The night was still young. Wander and Sylvia were sound asleep; the orange creature emitting a soft snoring sound while the Zbornak, eyes closed, inhaled and exhaled. Located beside them, the fire burned and crackled cheerfully within the circle of rocks. The stars above them glared at the duo for hours, and during these hours, Wander entered a dream that would soon turn into a complete nightmare.
"Just a few more miles," Sylvia exhaustingly stated, "we can make it!"
Wander wiped the sweat off of his forehead and reached for the canteen that was draping on Sylvia's right side. He offered her some, but she refused to take a sip. "I can't believe that we ran out of Orbbal Juice that fast. I guess we lose time when we are travelin' so much."
"You can say that again," Sylvia said. After a few more steps, her blue feet treaded on a sharp object. "Ow!"
"Are you okay?" Wander empathetically asked his friend.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."
Sylvia brushed it off and continued to push forward, and as they progressed, both pair of eyes squinted to see lights along the horizon. "Look, Wander! The city! We are bound to find some Orbbal Juice there!"
With high hopes of getting some Orbbal Juice, the friends stumbled upon a highway that would lead them straight towards the city. Sylvia remained on the side of the road, being cautious of big motored vehicles. The smell of exhaust and fumes entered Wander's lungs which irritated them. Wander looked into the sky. He was suspecting to see stars as he would when tucked away in the wilderness. Instead, the star nomad got bright neon and electronic billboards that brightened the night sky, so not even a twinkling of a single star can show it's light down on himself.
Wander listened for the familiar sounds. Crickets do their dance of song, frogs talking to each other in a symphony of ribbits. It has been replaced with the honk of the horn, police sirens screaming to life in the distance. These were the sounds of the city that never slept.
"Have you ever been to the city before, Wander?" Sylvia had asked the astonished star nomad.
"I have been to the city before, but only a few times. Some bad things happen in the city..." Wander nervously explained. A pair of blue shoes fell and made contact with the hard, gray pavement. The green hat on the star nomad's furry head tilted slightly to the right, losing balance. A soft orange hand seized the brim of the hat, preventing it from plummeting down to the ground. Sylvia looked up in amazement as the tall buildings barely scraped the sky with their sharp antennas. Wander gazed along with her but their attention was soon interrupted by a car that bolted by, the car lost control and the tires screeched against the street; the vehicle rammed head-on with a telephone pole down the road.
Wander's face grew with concern and raced over there to make sure no one was seriously hurt or even killed.
"Are you alright?!" Wander shouted over the steaming motor. Sylvia rushed behind him, just as concerned.
No response.
An empty seat was seen through the tinted windows of the vehicle; there was no driver. Not even a passenger. Puzzled, the duo rubbed the side of their heads. Automobiles drove on by with operating passengers that were visualized by both Wander and Sylvia. Some stared at the scene.
"That was strange," Sylvia uttered under her breath. Sirens echoed in the distance and they were slowly growing louder. "Come on, we gotta get going."
Wander nodded, not sure what to think when it came to the strange event. The two friends roamed down a dark and eerie alleyway; on a quest to find some Orbbal juice.
Meanwhile, about ten to fifteen miles away, in another city, a skeleton in a black and red cloak exited his ship, followed by an army of Watchdogs. The leader's eyes glowed an evil neon green and the gold gloves that covered his bony hands were charged with might. As soon as he barked commands, the Watchdogs moved forward, producing destruction along their path. Citizens ran away from the approaching invasion, carrying their young who were shrieking. In the background, the Leader cracked a smile as the demolition unfolded. His little sidekick stood beside him, relishing the fear, sadness, desperation and despair.