Trunks as tall as mountains stretched upward and disappeared into the heights above. The chromol crystals shone the brightest at this hour. Their light that perforated through the dense canopy and filtered down to the forest floor signaled the start of a new day in the world high above.

Yelena wandered with both wonder and caution. She marveled at nature's ingenuity—the gaudy birds brushing between the vines hanging down, the faint rustle of leaves, and the constancy of falling water—the wolf companion beside her padding trails on the carpet of moss and fallen leaves.

She had to tread cautiously since the path occasionally narrowed to a precarious ledge overlooking a chasm. The tree roots reclined across the ground and disappeared deep into those chasms down the waterfalls that plunged into the darkness below.

Vjiiiiii~

Mist rose from the depths as cicadas sang of spring.

“This is terrible, Oleg.” Yelena shifted to her companion.

“Woof?”

“Don’t you hear the cicadas?”

“Woof woof…”

“I’m not very sure either. I’ve only heard of it.” She paused on a rocky outcrop to look out over the jungle. The waterfalls thundered into the chasms and sent up clouds of mist that shimmered in the crystalline light.

Yelena breathed deeply to feel the cool morning dew fill her lungs and heaved a heavy sigh. “Do you know? Cicadatras emerge from the ground every thirteen years.”

“Woof, woof?”

“No, I haven’t seen one myself either before.” Yelena reached into her pocket and pulled out a worn parchment map. The edges were frayed and the ink had faded in places. Still, it was legible. She unfolded it to hold it up and catch the light from the chromol crystals above. “They spend most of their lifetimes underground in an immature state called a nymph. While there, the nymphs feed on fluids from the roots of the forest trees.”

The map was marked with mysterious notes and symbols. Her finger traced their route so far. “The landscape has transformed a little over the ages, but I think we’ve come to the right place.” She then traced the landmarks and obstacles they had passed.

“Woof.”

“Right, so in the spring of their thirteenth year, mature nymphs emerge synchronously and in tremendous numbers as they actively demolish everything they come across for about four to six weeks,” Yelena continued. She located their current position and dotted it with her wooden pencil.

“Mated females lay eggs in the stems of woody plants. Their life cycle ends within two months of their original emergence as Cicadatras die. Later in that same summer, the eggs hatch, and the new nymphs burrow underground to develop for the next thirteen years as the cycle of what is referred to as periodical emergence perpetuates.” Yelena's eyes moved to the northern part of the map. “But that’s beside the point.”

Vjiiijiiiiiiijiiiiii~

“What I’m getting at is we’ve come to the right place at the wrong time.” She folded the map and tucked it back into her pocket. “Let’s tread with utmost caution. From what I’ve heard, those Cicadatras are devious. There are probably fights occurring everywhere. They are driven by hunger and mating imperatives as they attack indiscriminately.” Yelena turned to Oleg and patted his flank.

“Woof!”

They set off headed in a particular direction as they broke through the mazelike tangle of trees and leaves.

“We’ll finally leave Khutulun. I dislike this accursed empire the most! Even in the new world, this patriarchal system…” she sighed. “I somehow get why it was the case back on Earth. Men were stronger, after all. But in this world, everyone can become strong. The God of Conquest is truly the worst.”

Yelena had lost the number of times she was scorned by men, big or small, in Khutulun. That was at least better than men who tried to lay their hands on her.

“The northern parts of the world are also colder than the East Siberian Mountains! I’m never going to come back ever again!”

The remnants of waterfalls and hidden streams that crisscrossed the jungle floor splattered beneath their feet.

“Woof! Woof!”

“Oh! I’ve gotten off-topic.” Yelena shook her head. “I’m losing my sanity from all the loneliness.” She calmed herself down.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Woof…”

“No. I didn’t mean to put it that way. I’m still grateful I have you, Oleg. I would’ve gone insane if it weren’t for you. It’s just that all the people in this world are crazy.” Yelena heaved a heavy sigh.

The path was slick with moss and the occasional exposed root threatening to trip them up. Yelena advanced with her senses attuned to the sounds and movements of the jungle around her.

“Woof.”

“I can tell. Someone is fighting ahead. There is no avoiding it. If we go in circles, there is no telling if it will improve or worsen.” She narrowed her eyes.

Leaves and branches slapped against them as they pushed through the dense undergrowth curtain into the clearing.

A swarm of giant cicadatras filled the air with a deafening drone. Their wings beat as they swarmed around a central figure.

The figure was of a large and terrifyingly swift two-tailed white snake. She coiled. Her polished ivory scales reflected the light from the chromol crystals and the waterfall behind it. The twin tails lashed out in a whiplike manner.

The cicadatras continued to attack in waves as their mandibles clamped down on the snake’s body.

They were no match.

The snake hissed thunderously as she uncoiled and struck. Her fangs dug and sank deep into the nearest cicadatra.

Blood gushed across the snake's white scales and the greenery. The life drained from the thrashing keeper’s multifaceted eyes before being silenced.

The snake moved while its two tails created a blur as it swatted cicadatras from the air to send their broken bodies crashing to the ground.

Her strikes were crunching as exoskeletons shattered and innards spilled.

The waterfall was drowned out by the cacophony of battle as the mist mixed with the blood.

One larger rank 1 cicadatra dove at the snake’s head. The snake reared back and lunged forward to snap shut around the cicadatra’s thorax.

Its body lifelessly fell to the ground in two while its wings continued to twitch.

All dead.

The two-tailed white snake surveyed her handiwork. Her tongue flicked out to taste the air at the only sound of the steady roar of the waterfall. Blood dripped from the keeper’s fangs as she tried to slither back toward the water.

Yelena watched in awe and tightened her grip on Oleg’s fur.

“I think it’s her,” Yelena murmured. “The Guardian.”

Suddenly—

A monstrous cicadatra descended with terrifying speed. His wings beat with such ferocity that he tore through the air.

The snake reflexively lashed out with her twin tails to push the cicadatra back. She opened her jaws wide as a stream of water blades shot forth to slice toward the cicadatra.

He easily evaded the water blades by twisting and turning mid-air. He then surged forward. His wings created a whirlwind that whipped through the foliage and sent the leaves flying.

The snake coiled and uncoiled with lightning speed. The cicadatra continued to attack by diving and rising while she parried and counterattacked with her tails.

Calmly waiting for her moment, she finally lunged with her fangs at his exoskeleton. She tore a chunk from the cicada’s thorax.

He retaliated with a swift slash of his mandibles to leave deep gashes along the snake’s side.

The usually passive snake didn’t back down as she immediately sent another surge of water blades at the cicadatra’s wings.

One of the blades severed one of the cicadatra’s wings and sent it spiraling downward.

He tried to right himself but wasn’t given enough time—the white snake was upon him in an instant.

She coiled around his body and constricted. She squeezed and squeezed.

Vjiiiiiiiii!

His remaining wing beat frantically. But it was no use.

Blood oozed from his wounds to pool beneath them and fuse with the mud. She further tightened her grip.

His once powerful wings turned to a mangled mess of broken chitin and torn membranes.

His struggles grew weaker as his once mighty mandibles snapped feebly.

Squeeze

The keeper’s body collapsed inward. His organs burst from the pressure and colored the ground with a splatter of flesh and exoskeleton fragments mixed with a slurry of internal fluids.

She bit down as her jaws closed around the cicadatra's head. The white snake crushed and ate the ripe fruit of blood and brain matter.

The bloody meat twitched sporadically and spasmodically as the last remnants of its life force ebbed away and as the rain of gore shattered and scattered like confetti.

She then bit at the heart that lay on the ground. Therein was the rank 2 Rune of Sin. The snake munched on the heart while absorbing the rune.

The snake's gaze then locked onto the intruders standing across—a woman with golden hair and a massive wolf with dark fur and alert eyes.

Her body tensed despite her injuries. She readied herself to either strike or defend, coiling, her twin tails twitching.

Blood dripped from her numerous wounds to stain her pristine white scales with streaks.

The waterfall continued to fall.

Yelena met her eyes and slowly raised her hand with open palms.

“We mean no harm.”

Tat…Tat…Tat.

The rain started to fall.

TatTatTatTatTatTatTat