“No kiddos again tonight, huh?” Mandy remarked as she and Christina finished with their dishes for the evening.

“Some of them'll show up later, I bet; but yeah, the main two are definitely still on their 'vacation',” her partner smiled.

“And your sister even went to check on them, even though it's only been a day,” Mandy grinned back.

“True,” Christina nodded. “She's really fond of them now, I guess!”

“Well that makes all of us,” the platinum-haired girl shrugged.

“Right?” the other returned as she put away the last few plates. “And there!”

“Phew! Let's just have some meals out for the rest of the week,” Mandy then said with a wry grin.

“Ha! Okay,” Christina laughed back.

“Just make sure we have clothes,” her girlfriend winked back.

“Yeah, yeah.” the dark-haired girl smirked in reply. “Panarena?”

“Panarena.” Mandy nodded affirmatively.

***

“Oh! There you are!” Lizzy beamed at the two of them as they logged in.

“Lizzy!” Sky Belle smiled, fluttering over to sit on her shoulder. “Anyone else on?”

“Anhe said she'll get on, and Heali will be here... Der got stuck at work and Maryn wanted to go over her notes and stuff for one of her classes,” their halberdier and smith replied. “What about your sis?”

“Dunno,” Lysandra shrugged. “She may get on, when she's done checking up on our lovebirds.” she added with a soft smile.

“Hmm? Ohh, I see!” Lizzy grinned. “Anyway; Anna Belle said she'd be gone for a couple of in-game days so she can tell her uncle in wherever-land about our progress, so I was gonna explore a bit with one of the other guilds... but since you're here!”

“Wherever-land, huh?” Sky Belle shook her head in amusement. “But sure, sounds good to me!” she agreed. A moment later, Anhe appeared, and Healina arrived shortly after.

“Nice little party we have, considering,” Healina remarked.

“Right?” Lysandra said. “So Lizzy, where are we exploring?”

“There was something suspicious in those mountains I wanted to take a closer look at,” the other girl replied.

“In the mountains?” Anhe asked her. “Do you think it was related to our quest?”

“I'm pretty sure,” Lizzy nodded back as they set off. “Part of our quest log updated when we went past it, but there's nothing clear; see?” she continued, showing them her own.

“You're right,” Lysandra agreed. “All is says is 'Optional' so far... suspicious indeed!”

“If it is so, masters, I should accompany you there,” Fyu said as he hurried to join them.

“Sure thing! We could use your help,” Sky Belle said as she flew over to perch on him instead of Lizzy. “Where's Dracky, by the way?”

“Dracuoatlax and Guntaru are on the island of Ygrom with some of the other guilds,” the dog-beast told her in answer. “It seems that island had some sort of wild beast worthy of his attentions.”

“Pity the beast who catches a dragon's eye,” the pixie-girl nodded wisely.

“I could not have said it better, masters.” Fyu subtly grinned. “And I concur with your words from earlier; there was something not quite right in those mountains,” he added.

“If Fyu says so, let's be on guard.” Lizzy said. “Anhe, a speed-aura, if you would!”

“Okay!” the younger girl nodded back. “Hya!” she then said, activating Windfoot, which gave them a thirty-percent bonus to their movement speed outside of combat. With its aid, they got to the mountains in a much shorter time than before, making their way towards the spot that had updated their log.

“Where is it?!” Lizzy softly fumed as she scrabbled up a small cliff, pulling herself up to the top and then reaching to help Healina up the rest of the way.

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

“Thanks!” the Sea Elf smiled. “We have been looking for a while, now; are you sure it was that rock back there?”

“Definitely sure!” her friend protested. “The weird one that almost looked like a... a blob or a cloud or something,” the blonde girl said adamantly.

“I remember it, too. It was definitely the right rock.” Lysandra agreed.

“Hmm...” their healer sighed, checking both the log and the map.

“Masters, my nose is pointing me in this direction... I do not see anything but mountain and rock, but the wise say the eyes can be deceptive when sight is needed most,” Fyu said as he gazed towards the southwest.

“True, it doesn't look like anything's there... but I pick up the scent as well,” Lysandra said as she sniffed the air as well.

“As expected of one of the werekin,” Fyu nodded.

“Well, let's try it!” Heali then said, heading straight for the rock-face that loomed before them in that direction.

As the girls and the dog-beast approached it, the rock-wall began shimmering, and they passed through it without harm. They found themselves in a wide bowl, with ancient stone ruins long overgrown by trees and a myriad of other plants and fungi. At the far end was what looked to be the remnants of a torii-gate, with a great stone set up just beyond it and the entrance to a cave a few meters further away.

“Huh?!” Anhe said as she looked at the stone, dashing ahead.

“Anhe? Anhe!” Lysandra called, running after her. The others followed behind quickly, watching as their youngest member stared intently at the stone.

“What's up?” Sky Belle asked her.

“This... these characters are actually Japanese!” Anhe said, tracing a faded series of characters that was upon the face of the stone.

“Nyah!?”

“Eh?!”

“Hah?!”

“Whoa...!” the other girls exclaimed all at once.

“What does it say??” Sky Belle then prompted her.

“Hmm... put simply, it says 'This is the way to the Temple of the Beyond, where the wind dwells, and the Master of Winds',” Anhe told them.

“Oooh,” Lizzy said with awe. “Now that sounds important...”

“Ah!!” Heali then said as they heard a ding. The quest had reached a new stage.

Hitherlands Expedition, Chapter Two, Part One: Gain access to the Temple of the Beyond by defeating the Guardian of the Winds.

“Hm? Guardian? Not the Master?” she wondered. “Anhe, can the word 'master' also mean 'guardian'?”

“No, not in Japanese,” the other girl shook her head. A rumbling sound was then heard from the mouth of the cave.

“Then...!” Lysandra turned towards the sound, drawing out her sword.

“Whatever it is, it sounds large,” Lizzy remarked as she got her halberd ready.

“Masters, my senses tell me we should retreat!” Fyu said in an unusually alarmed voice.

“I say we listen to Fyu!” Anhe said, activating the Windfoot Aura again.

“I say I agree!” Sky Belle said as they began hastening out.

As the others escaped, Lizzy, who had taken up the rearguard, turned back to look. Emerging from the entrance of the cave was a massive and tall creature, decked out in what looked like samurai armor, a terrifyingly grotesque mask upon its face. In its hand was a large katana, and behind the fiendish headgear she could see two glowing yellow eyes. There was not much in either real life or virtual life that scared Lizzy, but the sight of this enemy did make her nervous. A frustrated grin broke out on her face.

“Next time, tough guy!” she whispered, and then rushed out of the barrier herself.

“Lizzy!” Heali exclaimed in relief.

“Yeah, sorry; just wanted a look,” she shrugged back.

“How big was it?” Lysandra wondered.

“Pretty big; not Dracuoatlax big, but, you know.” Lizzy replied.

“And it's back to looking like a normal mountain,” Sky Belle remarked as they looked towards the place they had just left.

“What kind of magic is on that place, I wonder?” Anhe mused as she gazed curiously towards the not-mountain which was really a hidden vale.

“Right?” Lysandra nodded.

“Let's keep this a secret for now, since it's our quest.” Healina then said.

“Agree.” Lizzy said with a nod.

“Of course,” Anhe agreed as well.

“Got it; I'll tell Myanihia when we see her,” Lysandra said, and the pixie-girl nodded as well.

“Gotta keep our extra member in the loop.” she remarked.

“And I shall tell Dracuoatlax, when he returns from his hunting.” Fyu said.

“Counting on you!” Lizzy smiled back. “We definitely need Lana and Ari for that thing... and Maryn, obviously,” she noted.

“Oh definitely.” Sky Belle agreed as they started back. “But for now... let's get some more of that ore we found, and maybe check out some of those trees on the heights over there?”

“Def!” Lizzy nodded.

“Oh! Myanihia's on!” Lysandra said as she received a notification. “The kiddos are doing fine, and she'll join us as soon as she knows where we are.”

“Right! I'll add her to party, and she can track us that way -- to the mines!” Lizzy declared, and with that they turned on the path to the northeast.

Still, that boss or whatever, Lizzy mused to herself, that felt different from a lot-- no, from all of the bosses we've run into in this game... is that one something new...? the blonde halberdier wondered, banishing the question from her mind a moment later as she and the others fell into a light banter on their way to the mines for the evening.