a tingle of excitement at the idea of reuniting with Koro even though it had only been a couple of hours at most since they had been separated. “Yes I am!”

“Alright, all you have to do is concentrate on where you were and imagine yourself returning to that spot. Once you go we can follow along.”

Wonder closed his eyes and concentrated on the street and the tree he had left Koro perched in. He saw the Visiting Stone and the mountains in the distance. He imagined himself there with Magic Rock and Mr. Trinkets and suddenly he felt that instantaneous squeezing and expanding sensation from before.

He opened his eyes and found he was right back where he had been standing before he touched the Stone. He looked around quickly to find Magic Rock and Mr. Trinkets standing behind him and not a second later he heard a loud cawing noise from the trees followed by Koro shouting his name.

“Wonder! You’re back!” Koro came swooping down from the trees and began flying excited circles around the three of them.

Wonder broke out into a wide smile and was just about to greet his friend and offer an apology when from behind him he heard a terrified Magic Rock start yelling.

“Wonder, run! It’s a Rook attack!”

<< Chapter 4: New Friends | NOTES | Chapter 6: Rook Attack >>

Chapter 5: Inventory

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Wonder asked, looking at the key Mr. Trinkets held in his hand.

“Of course.” Mr. Trinkets held the key out a little further. “You saw the note. I am my own master and this house is mine to do with what I wish. Right now my wish is that you go inside and gather some supplies for our adventure.”

“Well, if you’re sure.” Wonder was not at all sure, but she reached out and took the key from the butler anyway. “So I just fit it in that hole in the door and turn?”

“That’s what master used to do.”

Wonder turned and walked up the steps to the front door of the house and placed the key in the lock. It fit snuggly and turned with little resistance. She heard a click and tried the nob. This time it turned and the door swung open! She removed the key and looked back over her shoulder at Mr. Trinkets with a smile.

She stepped in the house but stopped just inside the entrance. There was so much to see! She didn’t know where to begin. After a minute or two of taking it all in she heard someone clear their throat at the far end of the room. It was Magic Rock sitting just outside the back wall! But she was certain she had left him sitting next to the front steps.

“Can I offer some assistance?” he asked.

“But you were just—how did you…?”

“They don’t call me Magic Rock for nothing. So, what do you need?”

Wonder tried to rearrange her thoughts and get back to the task at hand. “I’m not sure. There’s so much stuff in here. What is all this?”

Now don’t get the wrong idea. When Wonder asks about all the “stuff” in the house don’t imagine there were items and foodstuffs strewn about everywhere like the rest of Ur. No, not at all. Sebastian kept a tidy home, even when he knew the end was coming. What’s more, Wonder wouldn’t have been phased by a lot of random bits and bobs lying around willy nilly. She’d seen that on every street she’d visited. What amazed Wonder was something she hadn’t seen: furniture and decorations.

Having never been inside a Glitch home, or even an abandoned apartment building, she had never thought about how Glitchen lived or where they kept their belongings. Now seeing the neatly wallpapered room with matching carpet and all the tables, chairs, lamps, cabinets and paintings hung on the wall she was understandably taken aback. She couldn’t say why, exactly, but she immediately felt at home.

Magic Rock smiled kindly and replied, “This is our master, Sebastian’s, home. I suppose you’ve never been in a Glitch house before have you?”

Wonder continued to look around, her eyes touching on all the things she hadn’t seen. “Nope. This is a first for me.”

“Well, I can tell you they’re not all like this. I’ve seen a lot of Glitch homes and some of them are dreadfully cluttered and have no sense of style. Sebastian was much more inspired when it came to keeping a fashionable and tidy residence.”

“What is all of this stuff for? It’s too big to pick up easily and certainly too heavy to carry with me.”

“Yes, I should think so. These things are what we call furniture. They adorn the house and make it more comfortable to live in. This is a table; you set things on it. These chairs are for sitting on; they go with the table. The lamps will give you light when it gets dark. That shelf is kind of like a table, but on the wall and more out of the way, sort of for more ‘long-term stuff holding.’”

Wonder followed him around the room as he explained the uses of everything. Finally they reached the large wooden cabinet.

“In here you can store things to be retrieved later.”

“What kinds of things?” Wonder asked. Her mind was racing with possibilities.

“Any kind of thing you might want to keep.”

“So, what’s in there?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you open it and see?”

Wonder gave Magic Rock a sideways glance to check if he was serious before opening the doors. Inside was a great hodge-podge of things: seeds, food, drinks, music blocks, some tools Wonder didn’t understand, and what seemed like a hundred other items. “I’m still a little out of my depth here,” Wonder admitted. “Would any of this be useful on our trip?”

“I’m sure it would, but you won’t be able to carry much right now. Let’s go upstairs and collect a few things first.”

Magic Rock led Wonder through another door to the second floor of the house which was another entirely new experience for her. Who would have imagined you could stack rooms like that? Upstairs was the bedroom. Magic Rock again explained the pieces of furniture and their different functions, leading Wonder to stand in front of another cabinet.

“This one is a little different,” he explained. “This is a wardrobe. It’s full of clothes. Now, don’t get me wrong, I saw plenty of Glitchen running around in the buff before all this craziness started, so it’s completely up to you if you want to wear clothes or not, I just thought you should have the option.”

Wonder, being imagined without clothes and living her entire life up to this point without seeing another Glitch, was still a little confused until Magic Rock showed her the inside of the wardrobe and all the shirts, pants, dresses, jackets, shoes, hats and masks found within. Keep in mind, Wonder wasn’t embarrassed to be naked, no Glitch ever should be and she didn’t even have a concept of the word until this moment, but she couldn’t help but be overjoyed at all the possibilities before her. “It’s like decorating a house,” she thought, “but the house is you!” She tried on combination after combination and eventually settled on a look that suited her.

“Excellent!” Magic Rock exclaimed. “Now there’s one more thing you need before we start loading up for the trip. Follow me.”

Magic Rock led them up one more level to what he referred to as the attic. In the attic there were many more cabinets and shelves and several large bags stuck in a corner.

“Here we are! Grab those bags,” Magic Rock instructed. “They’ll let us carry far more supplies than normal. Oh and grab that red box marked ‘Tools’ as well. It may come in handy. I’ll see if I can’t teach you a thing or two while we’re on the road.”

Now Wonder and Magic Rock set to the task of deciding what to bring and what to leave. Mostly they packed a lot of the pre-made food and drinks they found since Wonder wasn’t capable of making her own, but they also packed a few odds and ends like a few music blocks Wonder especially liked, some powders and potions and a toy that Magic Rock called a Cubimal. He explained it was mostly useless, just for entertainment purposes, but Wonder liked its translucent body and the little fire inside it—she thought it looked cheery—so she named it Firedog and found a spot for it in a bag.

Now fully loaded and ready to go they walked out of the front door to collect Mr. Trinkets. They found him sitting near a garden plot. When he heard them approaching he quickly stuck something he had been examining into one of his secret pockets. Wonder thought it might have been the note from Sebastian, but she couldn’t be sure.

“Are we all ready to go?” the butler asked.

“I think so,” Wonder replied.

“Yes, yes, we’ll be fine. And you, Mr. Trinkets? Are you ready?”

Mr. Trinkets took a look around at the plots and crops growing there. “Yes, I think I am, though I don’t quite know what to expect out there. This is uncharted territory for a butler, you know!”

“This whole situation is uncharted territory, so I wouldn’t worry about it too much.” Magic Rock reassured him.

“I suppose you’re right as usual,” Mr. Trinkets offered. Then in a slightly lower voice, “By the way, I’ve gone ahead and harvested the Purple Flowers, just in case we might want some during our adventure.”

Magic Rock’s eyebrows lifted imperceptibly and he quickly turned to Wonder. “Alright, then, Wonder, are you ready to return to the street from which you came?”

Wonder began to feel a tingle of excitement at the idea of reuniting with Koro even though it had only been a couple of hours at most since they had been separated. “Yes I am!”

“Alright, all you have to do is concentrate on where you were and imagine yourself returning to that spot. Once you go we can follow along.”

Wonder closed her eyes and concentrated on the street and the tree she had left Koro perched in. She saw the Visiting Stone and the mountains in the distance. She imagined herself there with Magic Rock and Mr. Trinkets and suddenly she felt that instantaneous squeezing and expanding sensation from before.

She opened her eyes and found she was right back where she had been standing before she touched the Stone. She looked around quickly to find Magic Rock and Mr. Trinkets standing behind her and not a second later she heard a loud cawing noise from the trees followed by Koro shouting her name.

“Wonder! You’re back!” Koro came swooping down from the trees and began flying excited circles around the three of them.

Wonder broke out into a wide smile and was just about to greet her friend and offer an apology when from behind her she heard a terrified Magic Rock start yelling.

“Wonder, run! It’s a Rook attack!” 

<< Chapter 4: New Friends | NOTES | Chapter 6: Rook Attack >>

Chapter 3: Alone Again

It happened so suddenly Koro wasn’t sure what had happened. One second Wonder was there, shouting at her about the Dead End Stone, the next second he was gone. She let out an anguished caw and flew two quick circles around the area looking everywhere in front of, behind and next to the stone. When she didn’t find Wonder she flew higher and continued circling.

“He was right there, he can’t have gone far,” she thought, but the panic in her chest kept rising with every pass over the street. She began cawing loudly, not caring who heard her. In fact she hoped someone would hear her. They hadn’t come across a single other Glitch in ten days, but she prayed to all the Giants that there might be one nearby who would hear her cries and come running. She would just explain, she thought. She would just reason with whoever showed up that this wasn’t an attack, that she wasn’t evil, she just needed help to find a friend. Surely they would listen, they would have to wouldn’t they?

These thoughts kept spinning around in her head as she flew from one end of the street to the next with no luck. She checked adjacent streets, but there was no one there either except a lone butterfly that flew away in fear when it heard Koro’s calls.

“Oh, Wonder! Where are you? Why did you have to disappear like that? Please come back!” Koro continued to call for Wonder as she flew back to the Dead End Stone. She perched back on the branch she had been sitting on when Wonder disappeared.

“It must be the stone,” she thought. “He was angry and he touched the stone; that’s when he vanished.” She stared at the stone for a long while trying to decipher the etchings on it hoping for some sort of clue. When she could stare at it no longer without going crazy she let out a deep sigh. “There is nothing for me to do but wait then. If I am very lucky he will come back and I will apologize. If I am not so lucky I will wait here and die on this spot, but it will be better than living and never knowing.”

As the words left her Koro began to cry for the first time in her life.

<< Chapter 2: Unanswered Questions | NOTES | Chapter 4: New Friends >>

Chapter 3: Alone Again

It happened so suddenly Koro wasn’t sure what had happened. One second Wonder was there, shouting at her about the Dead End Stone, the next second she was gone. She let out an anguished caw and flew two quick circles around the area looking everywhere in front of, behind and next to the stone. When she didn’t find Wonder she flew higher and continued circling.

“She was right there, she can’t have gone far,” she thought, but the panic in her chest kept rising with every pass over the street. She began cawing loudly, not caring who heard her. In fact she hoped someone would hear her. They hadn’t come across a single other Glitch in ten days, but she prayed to all the Giants that there might be one nearby who would hear her cries and come running. She would just explain, she thought. She would just reason with whoever showed up that this wasn’t an attack, that she wasn’t evil, she just needed help to find a friend. Surely they would listen, they would have to wouldn’t they?

These thoughts kept spinning around in her head as she flew from one end of the street to the next with no luck. She checked adjacent streets, but there was no one there either except a lone butterfly that flew away in fear when it heard Koro’s calls.

“Oh, Wonder! Where are you? Why did you have to disappear like that? Please come back!” Koro continued to call for Wonder as she flew back to the Dead End Stone. She perched back on the branch she had been sitting on when Wonder disappeared.

“It must be the stone,” she thought. “She was angry and she touched the stone; that’s when she vanished.” She stared at the stone for a long while trying to decipher the etchings on it hoping for some sort of clue. When she could stare at it no longer without going crazy she let out a deep sigh. “There is nothing for me to do but wait then. If I am very lucky she will come back and I will apologize. If I am not so lucky I will wait here and die on this spot, but it will be better than living and never knowing.”

As the words left her Koro began to cry for the first time in her life.

<< Chapter 2: Unanswered Questions | NOTES | Chapter 4: New Friends >>

Chapter 2: Unanswered Questions

Wonder’s first day in Ur turned into Wonder’s first night, which then turned into his second day, and on and on for several more days while he and Koro walked, jumped and flew through Groddle Forest. It turned out that Wonder did quite enjoy jumping—though he would have also liked to try flying—and he did a lot of it, even when it wasn’t strictly necessary. As they walked, jumped and flew Wonder would ask Koro questions and Koro would answer to the best of her ability. Whenever he would ask about Koro’s past Koro would try to steer the conversation toward other things which turned out to not be much of a problem because Wonder was still extremely easily distracted by all of the things around him.

Over first few days he asked about the world and its people, where it had all come from and where it all went. Koro, not being a Glitch herself, tried to tell Wonder whatever she could recall. It turns out she had been watching the Glitchen quite a bit before everyone disappeared and had learned a good amount about their beliefs and practices. She didn’t have an answer for everything (“Why do the streets have such funny names?”) and not all of the answers she gave were accurate, but she did her best to be helpful.

And so they wandered aimlessly for a while without a clear goal in mind. When you live in a world after it has ended there doesn’t seem to be much point in having a point, or so Koro reasoned. They never did encounter any other Glitchen, but they did occasionally come across a piggy or butterfly ambling as aimlessly as they were. Koro wasn’t much help in explaining how they might be useful and the animals themselves weren’t very forthcoming, so they mostly just let each other pass.

While they never found another Glitch they did find plenty of evidence that there had been many around at one time. There were objects and food and drink strewn about everywhere. “What happened here?” Wonder asked one day while they were trekking through a particularly messy street. Wonder had shown much interest in individual objects and their purposes, but this was the first time he really considered the mess as a whole.

“Well, as far as I can tell everyone knew the world was ending—or at least they thought it was—so they figured why keep the place tidy? Instead they threw a giant party and this is what’s left.”

Wonder considered that answer for the rest of the day and much of the next. He appreciated all of the new items he was learning about and he especially appreciated the food and drinks left around since he didn’t know how to prepare it for himself and Koro couldn’t teach him, but the thought of a world so suddenly abandoned made him sad.

They continued wandering through the forest until they came to a meadow. After the meadow they found themselves climbing higher up into the mountains. They had been hiking through the mountainous region—Groddle Heights according to Koro—for going on three days when they reached a dead end street.

This wasn’t the first dead end they had come upon. Ordinarily they would just turn around and walk the opposite way for a while, but this walking and jumping and flying had been going on for ten days and Wonder was beginning to wonder if they were just going to continue to do this forever.

“Can we stop here and rest a while?” Wonder stood near the stone that marked the end of the street.

“Sure. Is everything OK?” Koro landed on a low hanging tree branch nearby.

“Yes. No. I don’t know. I know I don’t understand a lot of things about this world, and I really love walking with you and seeing it, but I feel like there’s got to be something more than this. I mean, what did all those other Glitchen do that lived here before?”

“I don’t know, kid. I really don’t. I mean, I can tell you what I saw, but I didn’t really know any Glitchen personally so it’s hard for me to know their reasons.”

“OK, well, that’s another thing. How do you know so much about the Glitchen without really knowing anything about them? I thought you said you were from before?” Wonder started to pace uneasily. Talking about these things was starting to get him worked up, which had never happened to him before, and he wasn’t sure how to deal with it. Pacing seemed like a natural thing to do.

“Well,” Koro started, but was already at a loss of how to answer. “The thing is, I saw quite a bit of their—your culture—“

Wonder cut her off. “You keep saying that, but it seems like you can’t even answer half of what I ask you!” He was really getting going.

“I know, it’s just—“

“Like this thing,” Wonder pointed to the stone carving. “We’ve seen a dozen of these or more, one at the end of every dead end street, but you can’t even tell me what they’re for!” And with that he slapped the top of the stone and everything went black.

<< Chapter 1: First Steps | NOTES | Chapter 3: Alone Again >>

Chapter 2: Unanswered Questions

Wonder’s first day in Ur turned into Wonder’s first night, which then turned into her second day, and on and on for several more days while she and Koro walked, jumped and flew through Groddle Forest. It turned out that Wonder did quite enjoy jumping—though she would have also liked to try flying—and she did a lot of it, even when it wasn’t strictly necessary. As they walked, jumped and flew Wonder would ask Koro questions and Koro would answer to the best of her ability. Whenever she would ask about Koro’s past Koro would try to steer the conversation toward other things which turned out to not be much of a problem because Wonder was still extremely easily distracted by all of the things around her.

Over first few days she asked about the world and its people, where it had all come from and where it all went. Koro, not being a Glitch herself, tried to tell Wonder whatever she could recall. It turns out she had been watching the Glitchen quite a bit before everyone disappeared and had learned a good amount about their beliefs and practices. She didn’t have an answer for everything (“Why do the streets have such funny names?”) and not all of the answers she gave were accurate, but she did her best to be helpful.

And so they wandered aimlessly for a while without a clear goal in mind. When you live in a world after it has ended there doesn’t seem to be much point in having a point, or so Koro reasoned. They never did encounter any other Glitchen, but they did occasionally come across a piggy or butterfly ambling as aimlessly as they were. Koro wasn’t much help in explaining how they might be useful and the animals themselves weren’t very forthcoming, so they mostly just let each other pass.

While they never found another Glitch they did find plenty of evidence that there had been many around at one time. There were objects and food and drink strewn about everywhere. “What happened here?” Wonder asked one day while they were trekking through a particularly messy street. Wonder had shown much interest in individual objects and their purposes, but this was the first time she really considered the mess as a whole.

“Well, as far as I can tell everyone knew the world was ending—or at least they thought it was—so they figured why keep the place tidy? Instead they threw a giant party and this is what’s left.”

Wonder considered that answer for the rest of the day and much of the next. She appreciated all of the new items she was learning about and she especially appreciated the food and drinks left around since she didn’t know how to prepare it for herself and Koro couldn’t teach her, but the thought of a world so suddenly abandoned made her sad.

They continued wandering through the forest until they came to a meadow. After the meadow they found themselves climbing higher up into the mountains. They had been hiking through the mountainous region—Groddle Heights according to Koro—for going on three days when they reached a dead end street.

This wasn’t the first dead end they had come upon. Ordinarily they would just turn around and walk the opposite way for a while, but this walking and jumping and flying had been going on for ten days and Wonder was beginning to wonder if they were just going to continue to do this forever.

“Can we stop here and rest a while?” Wonder stood near the stone that marked the end of the street.

“Sure. Is everything OK?” Koro landed on a low hanging tree branch nearby.

“Yes. No. I don’t know. I know I don’t understand a lot of things about this world, and I really love walking with you and seeing it, but I feel like there’s got to be something more than this. I mean, what did all those other Glitchen do that lived here before?”

“I don’t know, kid. I really don’t. I mean, I can tell you what I saw, but I didn’t really know any Glitchen personally so it’s hard for me to know their reasons.”

“OK, well, that’s another thing. How do you know so much about the Glitchen without really knowing anything about them? I thought you said you were from before?” Wonder started to pace uneasily. Talking about these things was starting to get her worked up, which had never happened to her before, and she wasn’t sure how to deal with it. Pacing seemed like a natural thing to do.

“Well,” Koro started, but was already at a loss of how to answer. “The thing is, I saw quite a bit of their—your culture—“

Wonder cut her off. “You keep saying that, but it seems like you can’t even answer half of what I ask you!” She was really getting going.

“I know, it’s just—“

“Like this thing,” Wonder pointed to the stone carving. “We’ve seen a dozen of these or more, one at the end of every dead end street, but you can’t even tell me what they’re for!” And with that she slapped the top of the stone and everything went black.

<< Chapter 1: First Steps | NOTES | Chapter 3: Alone Again >>