"Alright, this should do it", I said, preparing another Rite of Channeling. I planned to give my Oroshi Kirin, Snowsaber, a couple of new genes to give him a little power boost, and had finally found a Jade Barroth with the gene I needed.
I summoned both monsters, each standing on a different platform. Snowsaber was a unicorn-like Monster covered in black, dark purple and dark blue scales and fur. The only lighters parts of his body were the highlighted, jagged tips of his mane, beard, tail and horn. The former were light blue, while his horn ended in a bright purple. His eyes were a piercing red, and seemed to know posses an intelligence far beyond that of a human.
The Jade Barroth was a large Brute Wyvern, closely related to the mud dwelling Barroth. Its body was covered in thick armor colored dark teal and ice blue, with brown covering its lower arms and legs. Its underbelly was a contrasting bright yellow, and it also possessed red eyes. Atop its head was a massive crest made of fused pillars, which were actually the beast's nostrils.
I raised my kinship stone and it began to glow, cloaking the Jade Barroth in bright blue light. The Brute Wyvern became a bright blue orb and floated over Snowsaber. It fused into the elder dragon, who neighed as he absorbed the energy. The light died down and the elder dragon's body was now flowing with newfound energy.
I walked over and pet Snowsaber, rubbing his snout affectionately. He nuzzled against my hand as I gave him gentle scritches.
Suddenly, the memory started to break apart, and the background was replaced by a massive expanse of light blue and green space.
Snowsaber now stood in front of me, his eyes staring into mine like he was trying to tell me something. I thought I heard him speak, but if he was, I was unable to make out what he was saying. Suddenly, he started to fade away, and I tried to run towards him. The ground beneath me collapsed, and I felt myself falling.
...
I gasped as I woke up, falling out of the bed once again. I groaned and rubbed my lower back. Ragnarok, who had been sleeping on the floor next to me, helped me stand up. Navirou rubbed his eyes and yawned.
I felt the ship shake, and heard lots of shouting outside. I heard what sounded like fighting outside, and angrily stomped over to the door, Ragnarok following behind. We stomped up to the deck, and I was met with the sight of multiple armed men on our ship, and some fat slob wearing fur EATING OUR SHIP!
"GET THE HELL OFF OUR SHIP YA JERK!", I shouted, "RAGNAROK, SEND THIS ASSHOLE FLYING! TAIL SMASH!"
My crew mates ducked out of the way as Ragnarok barreled forward, roaring at the fat man. The man barely had time to scream before he was promptly punted off the ship, courtesy of the Glavenus's tail. The armed men shrieked in horror as the man flew off into the distance, and scrambled back to their ship to chase after him. They shouted at us, but I barely paid them any mind. Interrupt my sleep, threaten my friends and try to destroy our ship, get ready to be used like a tennis ball.
The rest of the day played out fairly normally, and the crew explained what had happened before I woke up. Apparently, the human turned ping pong ball was called Wapol, and he and his crew had tried attacking our ship after asking the crew about some place called Drum Kingdom. I just shrugged, having never heard of it. I was also surprised to see that it was snowing. It reminded me of the Darj Snowfields.
I decided to spend most of the day helping take care of Nami, and recalled Ragnarok to summon Ratha. The Flying Wyvern promptly tried drowning Navirou and I in dragon kisses, having missed us. If that Wapol jerk showed back up he'd get a fireball instead of another swat.
Nami's condition was definitely getting worse, and she was now mostly confined to her bed. With the temperature getting colder and colder as we traveled, there was no way we were letting her outside until we found an inhabited island. According to Sanji, the nulberries had helped ease the pain Nami was in, but her fever hadn't stayed down long before rocketing back up. I gave him a few more berries to mash up for her, hoping to keep the navigator stable.
Ratha whined softly and nudged Nami's hand, which was dangling off the side of the bed. He pressed his snout against her palm, whining louder as he tried to get her to respond. He quickly became panicked and I had to hold him back from jumping onto the bed. I gently scratched the scales on the back of his neck to calm him down. He whimpered and nudged her hand again.
I looked up when I heard Nami chuckle weakly, gently petting the wyvern's snout. Ratha lifted his head and rested it on the bed, right next to Nami's side.
"It's okay boy", Nami rasped, coughing, "I'm gonna be fine."
I heard the door open and saw Sanji walk over with the mashed nulberries and some tea. Ratha whined and curled up next to the bed. Sanji raised and eyebrow at the sulking wyvern.
"He doesn't want to leave her side", I explained, "He's done this before when I was sick. Wouldn't leave my side for most of the day. Monsters are very perceptive to the conditions of those around them, more than most people realize. Kind of like dogs."
Sanji carefully set the tea on the nightstand and handed Nami the nulberries, refusing to leave until she ate all of it, occasionally helping her when her strength waned. Once she finished the mashed berries he left, and I followed him. Ratha stayed with Nami, keeping her company.
"She's getting worse", I said, downtrodden, "we're doing everything we can, I just feel like it's not enough. What if she doesn't make it?"
Sanji gently held my hand, and I squeezed his hand in response.
"We won't let her die", Sanji said reassuringly, "I swear on my life I'll make sure she gets better. No need to beat yourself up. You're doing your best like the rest of us, that's all we can ask of you."
"Thanks Sanji", I said softly.
I looked around the ship, watching the others hard at work. Even Zoro was up and active, a nice change for him. Usopp was repairing the spot where Wapol ate a chunk of the ship, and Luffy and Carue were helping him. Vivi went back inside to check on Nami. I shivered as the cold air chilled my body, the Jaggi armor not being a very good insulator.
Sanji suggested I put some warmer clothes on, and I agreed. I headed back down to the girl's bedroom, and went to grab a different set of armor. Maybe a different weapon would be good too. In the end I decided on the warm Lagombi armor and swapped out my Kirin Bolt for Eternal Hate, another sword and shield set. If we were just going to look for a doctor then the less threatening armor and weapons would be a better choice. No need to make a potential doctor feel threatened.
Properly suited up for the weather, I went to check on Nami. Ratha was still by her side when I got to the infirmary. Nami seemed stable for now, the nulberries helping to keep her fever down, but I knew it was only temporary. Ratha was fast asleep on the floor next to the bed, head tucked under a wing. I saw Nami shiver, and noticed the temperature was dropping, a sign that night was fast approaching. I brought over an extra blanket and gently placed it over her, leaving only her head exposed. I carefully tucked her in, trying not to jostle her. She groans weakly and opens her eyes.
"You need to rest", I said, carefully adjusting her pillow for her, "do you need another cup of tea? I can have Sanji make you another one."
"I'm fine, really", she replied weakly, giving a small smile.
I sighed, she could be just as stubborn as Luffy sometimes. I stand up to leave, looking back at Nami.
"Just, let us know if you need anything, okay?", I said softly.
She nodded and went back to sleep. I left the infirmary and headed to my own bed. I was too stressed to eat dinner, I just wanted some sleep. As soon as I reached the girl's bedroom I flopped down on my bed with a sigh. I tried my best to fall asleep, trying to ignore all the scenarios in my head of things that could go wrong.
...
The next day I awoke rather early, having gotten very little sleep. I was still stressing out over Nami's condition. I sluggishly stood up and left the comfort of my bed, my feet dragging as I headed to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror I could see I had dark circles under my eyes, a clear sign of my unrest. I quickly used the bathroom and washed up, getting ready or the day.
As I left the bathroom I detected the scent of coffee coming from the kitchen. I trudged towards the kitchen, opening the door with a yawn. I spotted Sanji preparing breakfast, preparing a large meal consisting of eggs, pancakes, bacon and sausage, coffee, tea and orange juice. I walked over and poured myself a cup of coffee, sitting at the table.
"Good morning Saurus-Chan", Sanji greeted cheerfully, "how did you sleep?"
"Ugh, I've slept better", I huffed, "I can't stop worrying about Nami. Hopefully we reach an island today."
"I hope so too", Sanji said, giving the pancake in the pan a flip, "we've just got to keep our heads up."
"Always the optimist", I remarked, "Honestly, its like you and Luffy are just made of positivity. Seriously, you guys could bottle that stuff and sell it."
Sanji chuckled and quickly flipped the bacon so it would cook more evenly. I took a sip of my coffee and perked up when Vivi entered the kitchen. Sanji and I both greeted her, Sanji with his classic heart eyes. A few minutes later Luffy, Usopp and Navirou followed, having been attracted by the smell of cooking bacon and sausage. They tried to sneak a piece that just finished cooking, but were met with a kick from Sanji. After a scolding from the chef the trio took their seats at the table. Vivi and I helped Sanji set the table and soon, breakfast was served.
We each took a plate and, as we ate, I couldn't help but smile at the close bond the crew shared. Luffy and Usopp were goofing around as they stuffed their faces, Luffy especially so, and after a few minutes Zoro finally joined us. Sanji noticed the swordsman enter the kitchen and the two began their usual banter. Insults like 'marimo' and 'ero-cook' were spat back and forth, but in more of a rivalry manner than one of actual disdain. Vivi chuckled at the antics of the Strawhats, and I was happy to see Navirou joining in.
Once breakfast was done and dishes were cleaned, the crew met up on deck to discuss our next course of action. Usopp continued his work fixing the Merry, Carue helping out like before. The cold weather still hadn't abated, but it had stopped snowing, and Vivi explained that we were likely approaching a winter island.
"There are 4 types of islands on the Grand Line", Vivi explained, "each island has 4 different seasons. This creates 16 different types of weather, from summer island summer, to winter island winter."
"I get it", Usopp responded, hammering in another nail, "because of the different kinds of islands, the weather is inconsistent and unpredictable."
"Right. The weather calming likely means we're approaching an island", Vivi explained.
"You're right", Sanji said, looking through a pair of binoculars, "I can see an island up ahead."
Vivi went down to the infirmary to let Nami and Luffy know about the island, and I felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. We had found an island, and hopefully, there would be civilization and, even better, a doctor.
I turned as Luffy whipped past me to sit on the figurehead. He smiled widely and shouted in excitement upon spotting the island.
"It's so white, it must be a snow island!", Luffy shouted excitedly.
"We don't have time to play around Luffy", Sanji warned, "we're here to find a doctor to cure Nami-San. Then we're off to Alabasta."
Luffy didn't seem to hear him, as he was too focused on the glistening snow coating the ground, like a frosty, white blanket. Usopp seemed concerned, worried about the potential of monsters inhabiting the island. I rolled my eyes, you'd think living with monsters would have gotten him used to encountering them.
As the ship was steered towards the island, the details of the frozen land became more distinct. The most distinctive feature of the island were the large, pillar-shaped mountains that rose high above the terrain, their flat peaks covered in thicker snow than the ground below. Surrounding the mountains were thick swathes of pine and cedar trees, their dark green branches frosted with snow. There didn't seem to be much open land, perhaps a few small clearings from what I could see as we maneuvered up the freezing river, but nothing more.
Eventually we reached an impasse as the river was cut off, and the ship came to a halt. We'd have to make the rest of the trip by foot. I whistled for Ratha and the wyvern made his way onto the deck. As he reached me he immediately began growling, his head lowered and his wings unfurled to reveal the dark blue patterns decorating the cream colored webbing.
"Stop right there, Pirates!", a man's voice ordered.
Looking up at the steep embankments we spotted a large crowd of people on both sides of the river. Most of them were armed with rifles, and none seemed pleased with our arrival.
"Get off this island. You're not welcome here!", the man from before, presumably their leader, ordered firmly, tightening his grip on his gun while giving us a death glare. The rest of the people pointed their rifles at us, making us tense up, and making Ratha growl louder.
"We're looking for a doctor!", Luffy explained.
"We have a sick person onboard!", Vivi shouted urgently.
"You can't fool us, you evil pirates!", one of the other men spat venomously. The other villagers joined in.
"This is our village, and we won't let you in!"
"JUST GET OUT, OTHERWISE WE'LL SHOOT YOU!"
One of them villagers took a shot at Sanji, but he quickly dodged it. He glared at said villager, making the man freeze up in fright. Ratha roared at the man, terrifying him and the other villagers.
"T-THEY'VE GOT A DRAGON!"
This sent the villagers into a panic, and several of the, got ready to shoot. Vivi went to shove Sanji and Ratha out of the way, and wound up getting shot in the shoulder.
This shocked us and sent Luffy and Ratha into a rage. Luffy and Ratha made a move to retaliate, but Vivi and I held them back. Vivi managed to calm Luffy down somewhat, and began speaking with the villagers.
"We won't go into your village", she said, "our friend is in serious condition."
"Vivi...", Luffy mumbled, looking at his pleading friend.
"You still don't understand how to be a good captain Luffy", Vivi said, "if you do something now, everything will get worse. Think about what will happen to Nami if you fight them!"
Luffy bowed before the villagers with Vivi.
"Please call a doctor", he pleaded, "Please help our friend!"
Everything was quiet for a moment, neither side making a move. Eventually, the villagers lowered their guns and stood down. The leader of the villagers spoke.
"I will show you the way to our village", he said gruffly, "Just follow us. But let me tell you something. We only have one doctor on this island, and she's a witch."
...
We followed the man to the village, while Zoro and Carue stayed behind on the ship. I chose to ride on Ratha's back so I didn't sink into the deep snow. As we walked, the man explained that the country had no name, which was rather surprising.
I heard Usopp scream and we turned to see a bear with a walking stick walking past. The man explained that it was a hiking bear, and that it meant no harm. He told us to bow to show respect, which we did, and the bear bowed back before going on its merry way.
Soon we arrived at the village, which the villagers referred to as Big Horn Village. Several villagers rode on the back of large rams and strange hippos covered in thick, wooly fur, not unlike that of a Popo or a Gammoth. A few of the creatures nodded to Ratha as we passed by, which he returned.
As the man dismissed the other villagers, Luffy and Usopp gawked at the veritable winter wonderland we had stepped into. The man invited us to his house, and we were approached by a rather large man that Luffy mistook for another bear.
"Is everything going to be ok Dalton?", the man asked, "I heard that pirates had come to our village."
Dalton assured the man that everything would be fine. The two discussed elections, and how Dalton was guaranteed to win. Dalton scoffed at this, claiming he was just a sinner. I was confused by this, this man seemed to be loved by the villagers from the way they talked to him when we arrived.
Dalton brought us to his house and had Sanji set Nami down on the bed. Ratha was once again by her side, whining and nudging her hand. Dalton shot Ratha an unreadable look before turning his attention back to the navigator. His eyes widened in shock when he felt how high her fever was.
"If her temperature continues to increase, she'll die", Dalton said gravely.
"We know, but we don't know what's causing this or how to cure it", Vivi replied.
"I don't care what's causing it, we just need a cure for it!", Sanji shouted, "tell us where that witch is!"
Dalton looked over at Sanji.
"Did you see that mountain outside the window?", he asked.
Sanji looked out the window, and glared when he saw two giant snow creatures blocking the view. He shouted outside at Luffy and Usopp, who built the snow monsters. In the distance he could make out a mountain rising higher than all the others.
"That mountain is known as Drum Rocky", Dalton explained, "can you see the castle on top of the mountain?"
"Yeah, I see it", Sanji replied.
"What's wrong with the castle?", Vivi asked.
"Currently there is no king living there", Dalton explained, "the only doctor living in this country, the one people call 'the witch', Doctor Kureha, lives in that castle."
"Why does she live so far away?", Sanji hissed, glaring at the castle through the window, "can't we just call her to come down here?"
"Unfortunately, we have no way of contacting her", Dalton replied.
"How can she be a good doctor then!?", Sanji asked exasperatedly.
"She's a very good doctor, but she's a strange, 140 year old woman", Dalton explained.
"What do you do if someone is sick?", Vivi questioned.
"She just comes down here without telling anyone, finds the sick people and treats them", Dalton said, "however, she then collects whatever she wants as payment."
What the hell kind of doctor was this woman!?
"But, how does she get down here?", Vivi asked.
Dalton explained that some people believe she rides a sled, while others think she flies, hence why they call her a witch. He also said that some people saw her traveling with a strange creature unlike any seen before. Upon hearing this Usopp began freaking out, screaming in terror at the thought of meeting a witch and a monster.
I looked over and saw Luffy trying to wake Nami up, with which he succeeded. She weakly opened her eyes. Luffy told her they'd carry her up to the castle, something which Sanji was not initially fond of. Sanji and Vivi began arguing with the rubber boy, trying to explain to him the dangers such a treacherous hike could pose to Nami.
However, it seemed that the navigator was tougher than she looked, and sided with Luffy. At first, Sanji and Vivi tried to convince her otherwise, but they quickly found their efforts to be futile. I smiled and shook my head; Nami was tough, as tough as a Rajang. Sanji decided to go with him, as did I.
With our help, Nami was quickly bundled up and hoisted onto Luffy's back. Normally, I could have Ratha fly us, but with the coming blizzard, there was no way he could fly without his wings getting frozen over and potentially torn. And I couldn't use Tigrerra, seeing as Barioth are covered in spikes and don't fly very smoothly. This forced us to travel on foot.
Before we left, Dalton suggested we use the path opposite the one we planned to take, stating that the path was full of Lapins; giant, carnivorous rabbits that hunt in packs. We weren't concerned, seeing as we could fight them off.
Plus, I was used to giant rabbits. Recalling Ratha, I summoned my world's version of a Lapin. Dalton gasped and stumbled back when a massive white rabbit stood before him. The rabbit's white fur was broken up in places by darker brown patches, and several sections of purple-blue armor. On its underside was a hard, smooth plastron dotted with yellow markings.
I gently scratched the Fanged Beast's chin and stroked its ears. Dalton, recovered from his shock, just stared at the beast.
"See, nothing to worry about", I reassured, "Hazel can protect us."
The Lagombi gave a grunt and I hopped on his back, settling into the saddle. With that we were off, determined to reach the castle and save Nami.
...
As we trudged towards the mountain, the snow got deeper and deeper. Unlike Ratha, who would've sunk in such deep snow, Hazel trotted along at a steady pace. As he walked, the deep snow was flattened and pushed aside, so I had Luffy and Sanji walk behind us to avoid getting stuck, something they were very grateful for.
As predicted, the blizzard struck during our trek, which would have made flight impossible. I snuggled further into my Lagombi armor as the temperature continued to drop. It felt as though with every step we took, it grew colder and colder.
"If you guys get too cold or tired, you can hop on Hazel's back and rest", I called back to them.
Luffy and Sanji walked closer and Luffy gently felt the Lagombi's soft fur.
"He's so soft", Luffy commented, "and warm."
He gently snuggled against the rabbit's side as we walked, feeling his body warm up when in contact with the soft fur. I chuckled when I heard Sanji scold him for not wearing warmer clothes, and I was so focused on them that I didn't notice the herd of white rabbits up ahead.
One of the Lapins lunged forward, but we easily avoided it. Another one lunged, and was just as easily ignored and dodged. This continued for a good portion of our trek; us chatting and ignoring the Lapins while we dodged them. Even Hazel paid them little mind, not even bothering to swat them with his paws.
Eventually though we got annoyed, and Sanji proceeded to punt an incoming Lapin off into the trees. As the snow got deeper and the blizzard harsher, Sanji and Luffy hugged Hazel's sides, not wanting to get stuck in the snow.
Suddenly, Hazel came to a stop, forcing Sanji and Luffy to halt as well. Standing before us was a herd of Lapins, lead by a large male with a scarred eye. Hazel huffed and reared up on his hind legs. Navirou held onto me as I gripped the saddle tightly to avoid being thrown off. I locked my feet into the special stirrups, keeping my seating. Hazel bellowed a warning at the Lapins, showing of his sharp fangs and chin tusks. He spread his arms wide to make himself look even bigger, though he was already almost as big as the biggest Lapin.
The alpha Lapin roared his own challenge, and lunged at us. Sanji and Luffy dodged, while Hazel swiped with his sharp claws when the large buck got close. The buck growled when he felt Hazel's claws rake his underside.
"These must be the Lapins Dalton was talking about!", Sanji shouted, dodging another Lapin, "Don't fight them Luffy! Nami can feel everything and it'll only make her condition worse!"
"We'll deal with them!", I called out to them.
Hazel roared at lunged at the alpha, sinking his fangs into his shoulder. The alpha roared in pain and shook Hazel off, the thick fat under his skin keeping the blow from being lethal. Sanji and Luffy made a mad dash for the forest, with multiple Lapins on their tails. I turned Hazel and he darted forward, sliding on his armored stomach to cover more ground. He made a quick drift, kicking up a wave of snow, and head butted another buck, sending him flying.
The alpha Lapin glared at Hazel, who returned the glare with equal ferocity. The two rabbits circled one another, each waiting for the other to make a move.
"Let's give em hell, Hazel!", I shouted.
Hazel lunged forward, to which the alpha responded with his own charge. They butted heads and stood on their hinds legs. They swiped with their claws, bit with their fangs, and kicked with their hind legs. Navirou and I lowered ourselves to avoid getting hit.
Hazel threw the alpha to the ground and chomped down on his neck. The alpha roared in pain and reared up, lifting us off the ground! He thrashed wildly, clawing at Hazel's underside, but was unable to cause major damage due to the armored plastron. Eventually he shoved Hazel off, and the two charged again. The remaining Lapins watched in awe as their alpha fought the odd looking newcomer.
Suddenly, the alpha smirked and I felt the ground shaking. I looked up and saw an avalanche barreling towards us! Hazel, upon seeing the massive rush of snow and debris, turned tail and bolted down the mountain, sliding on his plastron.
The Lapins followed suit, sliding down the mountain on fallen tree trunks. They swiped with their massive paws, forcing Hazel to dodge as we held on tight. In the distance I could see Luffy and Sanji sliding down as well, and to my horror, watched as Sanji struck a massive rock jutting out of the snow. A sickening crack could be heard over the rumbling of the avalanche.
"SANJI!", I shouted, close to tears seeing him fall.
Luffy tried to reach out to grab him, but he only managed to grab his glove before the blond disappeared beneath the snow. I steered Hazel towards Luffy, desperate to reach him and to find Sanji. Then, to my shock and horror, Luffy, after setting Nami down in a safe place, dove into the avalanche! Hazel skidded to a stop when we reached Nami.
At this point I was in full blow panic mode. I was hyperventilating and Navirou was trying his hardest to calm me down. I had just witnessed one of my friends smash their spine against a giant boulder, and the other dive into an avalanche! Hazel nuzzled me to calm me down, then suddenly perked his head up. I looked up and saw Luffy standing before us, holding an injured Sanji. I immediately ran over and hugged Luffy, afraid to let go in case I lost them again. He returned the hug and I helped him load Nami onto his back. I hopped back on Hazel and he began clearing a path once again, shoveling and stomping the snow so Luffy could walk with no issues.
As we hiked we came across a Lapin kit, trying to pull a full grown Lapin out of the snow. Luffy walked over, grabbed the larger Lapin's exposed paw, and with one pull freed the Lapin. I noticed it was the alpha male, but didn't have time worry about him as we needed to reach the castle. As we passed them, Hazel nodded to the alpha, who just nodded back. We didn't get far before we heard shouting.
We turned and I glared when I saw that bastard, Wapol, come trotting over on his hippo. He had two cronies with him as well, and they blocked our path. Hazel growled and stood up, tall enough to look the giant hippo dead in the eye. The beast seemed frightened by the fanged beast's glare and whimpered.
"You brats have disrespected me for the last time!", Wapol shouted.
"Get out of our way", Luffy ordered, his tone filled with restrained anger.
"Unless you want to become a chew toy, get lost", I hissed, Hazel growling threateningly.
"Hahaha, are you kidding me, why should I let you go?", Wapol mocked, "besides, those things you're carrying are about to die anyways."
Hearing the obese man call my friends 'things' made my blood boil, and the urge to run him through with Eternal Hate was growing more and more tempting with each passing second. Luffy seemed just as infuriated, but knowing time was running short chose to simply walk past them. Hazel and I followed, Wapol's hippo trembling when Hazel snapped his jaws at him.
"Hey stop!", Wapol ordered angrily, "I've come up with a new law! Write it down, Chess!"
The jester behind him complied and began writing.
"Whoever turns their back on the king shall suffer death!", Wapol proclaimed, "NOW KILL THEM ALL! I DON'T CARE HOW STRONG THEY ARE!"
The jester and the afro man lunged at us, specifically aiming for Luffy. The afro man threw a punch, which I had Hazel parry with his massive paw. Luffy started running to try and protect Nami, while I focused on the two cronies.
The jester took a shot with his bow, and I commanded Hazel to attack.
"Spread Frost Breath!"
Hazel opened his mouth and unleashed a massive blast of frigid air and ice. The blast spread out over a wide area, knocking the arrows out of the air. The arrows fell harmlessly to the ground, completely encased in ice.
Suddenly, Wapol grabbed the two men and the trio disappeared under the snow. Hazel immediately began listening for their movements, and turned his head as they headed in Luffy's direction. I watched as Wapol's mouth opened up, devouring the snow and threatening to devour Luffy and Nami too.
"Ice Skate Combo!", I ordered.
Hazel dashed forward on his stomach, easily passing Luffy. He slammed into Wapol's lower jaw, and I heard a loud crack. He then did a wide drift, hipchecking Wapol and forcing him out of the snow.
Wapol's cronies leapt from the snow, both aiming their attacks at Luffy. Just before they could launch their attacks, the two henchman were struck down by the alpha Lapin and another large buck. Wapol and his hippo became terrified at the sight of the large rabbits, meanwhile the alpha simply flexed arms as a show of strength. The Lapin kit from before clung to his back, waving at Luffy and I. We smiled; the Lapins were protecting us.
We thanked them for helping us and kept running, meanwhile Wapol and his cronies were soon completely surrounded by angry Lapins. I hoped that gluttonous bastard and his cronies wound up as the Lapins' dinner.
...
Once we reached the base of Drum Rocky, the blizzard had picked back up, the frigid gales howling with newfound ferocity. At this point I had to recall Hazel, seeing as their was no way for the Pelagus to climb, especially up such a steep incline.
"Come forth, Pantheroar!"
Another flash of blue light and a terrifying Brute Tigrex stood in front of me. He was mostly a dark grayish brown, almost black, with a white underside, and instead of yellow stripes, his were a copper color. He resembled a cross between a t-Rex, a wyvern, and a tiger, and the muscles in his forelimbs were so well developed, his wings could no longer be used for flight due to their weight. Two horns sat atop his head, resembling ears, and his eyes were a haunting yellow.
I quickly hopped on his back, but paled when I saw Luffy already scaling the mountain! Pantheroar began his own climb, Navirou and I holding on tight as we caught up to Luffy. It was too late to make Luffy get on now, so I quickly moved Pantheroar just beneath him in case he fell.
The position proved its use as, during the climb, Luffy lost his grip on Sanji, who I quickly caught. Luffy seemed greatly relieved as I carefully laid the blond across the saddle, just in front of where I sat. I noticed Luffy's hands started to bleed, and I called out to him.
"LUFFY!", I shouted over the howling blizzard, "YOU NEED TO GET ON PANTHEROAR'S BACK! I CAN CATCH YOU GUYS, I JUST NEED TO GET A BIT CLOSER!"
Luffy seemed hesitant at first, no doubt afraid he'd hurt Nami. But after almost loosing his grip on the rough, mountain rock, he stopped to let us get closer. Once we were just beneath him, he turned to face us and hopped down. Pantheroar raised his head to help guide Luffy down to the saddle, where he gripped me tightly as he clambered to sit behind me. He held onto me, using my upright position to hold himself straight so Nami wouldn't fall. Pantheroar dug his talons deeper into the rock, adjusting to the added weight.
"Thank you, Saurus", Luffy said tiredly, resting his head on my shoulder, all while keeping an iron grip on me.
Thankfully the rest of the climb wasn't too bad, and I made a mental note to give Pantheroar some extra donuts as a treat. We reached the top within minutes and Pantheroar slumped down upon reaching flat ground. Luffy carefully got off and stared up at the castle.
"What a beautiful castle...", Luffy said weakly, before collapsing in the snow. I hopped off of Pantheroar, while Navirou stayed with Sanji, and made my way over to Luffy.
Suddenly, the snow beneath Luffy and I gave out, sending us tumbling over the edge. I grabbed onto Luffy and heard Pantheroar and Navirou cry out.
Then, quick as lightning, a massive hand reached over the edge and grabbed Luffy's wrist before we could fall. I looked up and found myself staring at what looked like a large, hairy man, though his face was more animal than human. The man's gaze was menacing to say the least, like looking into the eyes of a matriarch Gammoth. I noticed he wore a pink hat with a small white cross on the front, and gave a small smile. The man's eyes widened at this for a moment, before they narrowed as he glared over at Pantheroar. I heard the Brute Tigrex growling and hissing, seeing the large man as a threat.
"Pantheroar, please stand down!", I shouted, "he's not our enemy."
Pantheroar's angry hissing died down to little more than a faint rumble.
"My friends need medical attention", I explained, "please, the man up there has a badly injured spine after getting caught in an avalanche, and the girl is running a dangerously high fever! Please, they don't have much time!"
The man's gaze seemed to soften at this, and he quickly pulled Luffy and I to safety. I began thanking him profusely, before suddenly feeling my strength fading. No doubt my lack of sleep mixed with the constant stress over Nami's condition was taking its toll. I slumped down in the snow, and my vision faded to black.
...
Lagombi Ecology...
Racing through the thick snow of the Arctic Ridge were several Lagombi. These medium sized Fanged Beasts belong to the classification Pelagus, which includes their relatives, the Arzuros and the Volvidon, as well as the massive Gammoth. Like the Gammoth, these monsters wield the element of ice. They are opportunistic omnivores, feeding on almost anything they can find, from grasses and mushrooms, to carrion and the occasional live prey when times get particularly hard.
This group of Lagombi, referred to as a warren, are busily feasting upon the bounty of snow berries and mountain herbs that the light of summer has allowed to grow. The largest member of the warren is an old male, referred to as a buck, and the alpha of his warren. It is his job to protect the warren from potential danger, an alert the others should he spot a threat. He stands atop a large mound of snow, watching as his warren, made up of a few younger bucks, several females called does, and their offspring, referred to as kits, feeds on the bounty of green hidden just below the blanket of white.
Suddenly, our alpha male detects something approaching the warren. As he looks up towards the high ridge, he spots a Tigrex, one of the most ferocious predators of the Arctic Ridge, second only to the Kushala Daora and the Ukanlos. The yellow and blue striped wyvern stares down the warren, its maw dripping with saliva.
The buck immediately thumps his foot and lets out a warning cry, sending the rest of his warren fleeing down the mountain. The Tigrex turns its attention to the alpha, now left with only him as a potential meal. The wyvern leaps from its perch, claws extended and jaws wide open. The Lagombi quickly dodges, using the hard, smooth plastron on his stomach to easily slide across the frozen terrain. The Tigrex misses his mark, getting only a mouthful of snow and dirt for his troubles. He turns and lunges at the Lagombi again, but the rabbit just as easily evades him once more. The Lagombi then darts past, the Tigrex right on his heels. The fanged beast makes a sharp turn, and when the Tigrex goes to follow, it trips and falls on its side, unable to make such a sharp turn at such high speeds.
With the wyvern downed, the buck quickly makes his escape, skiing down the mountain after his warren. When the Tigrex finally stands up the Lagombi is out of sight. The wyvern lets out an angry roar, and stomps off to find easier prey.
Our buck reunites with his warren, who have found an even better feeding ground further down the mountain. He joins them in feeding, happily chowing down on a patch of snow ferns. All in all, it has been a successful day for our old buck. He protected his warren, and found a better feeding ground for the summer months.
...
Next time...
Luffy and Saurus have made it to the witch's castle, getting Nami and Sanji the treatment they desperately needed.
They soon meet the strange monster said to live with the witch, but is he really a monster at all?
They are not out of the woods yet though, as soon, the gluttonous Wapol makes his presence known once again.
Will they defeat this mad king?
Next time on Monster Hunter: Open Ocean...
The Castle, The Witch and The Monster. Meet Chopper The Blue-Nosed Reindeer!