“That was weird.” Tyler eventually said.

Tyler was currently looked much different than he had just yesterday. Riary too. Yesterday they were wearing pretty gruesome chunks of roughly cut wolf as a kind of fur clothing, now they were wearing actual fur clothes. Fur boots, fur pants, fur underwear, fur shirt, a fur coat. Riary was similarly bundled up tight but was also wearing a cloak with a hood over it all. They also had a backpack, similarly made of fur and some kind of leather, with rough meat rations.

To make things even better, it turned out that of all things, Mama had a basement, where she stored some supplies. Tyler almost couldn’t believe his eyes at seeing plants actually growing out of the ice but he guessed anything was possible. In it, there was an absolutely ancient and rusted sword and shield. Mama had been given it from a ‘young man who was absolutely worried sick about me and I couldn’t just say no after all! Children can be such worry warts after all’.

So Tyler also now had actual combat gear, ready to face anything else they ran into on this ice mountain.

He tried to ignore where the meat must have come from.

“I’m still not convinced this isn’t all some kind of fever dream.” Muttered Riary. But she seemed… down to Tyler.

“You okay?”

Riary was silent for a while, as they walked.

“She… reminded me of my grandma.”

Tyler grimaced a little bit.

“You don’t… talk about your grandma much.”

A look pure and utter hatred passed over Riary for a second, before it was gone. She let out a depressed sigh.

“I didn’t get to know her very long. I didn’t get to know any of them for very long.”

Tyler felt like an ass. Well, only one thing for that. He clapped Riary on the shoulder, nearly causing her to stumble.

“Hey. My family is going to love to meet you.”

Riary blinked, staring at him.

“What?”

“Well, I’ve got to introduce my girlfriend to my parents right?”

“Tyler- That- We- I’m going-” Riary just kept starting up and stopping, floundering like a fish, mind going blank. Eventually she looked at him, a complicated expression on her face.

“Tyler… I… like Ero though. I don’t know if-”

“We can just travel back and forth then.”

Now Riary was really gaping at him.

“Tyler! We don’t even know how to get you back and you’re already planning on, what, making travel between worlds easy?! We can’t just, go back and forth!”

“Why not? Getting here was pretty easy.”

“That’s not the same thing! We, you-”

She let out a deep sigh. Tyler just smiled as they kept walking. Riary’s face was scrunched up, frowning, eyes down, thinking heavily. She usually only got like that when she was thinking or talking about magical theory. Well, that or glaring at him.

“Maybe… with that black gem…” Riary started mumbling to herself as they kept their trek up.

Tyler was glad to distract her with something for a while. His own thoughts… were heavy. They’d decided to tell Mama what they were planning and her advice had been… prickly.

‘Heavens to betsy! You’re going to go up? That’s suicide! Why, I oughta knock some sense into you both. You may have made it this far on pure youth and grit but there are dangers in those heights! Why, the hooligans there will rip you apart! Now now, don’t give me those faces. I can see you’re determined but listen ole Mama, please!’

And they had. Yeti’s of all sorts and one’s a lot meaner than Mama apparently roamed the mountain. There were also avalanches from how sleek the ice was, hailstorms, and much worse as they continued to go up.

Tyler glanced around, feeling the winds pick up. The snow was starting to fall heavier and-

Tyler’s eyes widened as he took out his shield and sword and Riary began to spawn blue ice flames around herself.

‘Listen to this if nothing else! If you end up in a snowstorm, run!’

A snowstorm had come and in moments, it had turned into a blizzard. Tyler could barely make out two feet from where he was but he saw it in the distance. A creature Mama has warned them about. Like a ghost made of ice and snow.

The Yoolikan.

“So that’s it?” Riary said. “Doesn’t seem so-”

Suddenly the ice in front of them opened as if clawed by a giant, Tyler quickly stepping in front of Riary with his shield. He held his ground, resisting the cutting force, if only barely.

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Tyler had a moment to give Riary a disbelieving look. She was always telling him not to say that kind of stuff!

She sighed. “I know, I know. Let’s just go kill it.”

Tyler ran forward, feeling the cold start to sap his strength.

It was going to be a very long trip.

*****

You know that moment when you realize you may have underestimated something? Yeah I feel as though I’d seriously underestimated this damn jungle.

Hiyark had said she’d make accommodations for us to travel but I had expected food and provisions. Maybe some basic weapons and armor, which thank god, we did receive that. Well, to more specific, they’d given Konohora a quarterstaff. It reminded me of the one she had when I had first met her. I had received nothing besides decent clothes, apparently they judged my tail and claws to be more than enough which… I guess. I would have liked to try out my giant black sword but no, that was lost somewhere in the ether.

Anyway, I had expected basic accommodations and stuff. Normal things. Things any tribe anywhere on earth or beyond could have.

I did not expect a giant snake. A second one.

I stared in awe as Hiyark rode in on a giant snake. Me, Konohora, Happy, and her warriors were all standing outside the city, above ground. I hadn’t considered taming one, mostly because the first and only one we saw tried to eat us. There was something… fascinating about watching a nearly naked amazon, covered in bones, riding a Giant serpent. I pretty much felt like I’d gone back to Fantasy primeval times. Was this a slice of what it was like, hundreds of thousands of years ago on this planet? Just tribes of people doing absolutely insane things?

“Well?” Hiyark called out to us. “Get on!”

Despite the warriors being made of stern stuff, all High D-Rank or low C-rank, more than a few looked hesitant. I could understand, despite not feeling the same. I’d already helped kill one of these things with Konohora, I had zero problem killing another if it tried to fuck with us. Konohora and me walked forward, aiming to climb on its back. I heard woop of joy and looked up… only to notice Happy had already arrived and was sitting right behind Hiyark. He smiled down at us, his smile infectious.

I swear, he’s a damn menace. Holding a grudge against him or a sense of duty is harder than holding an eel coated in vaseline. I pulled myself fully up without any issues, konohora following along. Snakes were apparently easily climbable when they weren’t moving all around.

The second I was on the damn thing, it was like Happy teleported in front of me. I had to resist not sending my tail careening towards his face.

“Hi Derek!”

“...Hello Happy. Did you… want something?”

He smiled that damn smile of his and I felt my heart begin to beat in my chest. My mouth began to go dry as I tried to desperately remember he was an enemy. He was a hot, sexy, attractive enemy but still an enemy that must die. He’s got Gems, he’s malicious, mysterious and-

Stupid Charisma.

Happy seemed to know exactly what I was thinking as-

I froze. Happy had just… stretched backwards facing away from me. That would have been fine except… his head was currently between my legs. I looked down while he look up at me.

“No.” I said.

He smiled wider.

“Happy… I don’t know what the fuck you’re doing but get off me.”

“Aww but Derek! It’s going to be such a long trip even while on snake. Plenty of time to relax and talk.”

I could feel him lying on my lap, those amber eyes of his staring up at me, his hands holding a harp and-

“Konohora, if he touches me at any point, punch him as hard as you can.” I quickly said.

Konohora was not playing around, as she was already lining up for a punch the second I finished my words. Happy practically danced away on the back of the snake, laughing as he moved.

“Fine fine, we can get to know each other more personally a little later~”

“What on… Ero… has gotten into you?” I said.

Happy wasn’t acting like his normal self. Well, no, he was, except I was fairly sure he was more ‘awed and inspired’ rather than ‘deeply sexually interested’ in me. Which was weird but a different kind of weird. He could be insane on his own time without weaponizing his charisma against me.

“I found some beautiful flowers earlier! I just had to try and see the effects and they left only you to be desired~”

Ah. Of course. He’s on drugs. Except instead of going into a wild mindless lust, he was getting a bit more handsy. …I’ll take it. I have the worst feeling in my gut, and to my Analyze that if Happy truly and badly wanted me in bed, there wasn’t a god damn thing I could do to stop it.

Stupid Luck powers.

Happy tried to play his harp but I quickly threw a small rock at him. It missed, the snake moving at that very instant slightly. It took the warriors a while, but finally, they all clambered on. It was a large snake, they had more than enough room.

“Alright, finally! Let’s go!” Hiyark said.

And we were off. And the snake, it moved fast. Whatever magical bullshit that made it break the square cube law over it’s knee, also decided that it could move faster than a regular snake, not slower. I literally felt the wind pushing back my hair slightly as it barreled forward through the Jungle.

Hiyark had said it would only take two days at this speed to arrive at the temple. I leaned back, resting a bit. Two days of boredom huh? Well, alright. I’m sure it won’t last.

“Do you think this journey will be without any problems?” Konohora asked.

“Yeah actually. I think the temple and gem are going to be a real shit show though.”

She nodded. We’d be as ready as we can be.

****

“Grand Elder! Grand Elder!”

“Hmm? What is it Saisaie? Did you find them?!”

“Not exactly but…”

Saisaie showed the grand elder what she’d found. There was a snake trail leading away from a small hole in the ground. Neither we’re exactly surprising so she couldn’t understand what had made Saisaie so excited.

She looked closer… seeing small footprints. Heading towards the snake trail.

She frowned, looking towards the direction it was going and-

“The Gema Verda!” She suddenly cried out.

She could scarcely believe it but… that area was sacred!

“We follow.” She said quickly.