Kapitel 17: 17 Parked And Perplexed

The sun hung lazily in the sky, and Zoe slouched against a tree, her eyelids drooping as she stifled a yawn. The group stood before the impenetrable wall of twisted plants in Packard Park.

The compass Rogerick held glowed a soft blue, clearly pointing beyond the wall, but no amount of effort could get them through.

Gavin swung his sword, hacking at the branches, but each strike bounced back like he was hitting solid steel. The plants were magically reinforced; there was no way around it.

Rogerick moved silently, his eyes focused, as he carefully traced his fingers over the thick vines, searching for a weak spot.

"Nothing," he muttered, stepping back. His expression remained calm, but Rogerick's jaw tightened, and his fingers curled slightly into a fist before he let out a slow breath, his frustration showing in the way he clenched and then slowly relaxed his fist.

Gavin scratched his head, his brow furrowed as he eyed the barrier. He sighed heavily, his fingers tapping restlessly against his sword hilt. "This is ridiculous. We need Serria. I bet she could punch through this, or maybe her dad could help. He's a yard specialist, right?" He pulled out his phone, fingers moving swiftly as he texted Serria.

A few moments later, Gavin looked up, his face lighting up. "She's at Perkins Park, just down the road. Working out, of all things." He shook his head, half-smiling. "Let's regroup there and see if she can help us figure this out."

Gavin snapped a few pictures of the plants. "For Serria's dad."

Without much else to do, the group turned back, Snacks perched on Zoe's shoulder, his bright eyes darting between the others as if sensing the change in plans.

Perkins Park was a stark contrast to the twisted, ominous vibes of Packard Park.

It was quieter here, peaceful. Birds chirped, kids played at the playground, and a few people jogged along the paths.

They found Serria easily enough, she was at one of the workout stations, lifting herself into a pull-up with ease, her muscles flexing effortlessly.

"Yo, musclehead," Gavin called, waving as they approached.

Serria dropped down from the bar, turning to them with a grin. "Hey, slackers. Need some help with that overgrowth?" she asked, wiping her hands on her pants.

Gavin grinned back, "Yeah, but first, maybe a little break?" He gestured to a nearby shaded spot where they could set up. Zoe was already halfway there, dragging a blanket out of her snack vault. She was more than ready for a break.

Serria chuckled, shaking her head at Zoe's typical behavior. "Of course, Zoe's already got her break figured out," she teased, earning a lazy wave from Zoe as she flopped down on an angled pushup plank near the workout area.

"You guys have fun. I'm... supervising," Zoe muttered, her eyes already drifting closed.

Gavin rolled his eyes at Zoe while Serria laughed.

"You're lucky I like you," Serria said, moving to the workout station again, giving Zoe an exaggerated flex.

Rogerick raised an eyebrow at Zoe and simply shrugged before following Serria.

Serria, Gavin, and Rogerick exchanged knowing glances and then set about to the workout equipment.

Gavin attempted pull-ups while Serria easily completed hers, making sure to call out Gavin's lagging count with a laugh.

"Come on, Gavin, even Snacks could do better!" she teased, her voice light and challenging.

Rogerick, on the other hand, was content to observe, occasionally adding a dry remark to fuel the competition between Gavin and Serria.

"If this is the best you two have, I think I'll keep my hopes on Snacks handling the overgrowth," he quipped, his tone flat but his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Snacks chirped softly, curling up, his warmth settling into Zoe's body as she drifted off.

The laughter of Serria, Gavin's grunts as he attempted pull-ups, and Rogerick's dry comments blended into a soft background hum as Zoe's eyelids grew heavier, finally drifting shut.

Zoe woke up with a jolt.

The sun had shifted slightly, and the warmth on her stomach was gone.

She blinked, looking around, and realized that Snacks was missing. Zoe's heart pounded as she bolted upright, her eyes darting around the area, breath catching in her throat.

"Hey! Where's Snacks?" she called, getting to her feet.

The others turned to her, startled. Serria's eyes widened, and she scanned the area. "Wasn't he just with you?"

"He was..." Zoe muttered, her heart thudding.

A shiver ran down her spine, her skin prickling as if the air around her had suddenly turned cold.

Snacks had a tendency to wander off, but something felt off about this.

Rogerick crept to the edge of the picnic area, his gaze sharp and searching, every movement deliberate as he scanned for any sign of trouble.

"Found something. Over here." He pointed at a patch of faintly glowing mushrooms—wild and slightly luminescent, scattered under a tree.

A few of the mushrooms were missing their tops, showing small bite marks where Snacks had clearly munched on them.

Zoe groaned, her brow furrowing as she ran a hand through her hair, an exasperated sigh escaping her lips.

She clenched her fists, trying to steady herself, but her eyes darted around, betraying her worry. "Oh no. What did you eat, Snacks?"

It wasn't long before they heard a sudden pop and a chirp, followed by Gavin toppling backward onto his butt in surprise as Snacks appeared, blinking into existence directly in front of him, his scales shimmering slightly.

Gavin stared up, dumbfounded, from the ground. "Did... did he just teleport?"

Serria burst into laughter, doubling over as Gavin scrambled to his feet. "Oh, this is going to be fun," she said between fits of laughter, watching as Snacks suddenly flickered and turned invisible.

Snacks blinked out of sight, only to reappear atop a park bench, glowing bright purple.

Gavin lunged for him, but Snacks vanished again, leaving Gavin scrambling and nearly tumbling into the pond.

Serria was laughing so hard she had tears streaming down her cheeks, her voice echoing across the park. "You're gonna get wet, Gavin!" she teased.

Rogerick sighed deeply, shaking his head as Snacks teleported once more—this time behind the rogue, who spun around, his brows furrowing and lips pressing into a tight line.

He let out a sharp breath, shaking his head as if trying to keep his patience in check. "This dragon is going to be the end of us," he muttered, though a faint smile tugged at his lips.

Zoe clenched her jaw, trying to suppress a smile, but the corners of her mouth twitched upward despite her best efforts.

She chased Snacks up to a tree, only for him to teleport again, reappearing right before Rogerick.

The rogue, this time prepared, reached into his pouch, pulling out a small enchanted trinket—a charm that glowed faintly.

"Snacks, buddy, how about we calm down?" Rogerick said, his voice surprisingly gentle.

He lured Snacks with a protein bar, the little dragon slowly creeping forward, sniffing at the air.

With Snacks finally in hand, they returned to their picnic spot, everyone collapsing in exhaustion.

"Those mushrooms," Zoe said, looking back at the patch where Snacks had eaten. "They must be influenced by the shard somehow. I mean, look at what they did to him."

Gavin, still catching his breath, nodded. "Yeah, no kidding. We need to be careful. If the shard's influence has spread even here, that's a problem."

Zoe remembered how Dusty got demolished. "I live just south of here," she waved towards her apartment, just barely visible over the treetops. "It's how Snacks came into my life. Maybe it's—I don't know—a shard surge of power?"

Serria sat down on the grass, glancing between them, her usual confidence undeterred. "We'll figure it out. My dad's got a lot of knowledge about weird plants. He might know how to handle that overgrowth."

Rogerick smiled, leaning back on his elbows, and looking at Serria. "I have to say, though, this is kind of what I've always wanted—chasing magical creatures, finding strange artifacts. It's a dream come true."

Zoe looked at them, each of them tired but smiling.

Amid the chaos, laughter echoed, smiles spread across their faces, and even Gavin couldn't hide his grin.

Zoe looked down at Snacks, curled in her lap, and then at her new friends—each of them tired but smiling—and a warmth spread through her chest.

This was her crew, and it felt ... right.

As the sun dipped lower, Zoe made a mental note of their next steps. Tomorrow, they'd head back to Packard Park, this time with Serria's help. They had a barrier to break through and a mystery to solve.

But for now, they'd rest. Together.

The shard's influence was growing, but so was their determination.

Serria nudged Zoe playfully. "You know, for someone who spends most of her time being lazy, you've got a pretty powerful pet there."

Zoe rolled her eyes, a smile playing at her lips. "Yeah, well, Snacks does all the heavy lifting for me. Isn't that right, buddy?"

Snacks chirped in response, his eyes wide and innocent. Gavin raised an eyebrow. "Honestly, if this is what 'lazy' gets you, I might reconsider my whole exercise regimen."

Rogerick chuckled, shaking his head. "If you two are expecting a tiny dragon to do your share of the work, we might be in more trouble than I thought."

Zoe gave an exaggerated sigh. "See, this is why I keep you guys around—to make sure I'm not doing everything myself." She grinned, looking at each of them. "Team effort, right?"

AUTORENGEDANKEN
Zanden

Hey everyone!

This chapter was a fun one—lots of Snacks' chaotic antics and the crew bonding over a mix of magic and mayhem. I wanted to show how much Zoe's little dragon is already turning into a key part of the team, even if he's a bit unpredictable. Plus, having the group chase him around was a great way to let their personalities shine.

Let me know your thoughts! How do you think the shard's influence is going to keep affecting them from here on out?

Stay snack-powered!