Asteria ran very fast!

She is so fast that Timothy has to do his best just to remain on her back. Then, to make it even worse, Asteria decides to run almost in a break turn zig zag pattern that almost threw Timothy off more than one time. Timothy asks her to slow it down a few times, but every time he does that, Asteria decides to increase her speed even more. Timothy has already given up on asking her to slow down and can only hang on his dear life with a bit of tears in his eyes.

Asteria ran for about two hours straight, across the forest and swampy land, until she reached a huge river that runs in the middle of wet lands and a wide meadow covered in bushes and tall grass. Asteria slowed down her speed and carefully walked on the edge of the meadow, looking wary and afraid. Timothy can somehow feel her feeling,ssss as this is probably the first time she returned after such a long time.

"where is the other lizard Asteria?" Timothy asked.

"they are supposed to live somewhere near the wet lands, hiding under underground caves." Asteria explained.

"let's hope they are still around and one of them has darkness element."

Asteria brings Timothy to walk near the edge of the meadow, vigilantly watching over the wet lands and waiting for some movements. Fifteen minutes of waiting, Timothy already felt very bored and his mind began to wander around, unable to focus. Asteria has to scold him a few times just to put Timothy back into focus.

They have to wait for about four hours before they finally see a movement. There is this little bulge on the wet land that suddenly move, like there is something below that finally awakes and decided to move. They have to wait for another two hours before the bulge finally shows its true self.

It was a snake.

a big, wet, watery snake that is almost thirty meters long. The snake's tongue licks the air eerily, tasting the air and trying to read the situation around it. The snake soon finds its destination and slithers away in the opposite direction, looking for its own prey to hunt.

Meanwhile, Asteria and Timothy are quarreling, talking about the location of their target.

"you said they were here!?"

"I KNOW they were there. They are supposed to be there!"

"but there is no way they were here if that snake was living in their supposed nest, right?"

"of Of course , Snakes terrify us just like it scares you human!"

"then where are they now?!"

"I don't know!"

"high.. is there no one that we can ask?"

"I doubt anyone can tell you about the lizard's nest."

"maybe, you know about them?

You said your kin and theirs are odd sometimes, right?"

"I can't go there.

Why do you think I told you about the lizard, huh?"

"so you cannot go home? or you do not want to go home?"

"both! I cannot and do not want to go back to my family.

"but they are your kin!!"

"I know!"

They keep fighting verbally, with Asteria making a grunting sounds and Timothy responding with a voice so loud it can almost be heard for hundreds of meters. They somehow appear like a comedic duo while forgetting that they are in the wilderness where danger of magic beasts and natural phenomenons can happen at any time.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

They finally decided that they cannot find anything to solve their current predicament other than looking for Asteria kin. Asteria is against this idea, but she also cannot refute that this is the only way to solve their issue other than wandering aimlessly in the meadow.

Once again, Timothy rides on Asteria back while she walks them to the last location where she remembers where her kin used to live. Since the lizard is no longer in their nest, it is very likely that the komodo is also leaving their nest.

"He, Asteria. Do you mind if I ask you something personal? " Timothy said one time.

"Go on. I am listening. "

"Why are you leaving your kin and nest?

Didn't they need you there? "

"There is a lot of reason, but one of them is that I choose peace over everything. " Asteria said as she reminisced about her younger day.

"Did your kin love battles that much? "

"Not battles, Timothy.

We used to love wars and death.

We hunt just because we can and kill anything out of boredom. "

"So... Your kin is kind of like... Merciless and brutal? Or just simply following their instinct? "

"No, we were monsters back then.

We abuse our power and spread death wherever we go. "

"Then, your kin used to be evil. Right?

Which is also the reason why you left. You love peace better than that raw evilness. "

"You are right.

I am lucky that I found the forest with strange power. It helps me to train my control over my basic wild urges. "

"The name is Forest of Patience.

Honestly, I thought I will have to fight to the death once more in this mission.

Turns out I got a new friend.

What a twist. "

Asteria smiled in her heart. Timothy will never know how much his words have touched her. She is a Magic Beast, one that is born from hatred and darkness. She is supposed to be one of the most evil creatures among her kin. Timothy said that he found friend in her, somehow soothe her heavy heart. A heart that long told her that she would never be able to be good. Condemn to become eternal evil.

Asteria walked and walked until finally they arrived on a hill. Asteria suddenly stop. She had a doubtful look on her face. Timothy realizes that his new friend is having trouble again, pats the back of her head where he was sit. Asteria somehow feels strengthened by this act and once again takes a step to see over the hill.

Timothy and Asteria look over the hill at the same time. Asteria has a look of surprise while Timothy has a more confused look.

What they see is a big group of lizard like magic beasts consisting of a variety of lizard like race. Two races have the biggest body shape, among others, which is the Komodo and the Monitor Lizard, which is supposed to be Timothy target. Other than the two big body, there are some smaller lizards like Salamanders, Geckos, and some more. They are all colorful and each is more unique than the other. Timothy tried to look at one in detail but lost it when he saw another that was equally unique and different.

"didn't you say that your kin and that Monitor Lizard are enemies to each other?" Timothy asked.

"yes."

"and the two of you supposed to live in separate nest, away from each other?"

"yes."

"and I suppose there is just your kin in their nest, without other lizard joining in. right?"

"yes."

"then how come we see so many varieties of lizards in one nest?"

"I don't know."

"are they living in a structured society?"

"I don't know."

"do you want to know?"

"I don't know."

"why you don't know?"

"I don't know."

Timothy decided to step down from Asteria back and then sit down on the hill. Asteria looks at Timothy in confusion but then follows Timothy when he tapped on the ground beside him, signing for Asteria to sit as well. As both of them sitting on the ground, they begin to look at the open sky above and get lost in thought.

"how long have you been away, Asteria?" Timothy suddenly asked.

"haahhh.. probably more than twenty years." Asteria said as she sigh.

"that is quite a long time, especially for human."

"that is just a short time for a magic beast like me."

"especially one as strong as you too. here."

"thank you, Timothy."

"then what should we do now, Asteria?

We are here to find your so - called rival and then find out they are now living in the same nest as your kin."

"I can try to go down and talk."

"will they listen, Asteria?"

"probably not. but that is the better choice than waiting here."

"are you okay with that?

going down there and talk, I mean."

"I am more worried about you Timothy.

This side of wilderness is still beyond your level of power."

"I can manage somehow. Don't be too worried."

"good, then I can go with ease.

don't let anything see you here, got it?"

"I got it, Asteria. Good luck down there."

"good luck up here too."

Asteria then stands up and walks away, going down the side of the hill while Timothy once again takes a look through the hill. Personally, Timothy cannot really decide how to feel when he sees the group of lizards. On one hand, he felt disgusted, like a group of dirty wet - bodied small lizards that gathered under dirty rocks. It gives a terrifying tinge that is hard to resist. On the other hand, Timothy knows that these lizards are all magic beast. creatures with powers that are capable of great destruction.

"just can't tell Asteria about how I see them. It will hurt her too much."