Joroboros

Chapter 98: Rescue

Did Caavaa not tell them they were supposed to wait for Grímr? Because they acted immediately and didn’t wait for the large alicanto to pick them up, many of the mermineae have taken notice. The Forvaal I got the drop on is only one of many able to ignore the pain of their burns.

Through my flames, I can feel three already circling us, waiting for the opportunity to strike. More are heading toward us through the smokescreen provided by my flames.

If they hadn’t brought attent...

Chapter 97: PoV - Remus

Remus had experienced many things in his life. He’d met many races and been to places most couldn’t fathom. Despite how much he’d seen, he knew that there was always something more waiting out in the world to discover, but never did he think he would see the other side of the Alps.

It had been a good decade since he’d been on his last travels, and while he’d considered a vacation sometime soon, he never expected to be thrust into these new lands in the way he had.

The Al...

Chapter 96: Preparation

I poke at a feather on the alicanto’s neck. Despite it no longer spinning around the bird’s body, the plumage remains sharp. The bird twitches again. Grímr must be having trouble learning to control this beast. While it took a few moments to put the reins on the lizard, he has yet to achieve more than spasms even minutes after entering the alicanto.

I twist in my mounted position to the mermineae trio closing in on the downed bird. I spare them a suspicious glance. They said they w...

Chapter 95: Alicanto

Controlling my spear without my hands is far harder than I expected. Even the lazy twirls around my body feel like I’m trying to balance it with a foot. It’s a bit like when I first grew my wings; the unfamiliarity of using my flames to grasp makes my actions feel alien. 

Cycling through strikes and thrusts of the variety of styles I know helps me gain familiarity and speed in my actions, but it doesn’t stop feeling strange. Doing so while focusing on flying only amplifies th...

Chapter 94: Traitors

I try to say I’m not hiding anything or any other lie, but the words freeze in my throat. I’ve not needed to lie in such a long time that I’d forgotten the changes made by the Fog prevent me from saying anything but the truth. Of course misleading by limiting the information I give has worked, but how can I do that in this situation?

I can’t show them Grímr. Not while he’s in such a vulnerable state. 

“I’d rather not.” With a hand over my bag, I step away fro...

Chapter 93: Caavaa

“What do you mean? How are we supposed to help with that?” 

He wants us to stop the other mermineae moving through the Alps. That they are trying to reach the other side — the ‘beyond’, as they call it — isn’t surprising. We’ve passed thousands of them on our way through the mountain, after all. But I don’t know how he expects us to stop so many.

Instead of answering, he climbs the narrow walls of the fissure. “Come. We will assist with freeing your friend...

Chapter 92: Enantiorn Eagle

My body snaps together a moment before I crash into the snow. I’m already dropping too fast. There’s no way I’m pulling out of this dive. The only thing I can do is clamp down on my form and try to cool my exterior as much as I can without chilling the heat within. If I can keep all my heat inside, I should be fine.

I smash headfirst into the thick white cover and find myself buried deep. The layer of snow rises well over my short stature while in this form. I flail with my wings ...

Chapter 91: Freedom

The tunnel is thankfully tall enough that I can fly over the heads of the mermineae without issue. Black stone above allows me to shoot past them without notice. While there are a few of the mermineae active in the centre of the tunnel, most hide themselves on the walls of the cavern. 

I need to be able to see the exit, so Grímr leaves a small gap in the darkness ahead of me. It is only a matter of time before one of the svelte creatures notice me through that tiny opening. I push...

Chapter 90: Supersized Angling

I stumble away from the hole, moving toward the space with no thermal presence. Talons are not very comfortable to walk on, and I struggle to move without staggering. Thankfully, none of the mermineae have noticed my presence yet. I can only be thankful that they don’t have a fire to light their way. It’s understandable down in the cavern below, but if they had a source of light up here, then Grímr’s shadow would stand out.

Grímr points his head in the direction we need to go, b...

Chapter 89: Ascend

“Really?” I can’t help my excitement at the news. “Finally?”

“Well, yes,” Grímr says. “But there are a lot of mermineae crowding the path. Even alone, I don’t think I could sneak by them.”

He looks up at me in concern, but even with his worries about the number of enemies we will face, I feel nothing but giddiness now that we are so close to getting out.

“Well then, let’s go. There’s no reason to wait.”

“Wait. We still need to prepare. I ...

Chapter 88: Growth

I’ve been down here for months. Thankfully, I never got caught in the middle of the fight between giants. In as long as I’ve been travelling through this cavern, not once have I seen the giant centipede afterwards. While the arachnids will often drop on the creatures after they get swarmed by the uncountable bugs, the battle between giants was a once off.

It’s surprising how common it is to find bats or the residents of the shadows trying to get a feed from the fungi traps only to...