Despite my exhaustion I found myself wide awake staring up at the netted ceiling of Lucy’s tent. She was fast asleep in a comfortable looking sleeping bag and resting her head on a fluffy pillow. I on the other hand was giving a thin blanket and a bundled up bag of extra clothes as a pillow. Lucy didn’t carry extra camping gear as she said she spent most of her time alone. Once we exited the forest she told me she would direct me to where I could get my own starting supplies at a starter town called Azure City.

It was kind of her to allow me to stay in the tent and to give me what she could but I felt I was starting to become a nuisance to her. It could just be my paranoid mind running amok because I was laying so close to someone of the opposite sex. I also didn’t want to start some incredible journey. I wanted to find my friends and go home. My mother was probably worried sick about me. Even though I kept prying about what exactly was going on to me all Lucy said was that all people brought to Asherik started their journeys in the started towns and that all my questions would be answered once she got me to Azure City.

Motte was chirping quietly near the end of the tent by the entrance. I think Motte realized how uncomfortable his appearance was making me and was doing his best to not get too close. I felt bad about it sure but we had only met a few hours ago and it wasn’t like he was my lifelong pet or something.

“Can’t sleep?” Lucy turned in her sleeping bag to look at me. “Sorry I don’t have anything better for you to sleep in.”

“No it’s fine. I’ve slept on worse.” I answered turning to face her.

“Let me ask you something.” Lucy said. “For someone who loves bugs you sure seem to not like your Essemon.”

“I don’t hate Motte. I… I just don’t like grasshoppers. In fact I’m terrified of them.” I tried to keep my voice as quiet as possible not to wake Motte.

“You are scared of grasshoppers yet you love bugs? Wow…” Lucy rolled her eyes and chuckled under her breath. “Is there a certain reason may I ask?”

There was a reason that I didn’t like grasshoppers but I wasn’t ready to share them with a stranger. Heck I hadn’t even told Locke or Sam about it. “I just… They creep me out is all.”

“I guess that explains why you picked that Insect Core.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Essences are… how should I put this. Essence is the very connection of life and energy. Things are drawn together through their Essence. These connections are sometimes emotional, sometimes physical, and especially spiritual. Your fear of the Pondfang must have created a strong connection with something you were already afraid of. It’s really fascinating when you think about it.” Lucy smiled and gave me a teasing wink. Her face was a pale portrait in the light of the waning moon.

I could feel myself beginning to blush from her gaze and wanted it to stop so I forced out the one question that I could think of. “If everyone has their own Essemon where is yours?”

At the question Lucy turned away and stared up at the night sky. “My Essemon is… its tired. She doesn’t have the energy to come out right now so she is resting. Also I only have one Design Bonded right now and I don’t want it shattered.”

“You only have a single Design? Then why do you have all of those Essence Cores?” I asked.

“I’m a Core Collector. I go out and try to find and collect rare cores and then I sell them to Bonders. It’s not the most glamorous of jobs but at least I don’t get stuck in the cities. I get to explore and I don’t worry about battling or competing in the grand tournaments.”

There was so much about this world I didn’t know. Everything that Lucy referenced when she talked constantly led to more questions. I had so much I wanted to ask her but every time I asked her something I felt like a small child. Lost, afraid and weak. I hated feeling like that so I kept my questions to myself. I figured I would learn about these things once we reached Azure City.

A sudden quake shuddered the tent and a burst of orange light pierced the night forest.

“What was that?” I asked, sitting up in a panic. Motte was startled awake and was crouched in a stance ready to fight. His stats had recovered somewhat from the battle with his HP reaching seven and his SPD healing to a four. Not perfect health but good enough that his appearance was remarkable better than before.

“I don’t know.” Lucy was already up on her feet and unzipping the tent flap. “I’m betting it’s trouble. C’mon.”

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Run towards the explosion? What was she crazy?

Before I could say another word Motte was up and jumping after Lucy. “Let’s go Ben. Someone could need our help.”

I let out a groan as I got up, slipped on my shoes and went running after the two. What were the odds that I would be in a life threatening situation twice in one day.

As I ran through the jungle following behind Motte who kept calling out, “Watch that branch. Careful, the ground drops out. This way.” A few times those branches and small dips slowed me down but eventually I caught up with Lucy and Motte who had stopped outside the light of a massive fire.

Coming to a crouch next to Lucy I looked around the bush we were hiding behind and caught sight of a large industrial sight. It had the appearance of a working station that was quickly put together and was going to be temporary. There were several large metal containers stacked to the right with fenced off areas filled with cages filled with Essemon. A few wide tents, taller than the surrounding trees, were erected at the center. There were at least twenty people all dressed in dark clothing running around. Some had long handled grapples locked around different Essemon and were forcing them into cages. It was horrifying to watch all the chaos. Essemon were screaming in fear, struggling to escape while these criminals tortured and forced them into captivity.

With all that said the scariest thing to me was the giant mechanized machines with spinning blades at the end of long metallic arms, cutting and clearing away the jungle to our left. They were massive towering at least thirty feet tall with a driver sitting at a center console in its chest. Hundreds of birds, deer, insects and frog-like Essemon were scrambling away in a hurry trying to avoid the mechanized monstrosity.

“Who are they?” I asked.

“Poachers. Despicable, rotten people who torture Essemon till they faint gather their Cores and… and… They don’t let their Essence be Reborn. We have to do something.” Lucy said turning to me and Motte.

“What? Are you crazy? We barely beat that Pondfang what can we do against all of that?” I asked, gesturing to all the madness. Lucy put her hand on her chin and looked out at the Poachers camp. I caught a glimpse in her eyes as they fell upon the cages closest to us. “If we can get over to those cages we may be able to set those Essemon free. Even if we can just save a few of them it will be worth it. But we have to be fast. Follow me.”

We started sneaking around the outer perimeter of the camp staying hidden in the shadows as best we could. A few times one of the Poachers had come running by forcing us to stop and sink into the darkness. Once they ran off after being ordered by someone else we would move on. We finally came to a halt not ten feet away from the closest cages.

“Okay.” Lucy said with her hand on her chin again she looked down at her ARC Band but then covered it with the sleeve of her jacket. “Ben you hit the first cage and I’ll go around and try to break the second one. If we can alternate, but stay close, we can free as many as possible. If you are spotted run back to our campsite. I’ll regroup with you there.”

I nodded in agreement even though I wanted to shout that this was crazy. That she was crazy, but I had come this far and I couldn’t stand to see all these Essemon get hurt. I always had a soft spot for the underdogs after all.

Lucy held out three fingers, then two, one and then we were off running towards the first set of cages. Motte and I came to a stop putting our backs to the metal cage trying our best to keep out of the light. Lucy paused around the corner of the cage gave me a thumbs up and a smile and turned to the cage to our right.

“Motte?” I turned to the grasshopper. “Keep an eye out. If you see anything let me know.”

Motte nodded and turned to keep watch. I stood up and looked inside the kennel. I saw a host of different Essemon all huddled together in fear. I saw large ferrets, long rabbets, more of the salamander looking Essemon and a few of the walking mushrooms. “It’s okay. I’m here to help.”

I grabbed the latch, turned and pulled on the cage door. It squeaked loud and caused me to stop. I looked over at Lucy who was gritting her teeth against the sound. She was also grabbing onto the latch of the cage she was at ready to open it. She mouthed a countdown and together we pulled and opened up the cages.

“Lets go. Hurrying.” I waved the Essemon out of the cages and watched them run out into the forest.

“What’s going on here?” A large man, bald with a scar across his eye, one of the Poachers, had come out from between the cages and was standing between me and Lucy. “How dare you interfere in the Corporations affairs!” He lifted up his ARC Band and with a wave of his hand a large Essemon had appeared before him. It looked like a hedgehog standing on its hind legs and standing nearly five feet off the ground. It had long quills down its back and they were burning like hot coals. It had smoke pooling out its mouth and its eyes were glowing red. “Get them Pyrospine!”

The Pyrospine marched slowly toward Lucy, fire growing between its fangs. I turned to look at Motte who was now standing next to me and crouched ready to fight. I thought about initiating a battle with the Pyrospine. It could force it to fight me and give Lucy enough time to escape when all of a sudden a massive gust of wind burst forth from the woods. The wind was so strong that it nearly knocked me over. I had to hold onto one of the bars of the cages to keep my self from falling to the ground.

Something massive burst forth from the treeline and over the entire encampment before disappearing on the other side. A wild howl, something primal and dangerous could be heard echoing all around us. A roar went up all around camp as Poachers started summoning their Essemon or climbing into their machines.

A blast of white and green energy shot down from the night sky blowing up one of the tree cutting walkers. The massive explosion shook the camp and sent people scrambling. Soon poachers were commanding their Essemon to fire their abilities into the sky. I couldn’t see what they were aiming at. It was too fast. Flying through the sky like a hunting shadow against the dark clouds.