Rising Shards

Chumbler felt her little leggies get tired as she jumped over another platform. The purple lava’s smoke made her choke. Gym class was never her specialty, and this was making that abundantly clear.

“Z.O.K.,” Chumbler said. “My little leggies are sore and tired. Like right in the joints. It’s unpleasant.”

“It like a video game.” Z.O.K. said, a few platforms ahead of her.

“OK, and?” Chumbler said.

“Chumbler, dumbass,” Z.O.K. said. ”You’re the one who set this dongus up like. This is your fault. Now, I wanna win the giant hot lady’s respect and maybe ask her out, so let me win this challenge.”

“Sure, yeah,” Chumbler said. “Just like. I hope I uh. Can avoid die doing these challenges.”

“If you fall in the lava, you just start over.” Someone said beside her. Chumbler whipped her head to see a boy in a Falling Shards uniform also in the middle of the challenge.

“And whomst the hell may you be?” Chumbler asked.

“Uh, you first.” The boy said.

“Chumbler,” Chumbler said.

“Right, that’s my name too.” He said.

“No it isn’t.” Chumbler said. “Z.O.K., you hearing this? Z.O.K.?”

Z.O.K. was very far ahead in the challenge now. Chumbler looked this fella over. He had purple hair and looked incredibly basic otherwise. Like full on default in a character creator in a video game appearance. Like someone went into a character creator and just changed the hair color and that’s it. Even his hair style was a basic spiky looking video game deal. His sheer basicness disgusted Chumbler.

“Fine, you got me,” the boy said. “My name’s actually Typo.”

“Like, as in, a misspelling?” Chumbler asked.

“Uh huh,” Typo said. “It’s lucky my parentos named me that cuz like. My Cani power is to spell everything wrong.”

“Is that…really a Cani power?” Chumbler asked.

“Uh huh.” Typo said.

“Well, whatever. Why are you here?”

“I summoned Queceilitrex to try and get a boyfriend and ended up in this challenge.” Typo said. “I haven’t been able to clear it yet.”

“Well I guess let’s try?” Chumbler said. “Here, hold on, wait.” She looked through her pockets and found a notepad and pencil she kept for gambling purposes. “I wanna test your power. Write down something.”

“Like what?”

“Just write down ‘I’m a silly little boy.’” Chumbler said.

“OK…” Typo said. He wrote it down, and sure enough, every word was misspelled.

“Wow.” Chumbler said. “Well, anyways.”

Chumbler got back to jumping. Typo was really bad at this and fell in the lava a bunch of times, starting over at the beginning. But Chumbler was sweaty and slow at this so he caught up pretty easily each time.

“Maybe like. Don’t fall.” Chumbler said.

“Yeah, good idea.” Typo said.

“Pretend the lava below is correctly spelled words,” Chumbler said. “We both know how you get about correctly spelled words, am I right? As angry as Z.O.K. when someone looks through her drawer filled with books from that highly inappropriate for a school setting Cani shapeshifter series. That someone is me, by the way.”

“Oh, but those books are really good,” Typo said. “And who is Z.O.K.?”

“That broad up ahead.” Chumbler said.

Chumbler and Typo jumped over a bunch of lava pits, and despite some painful landings, they caught up to Z.O.K., who waited at the end of the course, marked by a glowy wall.

“If we pass through this we win the level, I think,” Z.O.K. said. “Who is this now?”

“This here is one of those boys I’ve heard so much about.” Chumbler said.

“Say what?” Z.O.K. asked.

“This one is a boy,” Chumbler said. “I’m concerned about having a boy on the team, NGL.”

“Don’t say text speak out loud.” Z.O.K. said.

“Frowny face emoji.” Chumbler said. “But like a barfy one, because I’m barfy from all those purple lava fumes. Anyways, this is Typo.”

Typo waved.

“Don’t ask Chumbler about her last name.” Z.O.K. said.

“Why would that be the first thing you say to him?” Chumbler said. “Now he’s gonna be curious. You’re not allowed to ask me about my last name.”

“Same goes to you two.” Typo said.

The trio passed through the energy wall and were greeted with a meeting room with dog treats covering the floor. “Congrats on beating Level 1” was written all over the walls.

“Aw, sick!” Chumbler said, grabbing a handful of the treats and wolfing them down.

“Endorans sure do love writing things on walls.” Z.O.K. observed.

“And being hot as hell,” Chumbler said.

Z.O.K. snorted and laughed for an awkward amount of time. “You’re not wrong.”

“Let’s take a breather here.” Chumbler said. “So uh, Typo.”

“Uh huh?” Typo said.

“Falling Shards.” Chumbler said.

“…the school I go to, yes.” Typo said.

“What uh, so what uh, what is a boy like you doing in a place like this?” Chumbler asked. “A boy from Falling Shards.”

“Well, I lose all the popularity polls there,” Typo said. “And I want a boyfriend. So I’m here.”

“They run popularity polls at Falling Shards?” Z.O.K. asked.

“Uh huh,” Typo said. “I never win them.”

“We should have those!” Chumbler said. “I’d sweep em, yep, that’s me. Chumbler. Princess Queen of the Polls at Rising Shards. I’m gonna print business cards that say that when we get back.”

“I mean, I’d vote for you, but what if you lost a poll? You’d be devastated.” Z.O.K. said.

“Well, I hope Queceilitrex grants you a wish of a boyfriend and/or winning a popularity poll at Falling Shards.” Chumbler said.

“Me too,” Typo said. “I’ve been described as a bit evil and I think that bones up my poll winning chances.”

“A bit evil, eh?” Chumbler said. “Perfect! You’ll fit right in.”

“Can we move onto the next challenge already?” Z.O.K. asked.

“Gimme a few more minutes.” Chumbler said. “I uh ate the dog biscuits too quick and now my tummy is rumbly along with my leggies being sore.”