Though we may be apart, I will always remember you.

I wrote the heartfelt message on the ground, and pretended to wipe a tear away from my eye with my hoof.

Both Orlean and Flaze crossed their arms and glared at me. "That's not funny, Jackal."

I laughed. They only rolled their eyes, knowing that it was futile, and so very uncool to argue. Soon, Flaze was getting on my back, and sitting snugly on the saddle within. We began saying our final goodbyes when Flaze suddenly yelped and scream.

I guffawed, and Orlean joined me. Flaze did not know the saddle had a shock function, and we spent quite a bit more time getting on a fight in the middle of the street. A few monsters even joined in, and soon we were clearing out the few that dared to lurk in Orlean's territory.

Fireballs sailed through the air, hitting goblins, orcs, and other fiends. A big white boar charged for me, nearing level one hundred, but I dodged by doing a double jump, letting it pass harmlessly by below me. The beast was quick to turn around, holding me again in its sights, but it was soon thwarted by Flaze soaring straight with a trail of lightning behind her back.

The beast suffered a large wound across its neck, but its fur came alive to hold its head together, and the creature somehow did not die.

Flaze was now right in its range, white fur grasping her arms. But that's exactly when she turned back into a knight, and tanked a bash of the head with her shield. Perhaps a foolish choice, when one's neck still bleeds. Flaze remained rooted in place, and the beast only managed to worsen its own wounds.

The monster perished a moment later, when a mighty hoof descended from the ground and chopped it across the head, snapping the rest of its neck. Fire and lightning erupted from the impact, for I activated the enchantment again. The lightning was unable to find much air to compress and force to act as a foothold, but the spell remained damaging for whomever I wished to stomp.

Birds, bats, and other shapes rained down from the sky. Orlean just casually swatted them away with random bursts of electricity as she floated up there in the air. Her gear was still her old one, she'd work on her exo-suit once we're gone using the corpse of a sleek metal golem that she planned to melt down.

In all, it was little trouble, there weren't quite as many enemies anyway. As the monsters rise in quality, the quantity decreases, for their power was in part thanks to killing each other. Not that such would remain the case forever.

Another reason for this decrease, without mentioning that we were already in a special area right now, is that as we've seen Provataurs and goblins gather together. They are marking their territories, leaving other places with less monsters to contend with.

"Well then, we're all warmed up." Flaze stretched and then got back on my back. "Time to go for real."

"Yeah, take care, guys." Orlean landed, to join us mortals upon the earth. "Say hi to Halbert and Briella for me. And be careful." She looked around, at the many corpses, many of which were our handiwork. "You're strong, I know, but even I may yet lose…"

So how much more us? Is what she meant to ask, I suppose. Truly, getting quite cocky. Orlean had always excelled in certain thing, but I don't think she was ever quite this sure of herself.

Not that I think it a bad thing.

Yeah. You too. I neighed. We gave our final smiles and nods, and finally I and Flaze were on our way to the college.

Guess it's city building time. Imma convince them to erect a statue of me.

~~~

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

The Pillars of Orlean towered over us as I ran. There was a dick joke to be made there, and I totally stopped to make it.

A hoof of mine pointed to my crotch, and then it moved to point at the phallic objects that loomed over us in a chaotic mess.

I snickered, when Flaze smacked me across the head.

"You should have said that while she was still within earshot." She chided, and she was absolutely right. For I made a grave and severe lapse in judgment.

So I ran back to tell Orlean, for it was only a minute or so of running. We all screamed at each other and laughed, and then I was back on my way towards the college.

Orlean's Penises slowly began to wane in number, and the number of monsters rose in tandem. I suppose the phallic objects were intimidating in their own right, though I suspect the woman who owns them comes by every so often to cull those who covet her favorite things.

We avoided most of the monsters, for they were too slow to ever keep up with me. A few that got the jump on us learned to not fall rapidly towards an unsurvivable cliff.

The Phalluses of Orlean continued to lessen street by street and soon there was only a single strip of them running by the road. It was the shortest path towards the college and while the gap between each may be decently large, Orlean had made sure to plant her dildos all along the way for when she needed it. Very smart.

She had also given us something to attach to them, to accessorize her favorite things. What Flaze kept hidden in a bag was a bean shaped object the size of a turtle, and I dared not ask questions. We were to apparently place that on one of the pillars, if we were to ever find ourselves in terrible trouble. And then a long stream of something white and hot would soar through the sky for all to see.

In all seriousness, it's a distress beacon. An SOS signal. And while not quite as strong as the veritable tree of lightning that Orlean was able to produce with her presence or using a large formation like the one in her house, it was more than enough to act as an alarm.

Our travel continued, I followed the pillars as a guide. I soon found out that we weren't the only ones using this stretch of road as two people suddenly halted in their tracks.

[Hybrid - Lvl 56]

[Hybrid - Lvl 53]

I of course immediately tensed and prepared myself for battle, and they reacted in much the same way. It seemed like yet another situation where we'd be forced to fight the other survivors, and like most other times, Flaze jumped in the middle to try and mediate. Maybe it is partially my fault we keep getting into fights. Maybe I need therapy. Something I've always said but never committed to.

"Salutations!" Flaze got out, and I snickered, knowing that the word just came out unplanned. She continued unperturbed. "We need not fight. In fact, I would think we are friends." She gave me a look. "Just look at our gear, we certainly have a mutual friend!"

I found her words curious, and I took the time to truly have a look at the people we're facing.

One was a man that looked like a monk with an electrified metallic staff. The other a woman in witch's clothing, floating using a metallic broom that sparked every so often.

Clearly the handiwork of Orlean.

"So it would seem." The man said. "But who is to say that your equipment are legitimate?"

The woman behind him laughed. "I would think she speaks the truth, Arnold. Orlean would know if people tried to steal her shit, just as we saw her signal the other day. That they're not dead speaks to a… friendlier relationship with the smith."

Arnold thought about those words and nodded, looking us over once more. "It is as you say, Jalley. I notice her craftsmanship on the horse, and few can replicate Orlean's Craftsmanship. We do have our own mounts, a couple of which have gotten gear from her, but they are few."

"Indeed." Jalley nodded. "It can be so hard to tame them, and it could be a disaster if they go wild. I applaud you stranger, for taming such a ferocious looking beast."

Ferocious beast. I like that. But I have not been tamed by anyone!

"Pardon our reaction earlier, Miss." Arnold extended a hand for him and Flaze to shake. "I don't think I've gotten your name?"

I have a name too! I stepped in between them, and the man scrunched his brows.

"Umm, your pet…"

A pet!? I roared.

"Maam. Please–"

"Okay, as funny as this is." Flaze chuckled. "It'd be all sorts of bad if we do come to blows, so I'll tell you that this horse right here is a person. A person turned monster. A friend. And his name is Jackal."

She added in a whisper that I could totally hear. "And he's sensitive about it, so best not mention it."

Am not. I huffed and stomped around.

Jalley floated over, and began circling me. "Truly?" She asked with excitement. "A horse. I wish I could have been a horse."

I blinked. And then I gave my best questioning expression.

"It is true."

But why. I showed my confusion.

"Because fast."

That… is a good point. I nodded. I like this girl. She makes good points. I forgive her earlier transgressions.

We spoke more afterwards, an abridged version of why we were here. Flaze explained our friendship with Orlean, and our goal of reaching Friendom, or what was the former college. The stupid name was Orelan's fucking idea.

The two of them offered to escort us, and I shook my head in denial, puffing my chest up to show that we were more than capable. Arnold explained why it would be for the best, for there are guards who would not recognize us and the trouble that might arise from that.

I still didn't like it, and I know Flaze too was still bothered by how we were falling behind Orlean and possibly Halbert. But she gestured for me to stand down, and rather than have that conversation in front of these new acquaintances of ours, I reluctantly accepted their offer.

I still don't need their help! They're lower level than us!