The trip into the hills was pleasant. We passed a pair of wagons and their guards on horseback just as we reached the treeline. I nodded in greeting to the group as they passed us by, getting a response from the drivers but not the guards. The wagon drivers were a pair of cat kin in plain but serviceable outfits while their escort was a half dozen men and women in sturdy armor. The whole group moved with purpose as they rattled down the road. Given that we saw them coming a fair way off because of the trail of dust that the wagons raised, our group made way for them and stepped off the road.
“I wonder if they camped at the ruins we cleared the other day.” Rieka muttered as we continued into the tree line once they’d passed. The glaring sun overhead had started to get a bit oppressive with the weight of the pack I was carrying and I was thankful for a bit of shade.
“Probably. It’s one of the better spots along the coast road after all. We should have asked them about anyone or anything harassing people on the road. Never hurts to know if there is trouble waiting.” Kassandra added from her spot on the other side of me.
Kassandra and Rieka had taken to bracketing me again, though they would swap sides every so often as things distracted them. After the encounter with the kobold ambush previously, we were all careful to keep close watch on our surroundings while we talked quietly though. I’d occasionally move to the outside of the group if I saw something I was suspicious of as well, but nothing jumped out at us.
“It does make me wonder though. I’ve met plenty of different intelligent folks but only a handful of ‘monsters’ or strange creatures in the times I’ve been here.” I shifted the strap on my backpack to adjust the weight, as it had been causing one of the metallic plates in my armor to dig into my shoulder.
“Well, that would depend on what qualifies as a ‘strange creature’ to you, wouldn’t it Liam?” Kassandra peered up at me with a mischievous smile. The dappled sunlight coming through the trees twinkled off her silver-rimmed spectacles.
“I suppose. Then again, the fact that I crossed over to another world via a magical ritual only to find that the native species in power was so similar to my own…should have been some clue that most things would be fairly normal. Except for the whole ‘magic thing’.” I said, making finger quotes where appropriate, a gesture that got a confused look from both girls.
“Until it isn’t. Don’t be afraid to point things out and ask us about them. Something that is strange to you might just be normal to us and we can easily explain.” Rieka reminded me, drawing my attention away from the smirking dwarf lamia and to the stunning wolf-kin on my other side.
“True. And I will do just that, Rieka.” I gave her a smile that got a bright one in return before we focused back on the road.
Just like the previous trip, the trees all around us rose up on either side as the previously rolling terrain surged up into serious mountains in the distance. We passed the turn off for the ruins around noon. The girls were happy to keep moving at a steady pace, though we did rest every so often to make sure we stayed relatively fresh. I was surprised again that two young noblewomen were happy doing this much physical exertion and mentioned it during one of the breaks.
“Just because Kassandra and I don’t fight in melee doesn’t mean we aren’t able to or aren’t fit.” Rieka spoke with a raised eyebrow and drawn back ears, clearly irritated at the question. Before I could clarify, Kassandra came to my rescue.
“It is a fair question, Rieka. You know a good number of the noble-born back at Juneau wouldn’t bother with this. They’d have hired a carriage to transport them and be spending their parents money to hire guards. Just because we want the full experience doesn’t mean others would be that open minded.” Kassandra took a sip of water from her water-skin and then continued. “The reason that Rieka and I have no problems with this is because we both work to keep fit and we keep each other accountable to it. We’ve been friends for years, much to the annoyance of others.”
“But why train for that? You two are spell-casters. I mean, I only have media and games to go from, but usually those depict casters as folks that normally don’t sweat the physical side of the equation. They just focus on their magic.” I tossed another piece of dried apple in my mouth before folding the paper-wrapped bundle of dried fruit up and tucking it back into my pack.
“Your assumption would be correct for a number of people, but my family has always been realistic.” Rieka answered after swallowing a hunk of jerky she’d been chewing thoughtfully while Kassandra and I talked. “Sure, a trained mage can block an incoming spell, dispel it, or even commandeer it depending on their skill and power. But the one way to ensure you aren’t hurt by an enemy’s attack is to not be there when the attack arrives. I told you before that my mother made sure all of us trained to stay fit and limber. She wanted us to be able to dodge, evade, and escape. As well as being able to strike at the opportune moment. Kassandra benefited when she became my friend and she started training with me too.”
“I needed to be able to keep up with you and your long legs, Rieka.” Kassandra sighed, leaning over my lap to poke Rieka’s thigh with one finger. “Lamia tend to roam a lot, most of my kind are nomadic after all, so long distance travel like this is no big deal. It was the dodging exercises that really got me. It’s a lot harder to throw myself to one side with my tail trailing behind me. My tail does give me options others don’t have, like I can move while low to the ground really quickly. At least as long as I’m careful.” Kassandra said proudly and Rieka sniggered, getting a glare from her friend.
“Just so long as you make sure to wear more sensible clothes next time you have to do that. I remember the first time you did it and ended up scooping dirt and sand into your shirt because your tits hung down further than you thought they did. You also face-planted on the training grounds due to the extra drag.” I had to bite back a laugh at Rieka’s words. Especially since I could see that happening given Kassandra’s excessive curves and the fact that this world didn’t seem to have invented the bra yet. Her underbust corsets only defined the generous shape of her breasts, rather than restrained them in any fashion after all.
Kassandra looked to be getting ready to fire off a rebuttal when Rieka continued and cut her off.
“And don’t give me the whole ‘preventing overheating’ thing about why you leave your shirt open. We both know why you do it.” Rieka’s quick words sent a blush across Kassandra’s face and down to spread over the top of those breasts, dark enough that it hid some of the smattering of freckles that normally graced their curves. Instead of arguing, Kassandra just raised her nose in the air with a huff.
I decided it was best not to comment at that point and instead focused on getting my pack settled so we could keep moving.
<><><>
We followed the main road for another two hours. We stopped twice, first to rest and again to refill our water-skins from a fast moving stream that paralleled the road for a bit. I asked the girls about concerns regarding potential parasites in the water and Rieka showed me a rune on the inside cap of the water-skin I was using.
“That rune actually filters the water and cleans it. Just make sure to cork the bottle after filling it and leave it be for a minute or so. There are some toxins it can’t filter out, but that sort of thing kills native life in the water anyway and would be obvious.” She’d explained to me, which went a long way to helping me relax on that front. The last thing we needed was dysentery interrupting this trip after all. I didn’t even want to think about any magical diseases that might crop up either.
The road slowly edged higher and higher before we finally came through what Kassandra had jokingly referred to as the ‘coastal pass’. The trees and mountains had continued to rise until they towered on either side and it became obvious that we were traveling through a large valley rather than a mountain pass. In the distance, I could see the horizon opening up but we hadn’t gotten far enough to be able to see the sea yet.
Rieka had directed us off the road at this point, urging us to cut cross country to the south towards the rising mountains. The trees still clung close to the road, but had spread out enough individually that we could navigate between the trunks without too much of a problem.
While there was undergrowth to deal with, it wasn’t thick enough to be impenetrable. Our pace slowed more as we forced our way through the underbrush. I lead the way since my boots and heavy jeans protected my legs more than the girls. Underneath that, I’d used my Shape-Shifting to thicken my skin and provide further protection. I had no idea what sort of poisonous snakes lived in this area, but I didn’t want to find out when I was bitten by one.
Following Rieka’s recommendations and guidance, we found a fast-moving stream that flowed towards the ocean and headed upstream.
“If this is the right tributary, it should lead back up to a lake that we can camp by.” Rieka explained as we walked. The wolf-kin had moved up to walk alongside me once more when the bank opened up enough to give her the space. “The herbs and other things we are hoping to collect should grow on the mountain slopes and in the trees in moist environments. This should be far enough from both of the towns that it should have plenty growing there too. Most folks that take collection missions like this tend not to wander as far from town as we have.”
I glanced up at the sun where it sat in the sky. It was already well past noon and most of the way to the evening. I held a hand up to measure the distance from the sun to the horizon line and guessed we had maybe two or three hours of time left.
“How far is the lake?”
“Hard to say. The map that I was looking at didn’t really have scale measurement and it was older too. We aren’t moving as fast now that we are off the road either. If we don’t find it in the next hour or so, we should start looking for a good spot to camp. Near the lake would be an ideal spot, but it isn’t required. I figured using it as a landmark would work to navigate by while away from the road. If we get lost, we just head for the center of the valley again to find the main road.” Rieka shrugged carelessly. Her ears dutifully kept flicking back and forth, tracking different noises that passed through the area while we walked.
“I think traveling beside the stream is a nice change from the road. Does this go all the way to the ocean?” Kassandra was currently behind us, and I swear I could feel her gaze burning a hole in my back pocket.
I still wasn’t sure how to react to the girl’s obvious interest in me. It felt like I would be taking advantage of Kassandra since I was supposed to be protecting the two of them. In a way I was being ‘paid’ by the two, so there was a conflict of interest. But Kassandra had all but slithered onto my lap and told me ‘I like your face, can I kiss it?’ at this point. Something to talk to her about, I guess. I know I find her attractive, there’s just the whole issue of being from another world and all that. Not to mention her station…
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We were following the stream in silence for another five minutes when a shadow abruptly blocked the sun overhead. I glanced up to check the size of the cloud, since keeping Kassandra in the sunlight was important for her body heat as the night came one. Far above us, I saw a massive shape in the sky overhead. Moving on instinct, I pushed Rieka away from the stream and into the cover of a nearby tree while drawing my sword with the other hand. Kassandra followed immediately, slithering under cover as all three of us peered up through the branches to get a better look at what it was. My mind was filled with images of dragons, flying serpents, or other monsters that might live in the mountains and hunt travelers.
Kassandra laughed a moment later and slithered back out into the sun.
“It’s just an ruumo! They are totally harmless to us.” Kassandra called, beckoning me to join her. Rieka gave me a gentle push as well and I glanced over to take in her wide smile and happily wagging tail.
“She’s right, the ruumo are gentle creatures and it’s just passing by, they don’t hunt people or even eat anything larger than a bug anyway. From your reaction, I’m betting you don’t have them where you come from, so this would qualify as a ‘strange creature’ like you asked about earlier!”
With the reassurance of the two girls, I stepped out into the sun to look up and take in my first sighting of something that was truly strange, even by the definitions of this world.
Several hundred feet above us, cruising in between the clouds like it was one of them, was a massive blue-green colored creature that looked like a flying whale. It was hard to estimate the size at this distance but it was obvious to me that it was easily over a hundred feet long, maybe as much as a hundred and fifty feet in length. It cruised docilely between the clouds, steering with a wide, wedge-shaped tail that fanned gently to propel it forward. A pair of large, angular fins protruded from either side and helped steer the creature as it banked slowly. The abdominal fins were massive, more like wings honestly as they were almost a third as long as the creature's body length. The sunlight glimmered off the creature's blue-green hide, reflecting like the sun sparkling off the sea. The underbelly of the creature was a lighter, seafoam green in color while the upper hide was far darker. I could see large eyes set above a wide mouth that surveyed the hillside with a lazy curiosity as it passed overhead.
“Good lord…” I muttered as I watched it shift and angle the other direction with several pumps of its tail, back towards the sea.
“It’s considered good luck to see a ruumo flying. Don’t ask me why, it just is.” Kassandra had found her way to my side while I watched the massive creature move with a surprising amount of grace. Her words drew my attention down to the dwarf lamia and she used her length to push herself higher until she could wrap her arms around my neck in a light hug. “Can’t hurt to have luck on our side, right Liam?” Kassandra’s question, asked from point blank, wasn’t something I got a chance to answer before the little minx pressed her lips to mine in a surprise kiss that shorted my brain out for a moment.
This wasn’t the first time that Kassandra had kissed me, she’d had a habit of slapping one on my cheek either to make me blush or as a ‘thank you’ for a while now. I just wasn’t expecting a kiss on the lips at that moment. The last time she’d kissed me like this was after I’d body-blocked the breath of the flame serpent, and even that had just been a feather light kiss.
When she didn’t push it further, just continued a light lip lock, I was able to hit the hard reset button on my mind and wrap an arm around her waist to help support her. This drew a happy hum from the part-snake woman and she leaned further into me.
A delicate cough from Rieka drew us back after a few more moments and the wolf-kin stared at Kassandra and I with a quirked eyebrow and a smirk.
“Not that I am complaining, but we do need to keep moving if we are going to find the campsite I wanted before the sun sets.” Rieka looked like she was going to say more, but a deep, rumbling noise echoed from above us. It was almost too deep to hear, but I could feel it in my chest as it reverberated throughout the hillside.
Looking up past the curly mass of Kassandra’s hair, I saw the ruumo dip into a shallow dive for a bit before coming up again, its large tail barely brushing the tops of the trees almost a mile away and slightly more to my right. Clearly, the ruumo was more like a whale than I’d thought if it could make noises like that.
As that tone faded away, I had a strange urge to head in that direction as well. It would take us away from this stream, but the way the ruumo continued to cruise lazily overhead made me wonder if there was something interesting in that direction. Since I wasn’t sure if this was just in my head or not, I figured it was best if I polled the audience.
“We should keep moving, but I feel like it was telling us something. Like we should head that way instead of following the river?” I hadn’t released Kassandra yet, still holding her up against my side by looping an arm around her hips and under her bottom to help support her. So she was in range to press another kiss to the corner of my mouth, making me jump in surprise.
“I was thinking the same thing. Like I said, seeing a ruumo in flight is considered good fortune amongst people who live along the coast. Besides, it’s only a short side-trip anyway. Rieka?”
“I don’t like us diverting from our course. The sun is fading fast, but I suppose we could. It’s all in roughly the same direction anyway and I see a few taller trees up on that hillside. I can only imagine a few things that might make a ruumo fly close to the ground though, either there is a good sized lake there or some succulent looking trees. Worst case, we can make Liam climb one to scout around and see if he can spot the lake from up there.” Rieka’s voice dripped into teasing at the last part and she turned to see my reaction to her words. I just shrugged though.
“If we need to get a view, I’m happy to climb up a tree. I’d rather I risk it than either of you two. I can grow claws to help with the climbing after all.” I gave Kassandra another squeeze around the hips before releasing her. She sank back down to the ground once more, still smiling brightly up at me.
I could tell that whatever was forming between Kassandra and I had taken a big step forward today, and I needed to spend some time thinking about it. I’d only visited these girls a handful of times and I could already feel an emotional connection forming with both of them. The fact that Kassandra was demanding my attention and affection told me that she clearly was developing feelings as well. Where it might go from there was something we would need to talk about though. It wasn’t as if I could visit her on a whim, I was entirely dependent on her to call me to this world on her own.
I wonder if there is some kind of travel power that the System can give me. I know it costs mana to do it, but maybe? I know in most RPG’s the ‘magic’ stats are the intellectual ones, so I need to keep boosting those. Maybe I should try those mental puzzles that Kass suggested before? Anything to help boost my stats since the System hasn’t unlocked the next tier of Enhance Self. Seriously though…I need to figure out what I’m going to do with Kass before the woman flirts me to death or just gets tired of being subtle…
Rieka led the way while I was lost in thought, into the trees and up the hillside away from the babbling creek. While it was less than a mile away by air, it took us most of an hour to reach the hillside that we had seen the ruumo ‘swimming’ near. The creature continued to circle and flit about further up the mountain from us, occasionally jaunting out away from the mountain and into the gauzy clouds that hung in the sky before bursting out of one cloud bank like a submarine breaching the surface of a still ocean. The ruumo dragged bits of fluffy cloud with it as it moved, as if it was emitting clouds in its wake, and it was a majestic sight.
While we traveled, the girls filled me in a bit on what the ruumo were. While I had initially thought ‘sky whale’ when I saw it, it turned out that it was actually rather on point for what the creature was. Apparently they lived in the deep ocean, but were elementally aligned animals and capable of flying or swimming equally well. They were normally grazers and I watched as the big creature swung low again near some trees further up the mountain. Its mouth opened like a catfish before it yanked a mouthful of leaves from the upper reaches of one of the tall oaks on the hillside before flying away.
Kassandra was telling me about how ruumo normally fed on massive kelp beds that floated out in the deep ocean when Rieka’s ears shot up and locked forward. It was the only warning that we got before she froze her steps. Thankfully, I was paying attention and didn’t run her over, though it took a bit to get Kassandra to stop from doing the same thing.
“What is it?” I asked, keeping my voice low while setting my hand on my sword hilt. Kassandra already had her rod in hand as well but Rieka didn’t move besides her ears adjusting slightly.
“I hear something. I thought it was just the wind or the ruumo singing at first…but I hear something up ahead. A steady roaring noise.” Rieka said after a moment more.
“Okay, let me lead and keep your ears open. Do not be afraid to step in and stop me, but I want to be between you and any threats.” I drew my sword and pushed past the two of them, patting Kassandra on the shoulder as I went by and getting a tight smile from her as well. Rieka just nodded and drew her rod as well.
We continued through the trees for another ten minutes before I started picking up the muffled noise in the distance and it tickled my senses in that it sounded familiar.
“Oh!” Kassandra’s exclamation caught both Rieka and I by surprise while we were navigating around an ancient, fallen tree. I whirled with the sword raised and Rieka already had her rod up but Kassandra was just smiling broadly and holding up one hand to reassure us. “I recognize that noise. It took a bit to make the connection, but that’s a waterfall!”
As soon as Kassandra said it, my brain made that connection as well. I’d seen them on occasion back home. I’d even visited Multnomah Falls once when I was a kid with my parents. Listening again, the dull roaring noise definitely reminded me of that moment and I relaxed.
“Well, that is far better than some kind of monster out there, for sure.” I sighed before turning back and we proceeded a bit quicker. None of us said anything about it, but we knew that waterfalls meant lakes or ponds usually, and we had been looking for a lake specifically. Rieka hadn’t mentioned a waterfall, but then again it wasn’t guaranteed to be marked on the map, if what I knew of ancient maps was accurate. Given that ‘what I knew’ about ancient maps was directly lifted from the ‘Thror’s Map’ in The Hobbit though, that wasn’t a guarantee or even really reliable information.
It only took another ten minutes of quick hiking up a sharp slope and we crested a rise that looked out into a small bowl valley. The trees thinned out some as they descended to encircle an oval lake before continuing on to roll down out of sight as they followed the river that emptied the lake. The river that fed the lake curled down out of the trees on the far side before diving off a short cliff that was only about forty feet tall and into the lake in a narrow torrent that threw up a shroud of mist and water across the gray stones.
All around the lake and the waterfall the area was a brilliant, emerald-green that spoke of life. I could see a small collection of something that looked like a deer drinking from the far shore of the lake. Around the edge of the water, the banks were relatively clear for a good dozen or more feet. The trees got close to the shore in several spots but never right up to the shore. The air was crisp and full of the scent of moist vegetation. It reminded me of that same vacation to Multnomah Falls when I was a kid and the hikes we took in the area.
“Is that the lake we were looking for, Rieka?” I stopped on the ridge-line, peering through the trees down on the lake to keep watch.
“I don’t think so. The lake we were aiming for was larger, and shaped more like a bowl, this one is more like a gourd. Still, this should be just fine. The herbs and animals we are looking for will be around this lake as much as the other one.” Rieka replied after a moment of thought.
“Perfect! Let’s get things set up, it’s gonna get dark and cold soon.” Kassandra cheered quickly, slithering forward to snuggle up next to me. I glanced down and got another of her trademark mischievous smiles. “You’ll make sure we don’t freeze up here in the mountains, won’t you Liam?”
“I’m sure I can find enough firewood up here to ensure you two stay plenty warm. Let’s get those tents set up.” I gave Kassandra a one-armed hug. She hummed happily and nuzzled into my side in response before leading the way forward, looking for a clear and flat spot large enough to set them up.
I had already taken several steps before I realized that Rieka wasn’t with me. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw her standing there with her brow furrowed.
“Everything okay, Rieka?” My words broke her out of her thoughts and she blinked a few times before she answered.
“Oh, nothing. I was just trying to remember what all we packed. You mentioned ‘tents’, as in plural, and it occurred to me. I couldn’t remember if we bought a second tent…”