I stumbled back in shock as Tyler and Riary just burst out of the freezing cold portal. Their appearance… Riary looked mostly okay, but I had never seen her so haggard and tired before. She looked like she hadn’t slept in weeks and like the sleep she had got hadn’t been good. Her. clothes were also rough white furs and judging by the amount of blood and stains on them, she’d been through a hell of a journey. I’d seen roadkill that looked more alive.

But that was nothing compared to Tyler. Jesus Christ. He had a jagged edge going down one of his eyes and the wound was… horrifyingly ‘fresh’. Both his arms were just gone and not like they were cut but more like they broke off. He may have had more clothing once upon a time like Riary, but his whole body was covered in wounds and scars, all ranging from ‘really, really recent to the point I can still see the blood pouring’ to ‘maybe happened a week ago, at best.’ His whole body had cracks running up and down it, everywhere. It was like he was an ice sculpture someone had taken a pickaxe to. And as if to top all that off, he was holding a blue gem in his… was a fucking blue hand made of aura? How on earth…

The second they walked through, Konohora began to rush them, which understandable made them horrifically nervous as Konohora currently looked like a fucking blood monster born of cannibals.

“Wait! It’s Konohora!”

They both blinked at that but Konohora didn’t even bother to slow down, immediately putting her hand on both their shoulders and beginning to heal them. The healing was intense enough that all the cracks inside Tyler actually started to glow with white light before slowly sealing shut. His arms were remade in real time but the process was absolutely at a snails pace. Riary’s own wounds were taken care of long before Tyler’s were done.

When she finally finished, Konohora nearly stumbled to the ground. I pulled myself up, standing, while Riary and Tyler came to the realization that yes, the woman absolutely soaked in at least three or four different colors of blood, was in fact Konohora.

“What… on earth… happened?” Tyler said.

“I feel as though it would be more appropriate for me to ask that, as you both had wounds I only barely understood. Both of you should have long been dead and yet you are both clearly alive.” Konohora said.

“It’s… a long story.” Riary said.

“Same.” I pitched in.

Her eyes instantly turned and narrowed, not towards me, but towards the gem in my hand.

“Two Gems…” Riary said.

“Yeah and-” Suddenly, there was a loud stomping. We all turned to where the Gaieldr had apparently finished their talks and were coming this way. On the bright side, the Restante seemed to be riding towards us as well, on a giant snake. So, that was something at least.

However…

“Are those Giant naked women?!” Tyler said in shock.

“How big is that dead panther?!” Riary said, noticing that and then both of their eyes fell to the rest of the battleground, practically bulging out of their heads.

Hell, the water tornado was still spinning, though it was lifeless and the giant spear was firmly lodged into the stairs. There was a giant hole that seemingly led to an abyss and a small hill or mountain currently toppling. It was a hell of a place at the moment.

“Uhh… guys?” Tyler said, staring at the process coming towards us.

“Enemy or Ally?” Riary said, to the point.

“Friend. Just… there might be some… issues.” I said.

We had basically just killed all of their progenitors. Regardless of our reasons… the Gaieldr were very clearly bawling even from this far. Even the tribal leader was absolutely sobbing. Hiyark wasn’t paste on the ground, so that was the only reason I had hope but… I can’t say that we’ll be getting out of this easily. I would murder the person who killed my dog, let alone my whole race’s parents.

Hiyark got closer and I winced a little. Not at her, but that snake, man, it had really been fucked up by all the fighting. I glanced at Konohora, who merely shook her head a little. Too much energy spent healing Tyler huh? Fair enough.

Hiyark finally stopped, the silver haired tribal leader behind her as well as Saisaie. She walked up to, only to blink at us four.

“So it really is true? You can teleport once you have the Gema Verda?”

“”Yes.”” Me and Tyler both answered, getting surprised looks from Riary and Konohora.

Especially Konohora, as she knew we both spoke with absolute certainty. It wasn’t something I, and I guess Tyler, knew till we were asked but… all of the Gems had a connection. Holding it in my hand like this… I could feel the connection to that black Gem, existing in a space all it’s own. And I could feel the tug from it, feel how it would be easy to summon it or go somewhere else.

Which really rankled. I nearly died to this green Gem but the black one practically seemed friendly by comparison. What a bastard of a Gem.

“Then… you must leave.” There was pain in her voice.

The tribal leader spoke but as usual, I didn’t understand it.

“She says…” Hiyark took a breath. “She says she understands why. I have explained the circumstance but…”

Yeah, doesn’t change things. Man, what a crappy ending.

“If I may make a… observation.” Konohora said.

Hiyark frowned. “Yes?”

Konohora smiled, before looking up at Saisaie and the Gaieldr leader. She held up both her hands before speaking slowly.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Awecalan Lailla Bsailrasr…” and then put her hands together. “Gaieldr.”

“What?” Hiyark immediately said, while the leader and Saisaie had far more… intense looks on their faces.

“Whed? Huw?”

“I am a healer and I felt a lot of the energy from the Gema Verda. It is… not the same exactly as the energy from the Gaieldr. If you were to remain in close physical contact with the Gaieldr for an extended period of time… a child born from the Restante would be a Gaieldr.”

The two giant women didn’t understand but Hiyark most certainly did and a very, very complicated expression came across her face.

“But… then…” I could practically see the calculations running through her head. Hell, even I was slightly surprised. I thought that was a possibility, sure, but I thought with the Gem gone, that well would dry up immediately. I guess life begets life. The Gaieldr have their own life giving auras at this point.

“We will… be treated… like the Lost?” Hiyark said, with what could only be described as a grossed out look. Despite the serious atmosphere, I had to resist laughing at the image.

Konohora had a gentle smile on her face. “That should be unnecessary. Frequent physical contact alone should be enough. Speaking from experience… I suspect you will feel and know when you would birth a Gaieldr instead of a Restante. I advise caution… the Gaieldr will die out if not enough Restante are born to continue the generations. I wish you luck.”

With that, Hiyark turned to the two looming Giantesses who hadn’t been able to follow the conversation at all. Ha! Take that! It’s your turn to be completely lost on what people are saying. I turned away, towards the rest of my companions, when I heard a voice.

“Weaid.”

I didn’t understand the word but I could certainly understand the intent. I turned around… to Saisaie. She still towered over me, an amazing, awe inspiring living skyscraper of a woman, completely naked. Even standing at the top of a temple… I barely passed her knee height. Something that rapidly changed as she got on her knees, her face becoming far more level with us.

She looked at me and Konohora with complicated eyes and started speaking, slowly, with sincerity.

“Buld Medar… Whal irrui dwu essaiyan... wa dhuirhd aid wer e rdsuca ull ruun llusdila. Buln Medar... esa raralnesirr. Lailla Bsailrasr henl'd faal raal... ail e rulr daina. Wa dsaedan irrui raica dha udhasr eln I'n... russirr. Wa nainl'd cluw. Tha Gseln Ernas reain elldas wa lluiln irrui wasa... ewecalan... dhed irrui wasa aaidhas e rsaed sisra us e rsaed frarrailr ulsa. I dhailc... aid'r e frarrailr narfaida dha surd wa hen du feirr. Su... Thelc irrui.”

Wow. I understood none of that.

“She’s saying thank you.” Hiyark said, voice filled with emotion.

Ah.

“Well… tell her… it was fun? It was chaotic and weird and I could’ve done without the drugs or lack of consent on more than a few things… but ultimately, it was fun.”

Konohora nearly snorted and then replied.

“And tell her that we would be happy to consider her as a friend and to thank her for lending us her aid in our time of need.” She said.

Hiyark did so, and Saisaie’s smile seemed to light up, before she hesitantly reached out… and patted both of us on the head. Then she stood up and began going back to talking with Hiyark and her leader.

Alright, this is too weird for me. I’ve hit my absolute limit. I mean, great that we’re cool and all but… I need to get back to normalcy in this fantasy world.

Riary and Tyler were both still looking at us, the surroundings, the giantesses, and more with a look of absolute confusion and weariness. And wariness. Tired and cautious. It occurred to me then that something truly strange must have happened for them because… it really hadn’t been that long since we got here. What, less than a week? Maybe? But Tyler and Riary seemed to look like they had been traveling for… god, months at least.

“So… what now?” Tyler said, as we all gathered.

“Now?” I answered him. “Now we go fucking back.”

I pulled on the ‘space strings’ as I was calling them and suddenly, where once there were four people, now there were none.

*****

“Ughh.”

“Why?!”

“That is… extremely unpleasant.”

I said nothing, not because I also didn’t feel like my guts were trying to roll around and tangle themselves into knots, but because I was feeling so teleportation sick that I was trying not to puke.

Why?! I don’t remember that feeling the last time. Hey… wait a minute.

“Our stuff!”

As if we had vanished into thin air, our clothes and weapons were just there, laying on the ground! I put the Gem down for a second on the altar, moving to pick them up. My sword! My glorious, massive black sword! That I have no idea how to use! I missed you so much.

“Derek, stop hugging your damn sword! It’s fucking creepy!” Riary said, anger alighting into her vision.

“Shhh, it’s okay sword, she’s just jealous.”

“We are not weakened, as best I can tell.” Konohora spoke up.

I blinked and focused.

“Nope. My Ability is telling me we’re all as strong as were only a few moments ago. No change.”

“Your ability?” Tyler said.

“We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

Everyone moved over, grabbing their own stuff. We didn’t have the privacy to actually put it all on but at least we had it! Though… something was wrong.

There were no bodies.

I frowned. We had massacred a bunch of people here and it’s not like the hole we fell down would go unfound forever. Why was our stuff left to rot here, if all the bodies were found and moved? Unless… was our stuff not here? I had just tugged on the string that had pulled us, except the ‘opposite’ way. Like a tug of war. Had our stuff just been in that black limbo all this time?

“I am happy we’re all back together.” Konohora said.

I snorted.

“And I’m happy Happy went and fucked off.”

“Happy? That cult leader bard?” Riary said.

“Oh he’s far more dangerous then that, sadly. He came with us to that damn jungle and-”

Have you ever seen a ghost or a demon? Been walking, looked out a window, and suddenly there was a creepy face peering back at you? Felt your heart stop, while you swear you saw a person in the darkness? Only to then realize it was your imagination, or something wasn’t there, or you really shouldn’t watch scary movies late at night, or it was your own reflection?

But… have you ever had that happen… and it really was someone creepy staring back at you?

I had turned… and there was Happy. Silently staring, smiling wide. My heart skipped a beat, and then it skipped another as I realized I wasn’t imagining it.

It straight out stopped as I noticed what was in his hands.

“Stop him!” I yelled.

Everyone turned, only for their eyes to go wide as Happy was holding both gems.

“Goodbye beautiful. See you later!”

No one was slow, but no one faster than me. I ran, claws inches from his face… and he disappeared, vanished immediately.

I hit the wall, turning around, staring, focusing my power, hoping...

But he was gone.

“FUCK!”