Chapter 14

"You know, you're going to to traumatize the poor girl if you keep doing stuff like that." Maki said as I touched down on the 'ground floor' of the huge terraced city.

Poor Amani didn't understand things like 'parachutes' 'thermals' or stuff like that. So for most of the way down, she clung to my back while trying to hug the stuffing out of me. Now though? She had gone into that same vacant state she'd done when I said I was level seven.

That's okay, she could still stand on her own two feet, so, I put her back down and got us organized. "So, I've taken a reasonable look, and my foxes are fanning out in the direction of the Gate. The terrain is bad, but the footing is reasonably solid. Lots of animal trails."

"We just have to avoid the animals." Aisha said, "What's that thing you keep going on about? Being a good guest?"

Ryuu, in a rare moment of agreement with Aisha, added a quiet, "They only kill what they can carry home. This isn't the dungeon."

Roku, looking like a serpent skinned Road Warrior spoke up as well, "Ma'am? How do you intend to open the Gate when you arrive?"

I was considering how to answer that without giving anything away, but Maki saved the day, "If it just arrived here one day, that means it's magic. We have someone we can ask for that kind of thing."

He looked at us, and I could see him putting things together in his head. "You have a way to speak with them?"

I picked up where Maki left off, "Yes. We call it an Occulus. It's a little glass ball used for talking over a distance."

He nodded, "Huh... an actual crystal ball." He chuckled, did a quick equipment check then stood at ease.

"Amani?" Aisha poked the mini-amazon.

"AH! Oh, yes Aisha?" She blinked away the last of the cobwebs and looked up at Aisha.

"Do well here. Keep people away from the wagon." Aisha said sternly, "We'll be back as fast as we can."

"And if that isn't very fast?" Shinkage asked.

"I'll contact you." I said, "If it will take too long, find and hire Brisid, and tell her she'll need to escort the new monsters here sometime soon. I'll arrange some kind of payment for them when they get you home safe, if need be."

"Very well." She gave Hagane a pat, and the big metal cat stalked over to me, "You may need to feed him while you're away."

"I'm sure I can manage." I nodded, "All set?"

"Just have to get out packs on." Maki said, "I am so looking forward to the baths back home..."

Leaving the city was fairly simple. Oddly, much simpler than getting in. There were a bunch more fresh faces at the gate, but they seemed to know, or not care, what we were about and let us pass without much more than a "Hurry up so we can close the gate again!"

Then again, they wanted to keep things from the jungle out, not keep things from the city in.

My little foxes had covered a good distance in the short time I'd let them run ahead, but being a little fox, and being a two legged person, were vastly different things on the rough jungle terrain. It wasn't long after we'd cleared the hundred meter 'clear cut' zone in front of the wall that we had to resort to the classic 'machete explorer' look.

"For someone without falna he's doing pretty good." Aisha commented, "Keeps his head down, looks before cutting a vine out of the way, doesn't panic when there's a mosquito the size of his head hovering nearby..."

Aisha and I had gone ahead a little to do a little clearing and scouting of our own. Only about ten good paces ahead, just to keep people in sight and on track. But it was far enough for a quiet chat at least.

"He's gotten training for this kind of thing." I said quietly, concentrating on using my ghostly foxes to distract the local wildlife. Few predators could resist chasing a 'harmless' looking critter who seemed oblivious to the danger around it, but when they did give chase, it was away from us.

"You've mentioned that, yeah. Still impressed."

"Thinking of going stray?" I teased, though, I was actually a little curious.

She looked a little... worried? "No no... I..."

"You will tell me later." I said giving her rear a pat and pointing with my other hand, "Are those silverback?" They looked like smaller versions of the ones in the dungeon. But 'smaller' only meant they were a little over three metres tall, not just under six. "I think they're following us."

"Just ignore them. If you get close, they'll either run, or attack. And there's ALWAYS more of them than you see. We call them Mossbacks here."

I was suddenly VERY suspicious of ever patch of moss in sight. Aisha returned my pat on the rear and gave me a smile, "And just because I like it when you're assertive, I will tell you later." She said, "Let's speed up a little, or we'll be at this for a week."

We were making good time, but I was afraid we really would be at this for a week. By late afternoon, we had to slow down a little for Roku. To be fair, we were basically jogging over terrible terrain, and everyone but him had falna. Despite that however, he was still on his feet when we took a quick break for lunch.

"Can you go on?" I asked him seriously.

"Yes Ma'am." He said, though he was doing his best to hide his heavy breathing. "What about you Ma'am? You're looking a little pale as well."

"I'm using a lot of magic to distract the animals around here. Fighting will slow us down, and not killing things," I slapped a head sized mosquito out of existence, "will slow us down more."

"Distracting? Those small foxes?" He got his breathing back under control, "I see."

Maki came by, roll of bandages in one hand, "Cuts? Scrapes? Anyone?" She was already sporting a couple small patches of bandages. Some of the vines around here had thorns you could use for Lilly's crossbow.

"Ah, here please." Roku said, putting the last of his lunch (yes dried snake meat... sigh) into his mouth.

He held out his arm, where something sharp had slid off the scales of his vest and nicked him. It wasn't much, but blood also attracted animals. "And done." Maki said.

"Ma'am? What's..." He sniffed at the bandage, "Alcohol?" He seemed surprised.

"Distilled vapours from tree barks." Maki said, "We soak our bandages in them to help stop bleeding and keep wounds clean."

Roku's face squinted up a little in discomfort, "Ah, blood mixes with the dried up vapour and activates it." And like any good rubbing alcohol, it stung when put on a cut.

"Are we done catching our breath?" Aisha asked, "Fox, take a couple pills. It's only going to get harder from here."

She was right. I was starting to feel a little tired by the end of the day. But something seemed a bit odd about that. Considering my magic stat, likely the highest in this world's history, I should have been able to send out a zillion of my little foxes before even noticing. Considering they hardly used any magic at all, and I got some of that back when I recalled them...

"Ryuu?" I asked, "Is there something weird in the air?"

Our resident expert in air magic looked at me, then closed her eyes for a moment, "I think so."

"Problem?" Aisha asked.

"Something about this jungle is disagreeing with my magic." I said.

"Well yeah, I told you that we make those bone daggers from things in the jungle." She gave her new 'short sword' a pat, "The monster we get the blood from is a predator. But that just part of it."

I sighed, "Right... It eats the things that work against magic, that builds up in its body, and you extract the blood."

"Maybe it's the moss?" Maki guessed, "I mean, it's all over the place, but there are clear signs something eats it."

"Who knows." Aisha shrugged, "Hey Roku? Still with us?"

Our poor JSDF guy was panting pretty hard, but he still managed a thumb's up. "I haven't... had to... run for so long... since... boot."

"You keep referring to that. Is it a place?" Ryuu asked.

"Training... camp. Where we get our first pair of boots." He said, "Not to complain ma'am, but how much farther?"

Maki, the next lowest on the 'power scale' was just starting to show signs of strain as well, and I could tell she was also hoping for a good answer. Sadly, I had to say, "At this pace, another day. But since we're losing daylight, we'll be camping twice more at least."

"How are you going to sleep?" Hagane rumbled, his metal feet still silent in the jungle. "I don't sleep, but I'm also not very edible."

"We packed a hammock and smoke candles." Ryuu said, "Here then? Or a little further?"

"A little further." Aisha said, "If we're lucky we can find a rock shelf."

We were indeed a little lucky. The 'rock shelf' wasn't really anything special. It looked like a giant boulder that had rolled to a stop here. But that meant the only thing on it was moss and a few insects. That made it easy to set up our bug repellent candles and the like, and limit the amount of things that could hide under us. The canopy itself was still dense jungle, so we had all kinds of places to string what amounted to a giant fisherman's net we could all sleep on. It made for odd sleeping arrangements, but with the thin smoke from below keeping the bugs away, and the long day of fast travel over garbage terrain, we didn't have trouble getting some rest.

It also helped we had Hagane on watch all night. That alone let me get at least a couple of hours actual sleep. Roku on the other hand, somehow managed to sleep like a rock. He didn't even snore! Once we said 'lights out', he just tipped his hood over his eyes, didn't bat an eye at Aisha and I laying on either side of him, and that was it until the first hint of daylight started to wake up the wildlife around us.

And after that little bit of sleep, my mana supply felt much better. But I would have to limit just how much I 'distracted' the local monsters today, else I'd be a wreck by evening again. I actually felt kind of pleased there were things in this world that I still had to watch out for. Like say, this weird magic negating moss.

"Shinkage?" I called into the occulus, "You awake?"

Everyone else was packing things up, so I checked in.

"Shinkage? Your magic stone is talking." It was Amani, speaking from someplace nearby.

"Amani?" I called again, "Is everything okay?"

"Oh! Um..." There was a pause, "Is... this it?" There was suddenly dim light coming through my half of the Occulus as she found and took off the leather cloth over it, "Wow... Hello Kodori."

"Good morning. No problems?"

"Aside from my Rival being a sleepyhead? No."

"Good. Don't be too hard on her. She's a dragon, she likes sleeping." I replied with a smile.

"A..." I watched in real time as she shorted out again, but then come back a moment later, "I'll just get the pot boiling. The smell of food wakes up any warrior."

"Good work. We've just packed up after a night out. We're all still alive too, and that it's time to head back. She'll know what it means."

"I'll tell her when she gets her butt out of bed."

"Stupid rain." I sighed.

"Really Fox? You're whining." Aisha laughed.

"I am." I admitted, "At least it's keeping the bugs away."

"Most of them." Maki said, rubbing a mosquito bite that looked more like a bruise. "Next level, I am taking abnormal resistance. Even with that antidote, it itches something nasty..."

"You really are following in her footsteps." Ryuu said, "Kodori took it after getting covered in moth dust."

"Shh." Aisha said from ahead, "You're going to wake things up."

We fell silent, trying to keep the noise of our marching down as well. Poor Roku was already looking exhausted again, but he wasn't tired enough to drag his feet yet. But it was almost lunch, and the jungle floor was starting to change to a kind of blocky shelf structure. Almost like the terraces of the city. We were making really good time if that was the case.

"Should I run distraction again?"

I could hear large things moving nearby, again. "I'll be sure to check you for claw marks later." I said, "No issues with power?"

"I am feeling a little... distant. But I am fine still." And with that, he swerved off into the jungle, a sharp sounding growl and heavy body moving after him a moment later.

"Ma'am..." Roku huffed.

I slowed down a bit to jog beside him, "Problem?"

"If... I don't ask... I'll..."

We all stopped, and the poor soldier ground to a halt and started catching his breath. After a moment he continued, "I have to ask... what is he?"

"Do you know what a Golem is?" I asked.

His exhaustion had eroded his professionalism just a little, and I could see the stoic expression slip into a clear 'checking the mental Rolodex' face, "A statue made in the likeness of a man, to toil in his place?"

Ah, he'd read up a little it seemed. "Well, I had a soul laying about, so I put it in a metal body. Much better to have around than a paperweight."

"And he works off magic?"

I nodded, "That's right." I paused, turning my head sharply towards the path ahead, "I see it."

Because of the weird anti-magic in the air, I only had one fox out scouting, and it was now looking at the Gate. "How far?" Ryuu asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon, latest I think." I said, "We can't risk travelling at night. Especially with the rain." I gave Roku's shoulder a pat, "Any of this looking familiar?"

He looked around, shook his head, "No Ma'am. But one jungle looks much like any other." He looked up, "Though, if I could climb a tree?"

"I'll go with him." Ryuu said while holding out a hand.

Without asking, I handed her the soft leather bundle that made up my spyglass kit. It was an idea I'd taken right out of a movie, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, and was becoming popular in the city now too. Ryuu put it in one of her pouches and looked up for a suitable tree to climb.

"Ma'am?" Roku offered Ryuu his dagger, "If you're climbing ahead, you may want this?"

Ryuu took it and started climbing, and a moment later, Roku started up as well, using the same handholds Ryuu did. "Thoughtful too." Aisha chuckled quietly, "Lunch time then?"

"I feel kind of sorry for him." Maki said, checking her bandages then taking a sip from her water skin, "And that politeness? That's an Eastern thing I'd bet, not because he's a man and wants to feel useful among the women."

"Oh?" Aisha raised an eyebrow, fishing about in a pouch and taking out a bit of dried meat.

"She was going ahead, he saw she was unarmed." I said, "I mean, sure, Ryuu is very strong, but no one wants to handle a tree viper or something with their bare hands. She can also leave it behind in the tree for him to grab for a handhold." I nodded, "I almost hope they kill something... getting really tired of snake..."

As if to answer my prayers, a... critter fell from the tree. About as big as my foot, it had the body of a squirrel, but the head of a tiger. It also had a very clean knife wound right between the eyes.

"I am still an amateur big sister." I said, growing a couple of ghostly claws and skinning the critter.

The two of them came down just as I finished cooking... what ever it was. Aisha had helpfully stuck one of the arm length thorns through it and I'd started on it with foxfire.

"Well?" I asked as I clawed off a little meat. "Well, it's not worse than snake at least." I handed it to Aisha.

"Ma'am? Can we make a small detour?" Roku asked, "I left some of my tools nearby."

"Why leave them behind?" Maki asked, accepting the cooked critter and taking a nibble, "Urg... I'll stick with snake." And passed it to Ryuu.

"Once expended, some of my tools become dead weight. But if they could be refilled, they are useful again." He explained.

We nodded, understanding. But also not telling him we knew exactly what a Gun was. Well... Maki and I did. Ryuu was familiar with the 'magic revolver', and Aisha had at least seen them and gotten the explanation when she watched some of the news coverage with us over the Occulus.

"Is it far?" I looked to Ryuu.

"No. Half hour, maybe an hour." She handed the last of the roast critter to Roku, "Had worse."

Roku accepted it, took a bite, then said with confidence, "Better than most MRE at least." He then threw the last of it as far as he could in the direction of the city.

"What about Hagane?" Maki asked.

"I hear my name." His head and shoulders pushed through a thorn bush, the bone enamel covering his metal shell ignoring the mundane thorns, "Problem?"

"We're making a little detour." I said, looking to Ryuu.

"That way. Half hour or so."

"Very well. I will go make some noise... in this direction."

"Thank you. We'll be going that way afterwards." I pointed towards my distant scout fox, "We'll wait for you to catch up. Don't want to get separated for too long."

"Good. I'll try not to get eaten."

We didn't travel at a breakneck pace as we went in the direction Roku and Ryuu pointed. After about forty minutes, a small drizzle of rain, then a sudden sharp upturn in humidity, Roku crouched down and started using swear words even I hadn't heard before.

"Roku! What happened?" Maki asked, at his side and already reaching for her first aid pouch.

He waved her off, standing straight with a little difficulty and shaking out his foot. "I found a landmark." He said, "I tripped over this same rock before I was captured, see?"

At first glance, it was a simple moss covered rock that was sticking out onto the thin animal trail we'd been following. But looking a little closer, you'd see it had two 'skid marks' of cleared off moss. One had been just made, and was smooth. The other was older, and had a clear boot print marked on it.

"It was getting too dark to see properly, so I went..." Roku looked up, did a slow spin in place, "This one."

"Ah, good choice. Low hand holds, but not the highest canopy around." Aisha nodded, "You don't want to be the highest thing around these parts."

"Yes Ma'am. I saw those giant birds." Roku nodded, "Does anyone see anything dangerous that I'm not seeing?"

We all looked upwards, and I said, "Not me."

"Or me." Maki said.

"Aisha? Is that a vine, or a snake?" Ryuu asked, pointing.

Without replying, Aisha found a fallen branch and hurled it at the vine. There was no reaction from it other than to sway a little, "Vine."

"I'll be back in a moment then." Roku said.

He started up the tree, his method of ascent very methodical. Place foot, wiggle foot to make sure it's secure, stand. Place hand, give tug to make sure, pull upwards. I certainly couldn't fault him, it would be a shame to get this far, only to die gravity poisoning.

We waited about two minutes before he paused, braced his feet, and started to rummage around in the last big V of branches. "Clear below!" He called down.

"All clear." Maki replied.

With a little thump and rattle, a parcel of stuff hit the ground. It had been wrapped up in, I think, para-cord netting. And yes, it had several items in it that I knew instantly. First of course was the largest, some kind of assault rifle. Next was a folded and wrapped up bundle of belt and pistol holster. There were a few other things, but the last thing I recognized was a metal necklace that had been used to thread the net closed, and a pair of dog tags.

I pulled my eyes off the bag and watched Roku finish his descent, "As you can see, it's a little much to carry when it serves no purpose." He smiled, "I just need..." He untangled his dog tags and put them on again.

"What kind of tool is that?" Aisha asked.

Roku was dismantling the bundle, systematically checking every bit of it before slinging it over his shoulder or around his hips on the belt his hand gun was on. "It's like a bow. Except it fires a small bit of metal much faster."

"Huh..." Aisha sounded disbelieving, but shrugged, "If they have no arrows, then they're useless. You were right to discard them."

"Rain might be getting worse again." Maki said, "We should hurry."

"Try not to trip on anything." I said, nodding, "Hagane should be with us again soon."

Yes, it started to rain again. But the ground was getting more rocky as we went along, making the ground a little flatter and thus easier to manage. It wasn't long before we caught up to Hagane as well. He was covered in bits of jungle, but otherwise seemed fine.

"Good. I was starting to worry that we got lost."

"You would think finding the only giant metal cat in the jungle would be harder." Maki laughed, "No trouble?"

"I had to use my electric discharge enchantment several times." He rumbled, "But I personally didn't kill anything."

"Good." Aisha nodded, "We have about two hours until we start to lose daylight."

"Let's make it as far as we can then." I said, "Just let me..." I gave Hagane a headpat, but also fed him my mana. From inside of his hips and shoulders, I could hear his 'batteries' filling up again, clicking into place as they regained their charge. "How bad is it?" I asked.

"I am unable to draw power from her. But I can still hear her thoughts." He replied.

"Keep within hearing range then. Don't want to lose you here." I finished giving his head a pat, "Run ahead, don't get eaten."

Another night, this time in the rain, huddled under a thin layer of waxed cloth, and dangling on the big 'hammock' off the ground. Breakfast was (thankfully?) the last of the dried snake, and thus refreshed, we packed up camp, applied a little more skin oil, and started running again. Roku was a resilient sort. He'd run all day for two days solid, yet he was still able to wake up exactly at the break of dawn. Sure, he didn't look energetic, but he was keeping up as best he could.

"We have maybe another hour of this before we get to the edge of the jungle." I said, "From what my fox can see, we'll have some clearing to do, unless we wanted to try and work with the Gate while fighting."

"What do you see? What sort of monsters?" Aisha asked, "I'm no expert, but I might know."

"Mostly..." I tried to single out individual things, "reptiles. A few large birds. A band of those mossbacks... That's all I can make out without getting closer. Nothing is really near the Gate itself, but if they're like normal monsters, us getting close..."

"The monsters here aren't as aggressive." Ryuu said, "More territorial, but less aggressive."

"Think we can just scare them off then?" Maki asked, "I mean, loud noises, bright lights, maybe just poke them a couple of times?"

We all looked to Aisha, who shrugged, "We might be able to just walk there. Are they avoiding the Gate?"

I looked through my fox's eyes again, "N...some are. Maybe... though that might be because there's some birds nesting on top of it."

"Crap. Wire hawks." Aisha sighed, "Wingspan about as wide as two people with their arms out, with a long thin and very sharp tail. They can crack it like a whip," She made an 'airplane' motion with her hand, swooping down, then pulling up sharply, "That can take your arm off if it hits you."

"Do they fear anything?" Ryuu asked.

"Nope. They're apex predators. They usually nest further on, ocean cliffs and the like, but if there's a tall object in the middle of an open field..."

"I will deal with them if need be." Hagane said, "We are wasting time."

We all nodded to each other, and started moving again.

"That's it, Ma'am." Roku said as we all paused at the edge of the jungle.

The Gate sat in the middle of a wide, open, rock 'flat'. It wasn't 'flat' but it was mostly clear of boulders and other such you'd usually have in a wild solid rock area. Some of it was broken up a little too, with odd raised and lowered 'platforms' of rock. No more than a metre or so height difference it was still kind of odd. Almost like someone had laid out floor tiles during an earthquake.

Most of what we could see, monster wise, was either basking on one of these flat spots, hiding in the shade of one of those flat spots, getting eaten because they weren't doing either, or nesting on the very top of the Gate.

"Thoughts?" I asked, passing my spyglass over to anyone who would take it.

"There is a reasonable distance between packs of monsters." Ryuu said, "Hagane and I can shoo the birds away."

"We'll try not to pluck all their feathers."

"I can run distraction if need be." Maki said, tapping the pommel of her spell sword, "Depending on how light sensitive their eyes are."

"Thought about going a little wild, Fox?" Aisha asked, "Doesn't pretending you're not ready to fight get boring?"

Yes, I was using the same trick I used when working with the 'rookie team'. I was hiding my aggression as best I could, and just... going for a walk. "I could, but I'd either scare them away, or make them all go hostile." I shrugged, "If need be, sure."

"Let's get started then." Aisha nodded, satisfied, and we all stood up and broke cover.

We didn't really go for 'stealth'. But we did try and trace a path towards the Gate that had the fewest potential problems. With the weird uneven ground, we had to do a little rock climbing/jumping, but with Roku being the only non-super powered person here, it wasn't difficult.

"Just how bad are those birds, really?" I asked.

We crouched down about half way, peeking over chest high ridge in the rock. "Ma'am, when everything is avoiding something, there is generally a good reason." Roku replied, "I'm guessing those are the reason I was right not to camp on top of the canopy?"

"You guessed it." Aisha nodded, "Hey kiddo. Think you can scare them off from here with your fancy sword?"

Maki unhooked her sword, seemed to do a little mental math, "Maybe, but is that a good idea?"

"Upsetting them may either get their attention, or make them flee." Ryuu said.

"But also wake up all the other monsters around here. They'd probably go to ground too." Aisha said, "If you could set their nest on fire, they'd at least stop perching there for a little while."

"I'll try then." Maki nodded, "Lemme just..." She licked her finger and stuck it into the air for a moment, "Okay..."

She then lined the sword up on her arm, looking down the sheath at the Gate. I could tell she was aiming a little high, but a 'killer icicle' was still a solid, and if it went far enough, it would slow down enough to be subject to things like wind and gravity.

"Tsurara." She said, the red gem on the pommel glowing brightly for an instant, then flinging out a spear of ice about the length of my forearm.

"Looks good, start running!" Aisha said as the icicle reached it apex and started to descend towards the giant birds.

I hopped up onto the ledge first, then Ryuu. Aisha laced her fingers together for Roku to use as a step, then again for Maki. "Hagane? Can you light that up?" Aisha asked as she hopped up behind is, the big metal cat following.

"On my pride as a dragon." He rumbled, opening his mouth, a few distinct metal clicks coming from inside his body.

I touched down on the other side of the ledge, and watched the birds, a half dozen of them, all get spooked and lift off as the killer icicle skittered off the slope of the Gate's roof, and passed cleanly through one of the nests there. Once in the air though, I saw exactly what we were dealing with.

With a beak that was almost as much lizard as beak, it had a long narrow body, and wings that spanned upwards of four metres. It had five toes, three forward and two backward, marking it as a true raptor. And yes, its tail was long and thin, with what looked like a bladed barb on the end.

Then I heard two things behind me. First, was a crackling 'fwoosh', as Hagane spit a ball of plasma at the Gate from about a football field away. I was too busy trying to keep track of all the birds, so I had to trust it was on target.

Second, was a cry of pain, then a manly, "Enemy from the rear!"

I turned, Ryuu running past me, and saw Maki hit the ground. Something like a mix of an alligator and a horse had snapped the tip of its jaws closed on the meat of her calf. "I got it!" I yelled before Aisha could turn, "Roku! Eyes! Rest of you clear the Gate!"

"Yes Ma'am!"

Everyone kept running past save Roku and I. He wasn't an expert with a spear, but aside from looking like some insane gator/horse, it was about as large, and not a difficult target. The monster had captured Maki's calf with only the very end of its jaws, but if it decided to shake her around, it would probably rip her leg off. To her credit, Maki wasn't shaking around or trying to pull her leg free, she was instead clinging to the ground, holding herself as stable as possible.

"Get it off!" She screamed.

Roku's distraction worked, and instead of slinging its head from side to side to 'subdue' its next meal, it was trying to just back away from the pointy stick.

Then I got there, doing a short hop over Maki's arm, hitting the ground feet first, sliding until my shoulders were even with the end of the monster's jaw, then clamping either hand on the top and bottom of the beasts maw.

Then it tried to roll, but I hooked my legs around its body, held it still, and with a massive heave, tore its jaw apart. Maki's leg was free, and I was suddenly holding a gator/horse and its lower jaw in either hand.

"I've got her!" Roku shouted as I got back to my feet. He had dropped the spear, and now had Maki over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, her butt facing forward and his hand clamped around her wounded leg just below the knee.

"Run!" I said, making sure there were no more surprises, and then running after them, the gator/horse dragging along behind me, still struggling.

Ahead, I saw the six birds circling, the roof of the Gate burning, and Ryuu, Aisha and Hagane trying not to kill them while avoiding their swooping dives and lashing tails. "Heard they taste like shit anyhow." I grunted, planting one foot, spinning a full 180, then doing my best Chloe Javelin with the one ton or so gator/horse.

I hoped I was right about these birds. Nesting as a group suggested they were flock hunters. And an easy meal was much more appealing than a magic slinging elf, a sword swinging amazon and an inedible metal cat. My aim was good too, and I even managed to hit one of the birds with the gator/horse, a shriek and a puff of feathers marking the impact, as the other birds veered off to chase the easy meal.

Ten seconds later, Roku and I got to the Gate. He put Maki down carefully, but didn't let go of her leg. She was bleeding bad, and there was still a tooth stuck in the mangled mess of her calf, but she was still awake. "Now what?" Aisha yelled, still looking up and alert for anything else, "I'm no expert, but it looks like a building, not a Gate."

"It's supposed to Ma'am. Big building, dark inside, mild blue glow way at the back. But this here is the lock." He pointed just inside the building, and we all followed, Ryuu helping carry Maki.

It was faint, but it was a thin magic circle floating in the air. Maybe a hand span wide and slowly turning. I couldn't read any of the sigils or runes, but there were a LOT of them, like... six layers in that narrow width.

"Is there a way we can open if from here?" I asked, "If this is a lock, then someone on your side must have a key."

Maki, grunting in pain as Ryuu ripped off her pant leg to get at the wound better, said, "If only there were some kind of code you could use. Interfere with the magic."

Roku perked up, "Actually, Ma'am, there is a code. But it's not..."

"Work with Hagane. Hagane? Bite that ring, gently, and follow instructions."

"Understood."

So, with us just inside the door of the Gate, next to a blue ring of super complex magic and listening to monsters waking up and getting curious, Roku asked, "What should I say? Keep it brief if you can."

"How long does it take to... get where ever it is this goes?" Aisha asked, "Ryuu? How's her leg?"

"Needs cleaning, might scar. But we have potions."

"At a march it takes," A pause as he thought of a way to say 'seconds' to someone who didn't know what they were, "A hundred twenty quick breaths."

"Tell them your name, and you need this opened for just a little longer than that." I said, spotting... well, it looked like a snake with a feathered ruff just behind the head, "Any longer and we might bring more than we want along."

"What about... Fels?" Maki gasped, "Easy Ryuu, please, still attached."

"Wimp."

"The code works like this. Short and Long. Dot, Dash. Message goes like this. Dot dash dot..."

I pulled a little of my attention away from the giant feathered snake and took out the Occulus for Fels, "Fels! Hope you're listening. We are going to have to go to plan B."

The reply was almost instant, but I couldn't look into the orb, "Kodori! You have to get to the other side and get them to... is that a dragon?"

"Focus!" It was a lightning breathing snake apparently, and it sounded like a dragon as it opened its mouth, lightning crackling over its head and feathers, "Other side then what!?" In preparation for the oncoming magic, I sent out a wave of my own aura, a giant ghostly fox getting between the serpent and the Gate.

"Find the one holding it closed! You need to get me in touch with them somehow!"

"Fine!" I braced myself, "Everyone behind me!" I put the occlus back into my coat.

Pain. It was all sympathetic, but it was still pain. My fox soaked up the lightning blast without real issue, none of us by the Gate getting more than a whiff of ozone. But the feeling of my fox getting electrocuted made my muscles twitch painfully. But once the blast was over, I told my fox to play with it, investing it with enough mana to put up a good fight, but pulling its 'fangs' so it wouldn't actually kill it. That serpent would be some one's level up one day, I was sure.

"It's open? It's open!" Roku shouted, "Only had to repeat once too! Go go go!"

Aisha picked up Maki, and we all started running into the dim blue darkness that was somehow inside the Greek/Roman building in the middle of the jungle.

NOTES!

Woo! We're on the doorstep!

Next update, I think I'll do a 'Gate side' bit of story, before our heroes(?) arrive. It's been a month or so, and well, things have been happening. :)

Daeore on Ko-fi for Kodori art!

Daeore on Inkitt for my book Were too?

Five days, etc etc. :)