World Walker Park [Magical Amusement Park Base-Building]

It was Leo who found Franky and Eve, Luka just followed him. Through the penthouse to the last room on the right, the newly reconnected family was sitting in each other's arms. Eve and her mom were lying on the bed, Franky and his father laid back in the twin recliners in the corner, and Sol sat on the railing of the balcony, her back to the park. Annie and Vlad were present as well, talking to the newly living and cuddling on the couch.

The penthouse suites had a lot of furniture.

"Leo!" the mom yelled. "Oh, look at you! Last I saw you, you were a puppy—"

"Ain't he a dire-wolf?" asked the father. "Is he stunted?"

Franky smacked his dad in the arm. "Enchantment."

"Ah, that explains it."

Not to be mocked again, Leo increased his size, filling the room with pure white fur. Like the foam of a crashing beach, he shifted through the room until at the bed—where he threw his front paws onto the sheets and across Eve and her mom. They both gave him full torso rubs.

Luka stood in the doorway, smiling.

"Hey Dad," Annie said, drawing his attention. "How goes the expansion?"

"Good. I do want you to terraform some around the edges. Seal the guests in, sort of thing."

"Like a colosseum?" Vlad asked.

"A natural one, I suppose, yeah. But with a hill rather than walls."

Annie sipped a glass of wine. "In the morning."

With the conversation over, the Earthen family turned to the… whatever this world called its people family. They stared at each other—mainly at Luka—until their father spoke.

"Erm, Franky? Mind introducing us?"

Franky perked up, like he was suddenly bitten by an ant. "Oh right. Dad, Mom, this is Luka—best friend, alien creature from another world, and the guy responsible for today."

"Is he now?" asked their mother.

"Luka," Franky continued, "this is Mom and Dad."

Luka blinked.

Eve sighed and said, "This is Gara and Dugal."

"Oh, right, their names," Franky mumbled.

Luka smiled and said, "Nice to finally meet you."

And with that, the group had a very pleasant evening—until Princess Alexandra showed up, which was a whole other thing.

***

"You smell weird," Vale said the next morning, chisel knife in hand.

Luka found himself up earlier than usual, much to Leo's annoyance, and decided to head over to the park's entrance and mingle. He, however, was too early. The Early Walker Club had yet to arrive, and Vale—Guardian of the Gates, her decided upon name for her work position—was still preparing for the crowd.

It seemed the eldritch-horror-god-turned-person had moved on from providing pastries and jrum for the early arrivals and had taken it upon herself to carve a massive wooden map of the park. From a bird's-eye view, the map traced the paths and streets within the park and each themed land, highlighting the rides and attractions. A small key was carved into the corner with all the names of everything as well as what symbols meant. Apparently a star meant bathroom and a heart meant bakery.

"Thanks," Luka said, sniffing himself. He smelt nothing. "What do I smell like?"

"Rebirth."

He paused. That actually made sense… right? No, no it didn't. What did "rebirth" smell like and why could Vale smell it? Luka suddenly found himself at a crossroads. He could ask her to explain, which might be a thing. Or he could just ignore her. He chose the latter.

"What are you making?" he asked instead.

"A map of the park."

"I can see that. It's very impressive."

"Thank you," Vale said, smiling bright.

"But you know we have illusionary maps inside the park, right?"

"Yup."

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"Then why—"

Vale stopped, pointed her chisel knife toward him, and said, "Because Kevin from the Early Walkers didn't believe I could." She went back to chiseling—which was more like whittling. "Stupid Kevin says I can't," she then mumbled.

Luka blinked. "You're making an entire map just to prove you can?"

"Yeah, so? Kevin's just so—" She let out a frustrated growl.

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

Vale sniffed. "You should bathe."

Slowly guests arrived, filling the area before the gates. Vale, at some point, deemed her map "done" until Luka opened more sections of the park. She'd then go back and add them. In the meantime, she carried trays of cut-up pastries and maintained heat glyphs on a cauldron of jrum.

Luka didn't often make it to these early morning pre-park opening moments, but when he did manage, he was always surprised by Vale's work ethic. She knew all the regulars, held bets and challenges with them, and cared for their breakfast needs. Maybe, he mused, the park should have an employee of the month.

Vale would win in a heartbeat.

"World Walker," a voice called.

Luka turned and froze. There, striding up the path leading from the park was Hairdresser Alpha, his hair styled but disheveled, as if he just woke from a night of drinking. He scowled at Luca, a pair of scissors in his hands, held like a dagger.

"Where are they!?" he demanded, drawing the eyes of the guests waiting beyond the gate.

Luka held up his hand, and luckily the man stopped. "Who?" he asked, taking the man in.

Alpha was strange—Luka knew that from the moment he met him. Whether it was his hair styled to be a spider's nest or the rising sun, magic influenced the man's fashion like a hen lays an egg. But from previous interactions, he had always been responsive and appreciative for a place in the park to work.

And now he held a weapon.

"Luna and the twins!" he spat—the other hairdressers. "I know you did something to them! World Walker and all that!"

He took a step closer, and Luka took a step back. Luka pressed into the gate, annoyed he didn't step past the threshold like Vale. He took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm. The last thing he wanted was to startle the guests.

"Why don't we put the scissors down, eh?"

Alpha thrust them out. "Give them back!"

"I didn't do anything to them. I have no idea what you're talking about."

Alpha's eyes darted around, stopping on the faces of all those who stared at him. People were watching. People were staring. He trembled, afraid. Something was very, very wrong. Some of the guests smiled—they were likely in on it too. He turned back to the World Walker. Luka had his hands up, his eyes wide and scared. What had he done to them? Just what kind of madhouse was this?

"You'll regret this, World Walker," Alpha spat. "You'll regret all of this. Their deaths are on your hands!"

Luka flinched. "Luna and the twins are dead? When did this happen?"

"You know exactly when! Yesterday! They were following your daughter and suddenly they're gone!"

Luka felt as if someone threw a bucket of ice water at him. "They were following Annie?"

Goddess Tippy's words echoed in his mind. Do not get a haircut.

Something dark connected into the back of Luka's mind at that moment. The gods had barred each other from interfering with World Walker Park except under unusual, dire circumstances. The cult of the potion of decongestion, the reincarnation of a village, the request to put a barbershop into a park.

One of those was not like the others. And yet, the gods allowed it.

Luka thought back to what God Hyrin said to him while LOOMING over him while he was in bed. Something about the other gods not knowing, right? At the time Luka wanted to call Goddess Tippy to deal with the strange god standing in the dark of his room. God Hyrin begged him not to.

His gaze fell to the silver, shiny scissors in Alpha's fingers. Suddenly God Hyrin's begging made sense.

Quietly, calmly—too calmly—Luka asked, "Why were they following Annie?"

His ears were ringing.

His heart was thumping.

Alpha's eyes darted around—guests, to the World Walker, to the heavens. "Guide me," he pleaded. "Please, Trickster."

"Why were they following my daughter!" Luka demanded, taking a step forward.

The ground rumbled. The forest shook.

Magic welled in Luka, he gripped everything he could—dirt, grass, wood, the gate itself, the scissors in Alpha's hands. With a flinch of his head, he sent the weapon far, far away. It ripped from Alpha's grip and hurtled far into the forest, forever lost like a needle in a haystack.

Alpha took a step back, his god failing to respond. A piece of wood was suddenly in his way. He tripped, landing on his butt hard. Luka took a step forward, looming like God Hyrin had done to him.

"Why were they following my daughter?" he demanded again.

The ground shook harder, but it wasn't Luka. Something was coming, breaking down trees to get there.

Alpha stared at the heavens. "Please, Trickster! Guide me!"

Luka crouched eyelevel with the hairdresser. "Last chance. Why were they following her?"

Eyes wide and rebuked by his god's silence, Alpha said, "Because we were told to capture her—"

It was then the forest split open and Snake rushed through. Crushing the trees, smearing the gravel path, and with his mighty maw open wide like a portal into the void, Snake devoured. He passed inches from Luka, swallowing Alpha whole. His massive body followed his head, and he circled around to stare down at Luka.

Super Snake protect!

The three words boomed in everyone's minds, but they held special meaning to Luka. Snake had saved Annie when the hairdressers were going to take her.

"Yes you are," Luka said. "Thank you for protecting us."

And like that, Snake departed back to Ressen. The trees popped back up as he passed, but the gravel path would need fixing.

Luka turned slowly, finding the guests wide-eyed and staring at him. Vale quietly stared as well, but when they locked their eyes, she gestured to the heavens with her chin. Call out to them, she silently said.

Luka took the advice. He turned and looked at the sky.

"Well?" he asked.

With one word, he commanded the heavens to descend. And for the second time in recent memory, the gods filled World Walker Park.