by Kenaren
She bit her bottom lip, before responding. “Is… is that a no?”
I nodded. “To the husband bit, yes.”
“Why?” She asked.
I sighed, then lifted my head out of the water to look at the stars. “I’m already married, Hali. And, if I’m being honest. I see you as a niece or a granddaughter. To think otherwise would just be… weird.”
She was silent for a long time after that. She just sat there and watched the stars with me for about ten minutes before… “You’re married!?” She blurted out.
I laughed at her outburst, then nodded my head. “I am.”
“Why am I just now hearing about this!? What’s her name? What race is she… is she a snake like you? How long have you been together!?” She continued to rapid fire questions at me for several minutes, so I told her everything… Well, almost everything.
*Chuckle* “One question at a time please.” I said, and she responded by snapping her mouth shut.
“Now, what was the first question, again?”
“Why haven’t you said anything about this before?” She asked and moved so that she was looking me in the eye.
I gave her my version of a shrug. “It didn’t seem relevant… Also, you never asked.”
She puffed her cheeks at me, then asked her second question. “What’s her name?”
“Re… Sarah, her name is Sarah.”
“ooh, Is she a human?” she asked with sparkling eyes.
I nodded. “She was.”
I couldn’t tell if she caught on to my slip-up, but since she asked another question immediately after, I decided not to dwell on it. “How long have you been together?” She asked.
“… Thirty-five years.” What I didn’t say, and she had yet to ask. Is that was the amount of time we were together, not married. We had actually known each other since we were children as we went to the same school, and were even in the same class…. But our paths went in separate directions after high school. She went on to medical school and I….. I don’t remember what I did. All I can remember is that I was injured and we met again after I’d been hospitalized because she was my doctor.
Before I could get further lost in my memories, Hali asked. “So, where is she?”
I blinked away the memories and answered. “We…We were separated years ago, and I’ve been searching for her ever since.”
“Oh..” She was quiet for awhile, then mumbled. “I’m sorry… Do… Do you have any clues?”
I nodded. “I was told that we would meet again at ‘The home of the world tree.’”
She blinked. “You’re going to Yggdrasil’s roots?”
“That’s the plan.”
She let out a soft sigh, then stood up. “Alright, I’m going to sleep now. Night Torga!” She chirped, then jumped off my head.
I watched her walk over to the sleeping area, then lay down next to her brother… *Sigh* “False cheer doesn’t suit you, Hali.” I sunk down to the ocean’s floor and went to sleep.
* * *
“There you are, you BASTARD!” My eyes snapped open, and I saw my ‘cousin’ heading for us at high speed. I quickly raised my head out of the water and told Lena and the kids what was happening. They abandoned the ship and jumped over to the path we had dug out of the giant, then started running to higher ground.
I turned back to the Leviathan, and let out a deep sigh. “Why did this bitch have to find us now? We were so close to escaping too…” Once it had gotten close enough, the Leviathan shot its head out of the water and attempted to bite me, but I dodged to the side causing it to slam into the giant’s leg. Its massive teeth latched onto the Titan’s flesh, then tore off a huge chunk and swallowed it. Then, it turned to back to face me and rose to its full height, baring its teeth as it did.
“Well… Shit.” The Leviathan was still longer than me, though not by much. Its true advantage came from the weight this thing carried around. It was almost three times wider than I was and nearly twice as tall. Which meant, this thing probably weighed several thousand pounds more than I did. Even after the two years of constantly eating titan mean, I knew that I couldn’t match up to this thing in a straight up fight.
“You little shit! Do you have any idea, how long I’ve been waiting for this moment!?” The colossal serpent roared.
I tilted my head to the left, then said. “Hmm… Since I gave you that scar, most likely.” I was referring to the circular scar I’d left after eating my way out of its intestines.
“You’re damn right! Now, I’m going to finish what I started, but I think I’ll chew you up before I eat you this time.” It said with a dangerous hiss, then charged at me. Its massive size easily capsizing the ship as it charged passed. I dodged out of the way again, then quickly bit into the Leviathan’s hide. The beasts acidic blood slightly melted my fangs, but the act fulfilled its purpose… of pissing it off even more. I tore out a small bit of its meat, then swallowed it before I dove under the water and swam away. It roared in pain, then charged after me. She was probably expecting things to go as they had the last time… But things were different now… I was different now, and I’ll be damned if I let some overgrown bitch, beat me a second time.
I swam around the Titan’s leg, then dove deeper into the water. A few seconds later, I glanced back and saw her right on my tail…literally. I quickly reached my top speed, then did a complete one-eighty and swam directly beneath its jaws. I circled around it, while it was still trying to turn around, then I bit into her hide once again.
Almost immediately after, I had to dodge as she bit down right where my head had been and causing her to bite into her own hide. This only pissed her off further, and instead of aiming for my head, she aimed for my body that was still wrapped around her… Which is what I was waiting for.
She opened her mouth wide, so I shoved my head inside and aimed the jewel at the roof of her mouth… “Fuck Off!” The energy that I’d been storing in the jewel over the last two years was released in an instant, and a massive explosion went off inside the Leviathan’s mouth. The energy easily tore through the soft flesh inside her mouth, then obliterated her brain. Where it then continued to travel through the water for about fifty feet, before finally dissipating just before it reached the surface… However, despite my success in killing the Leviathan… I couldn’t celebrate as I was in severe pain from the explosion, as it had destroyed most of the scales on my head, and possibly gave me a concussion. I even blacked out from the pain shortly after realizing that I’d won.
* * *
I floated under the water for an unknown amount of time before Fenris and Lena managed to fish me out of the water, Then Lena began to use her druidic magic to heal my scales, though she then said that her magic was unable to heal a concussion, so I would just have to suffer.
“It’s what you deserve after fighting that thing on your own!” She berated me.
I groan from the pain. “Listen… I know you’re mad, but can you please not yell right now? I have a severe headache.”
My words only served to make her even angrier. “A headache!? Oh, you have a headache, do you? Well, sorry, but that’s the least of your problems, right now! You could have died, Torga! Do you not understand that!?”
I blankly stared at her for several seconds, then asked. “Hey, Fenris?”
“What is it?”
“I’m hungry, you didn’t happen to snag any of that leviathan meat, did you?”
Lena screamed in anger, then stormed off inside the tunnel. Causing me to blankly look around at Fenris and the kids and ask… “What’s her problem?”
Hali let out a deep sigh, then followed after her mother. Solon gave me a bright smile and yelled. “That was awesome, Torga!” Then he too followed his mother. Leaving Fenris as the only person to watch over me.
*Sigh* “Why can’t you ever make it easy to hate you?” I heard him ask, so I gave him my version of a shrug and said.
“Don’t know… Sarah said it was a quirk of mine…
” I went back to sleep shortly after, so I didn’t hear Fenris’ response of.
“Who’s Sarah?” Fenris watched me for a little while, but after a few minutes of no answer, he said. “Oh well, I’m sure you’ll tell me eventually… Sleep well, you’ve earned it.”
Chapter 24
The first thing I saw upon waking up the next day, was little Talia using her hands to rub something on the side of my head, just below the eye. I lifted my head up, which caused her to get angry and yell at me.
“No! Bad Torga!” She yelled and slammed her little hands on the ground, but since we were currently inside a flesh and blood creature. Instead of making a thump sound when she hit the inside of the tunnel, it made a squish.
I moved my head out of the tunnel and over the water below, so I could see what she’d be rubbing on my scales. When I lowered my head down to the water and turned my head to the side… I saw a crude drawing, in blood, of her family and me. I sighed, then pulled my head back inside the tunnel to glare at her.
“Please refrain from turning me into your personal art project…” I attempted to stare the brat down, but she just laughed, clapped her hands and cheered.
“I make Torga pretty!”
I rolled my eyes at her, then lay back down and shut my eyes… *Sigh* Do whatever you want, brat. I’m going back to sleep.”
I heard her cheer, then she started to rub on my side again… I honestly hated how the little brat thought I was her pet snake. But, I couldn’t really blame her for that, since Fenris was the one to put the idea inside her head. Oh, the mutt thought it was hilarious watching Talia attempt to order me around because I was her ‘pet’. Though I returned the favor, by convincing Hali and Solon to call Fenris ‘Mutt’ instead of ‘dad’ for a week.
I let out a small chuckle at the memory, then closed my eyes and went back to sleep.
* * *
The next day, I could be found near the top of our tunnel. Because we were so close to reaching the base of the island, I volunteered to dig the rest of the way, since I dug faster than Fenris.
I tore off chunks of titan meat and had long since eaten my fill. This titan, whatever or whoever they had been in life, must have been a truly amazing sight to see in motion. Being well over five miles tall, at the very least, and easily a mile or two wide… this thing completely eclipsed anything that could possibly exist. However, a being of such massive size must have had an equal strength to match. So, how powerful must the gods be, to not only defeat this creature but to enslave it as well? Is there really such a gap between the ninth and tenth tiers?
“How close are we to the other side?”
I looked behind me and saw Fenris, Lena, and the kids watching me. Hali was carrying Talia around on her hip as she’d been frequently doing, ever since the girl was born. Solon looked bored, as he was standing there with a blank look on his face and was staring towards the sea. While Fenris, who was currently in his ‘human’ form, was standing beside Lena with his left arm wrapped around her waist.
“Well, we’d be a lot closer if you’d get off your lazy ass and help me.”
Fenris rolled his eyes and replied. “You volunteered for this.”
I nodded. “Believe me, I’m well aware of that. However, if you’re currently not too busy licking your balls or humping the air. Maybe you could assist me?”
Lena snorted from her place beside Fenris, then took a step away from him. “Yes, why don’t you help torga dig, while the kids and I go get dinner ready.”
Fenris looked away from me and stared at Lena with such hurt in his eyes, you’d think she was divorcing him. “But… But I thought we could go relax together on the ship. You know… Like we used to?” He ran his fingers down her arm and was heading as far south as he could.
When Lena pulled her arm away from him and glared. “And wind up pregnant again? *Snort* No thanks. Three kids are enough for me at the moment.”
Fenris groaned but didn’t say anything as Lena and the kids walked off… Though Hali lingered around and seemed slightly disappointed about going, she followed a few seconds later.
I watched her go, then turned to look at Fenris, who was still whining about helping me. “Quit whining, mutt.Just remember, the sooner we get off this planet, the sooner you and Lena can go back to your old lives.”
My words seemed to strike a cord with Fenris, as he shifted into his normal appearance and began to help me dig.
* * *
A few days passed and with the two of us digging side by side, we ‘quickly’ reached the base of the island. After which, the digging went much smoother for Fenris, than it had for me. Fenris’ claws were able to easily dig through the stone and dirt base, in a way I just couldn’t duplicate.
“One of the benefits of having legs with claws, snake.” He smugly said. and though I tried not to let it show, his words had an effect on me. Having hands would be incredibly useful in a variety of ways… But, I still hadn’t made up my mind on which evolution I should go for. Though I did rule out the elemental Wyrm and Leviathan paths, because of the information I have since learned about the two races.
The Leviathan I didn’t really need any information on. Though this had more to do with my personal feelings on the matter, more than if it would be a potentially useful path to take. I mean, other than its massive size and the acidic blood I knew it possessed. There simply wasn’t anything appealing to me about the creature, so it was ruled out.
And after asking Lena for any possible information on my evolution paths. Though she was surprised at first, she soon offered what help she could. She didn’t have any viable information on either the Naga or the Serpentine dragon paths, but she knew quite a bit about the Wyrm.
Apparently, the elemental Wyrm is a creature most often found in areas of the purest magic. Now, originally, when she told me this. I assumed it meant places where ‘pure’ creatures could be found, and in a way, I was right. However, she later clarified that by ‘pure’, she meant places entirely composed of magic, and where the normal laws of the world didn’t apply.
For example, she told me of a place of pure wind magic, where mountains floated on wind currents. Where creatures miles long and made completely of stone, floated through the air as if they weighed nothing. But most importantly, a place where if you exposed your bare skin to the air… Your flesh would be sliced off as if with a sharp blade. And this, along with the monsters that often inhabited the place, is what made them so dangerous.
The elemental Wyrm is one such inhabitant. Though, Lena confessed to only ever seeing a fire Wyrm, and not its fully elemental variant. But, she said the Wyrm was an incredibly dangerous creature whilst in its element. However, outside of it, they were severely weakened. How this would affect an elemental wyrm, I didn’t know, but I also didn’t want to take the chance of being weakened simply because I wasn’t in my ‘element’. So, I passed it up as well.
Which left only two choices… Well, three if you count the hydra, but as I didn’t want to wait that long, I didn’t count it among my possible evolutions… For now, anyway. That would likely change if it became a necessary path for me to take, but for the moment, I was happy with my current choices. Now, if I could only make up my mind…
* * *
After reaching the base of the island and spending the next two days digging as fast as we could, we made it to the city on the island. More specifically, we emerged into one of the gardens that dotted the cityscape, then we turned and headed back to the tunnel to prepare for the final part of our journey.
Fenris and I gathered the others together and came up with a plan. Because we needed a way to get from the garden to the branch without the mind-altering effects of the island taking hold of us, and the only thing Fenris and Lena could agree on, was that the children shouldn’t walk on their own. After all, we didn’t want something to happen to them, while we were distracted by the island.
So, after about half an hour of listening to them arguing, I suggested t
hey all climb on my back and I’ll carry them there. And because they didn’t have any better ideas, that is what we went with. The five of them will climb on my back after exiting the tunnel, and I will carry them to the branch. Hopefully, we’ll make it there before whatever it is this island does, can take effect.
We were just getting ready to put our plan into action when Lena suddenly yelled. “Wait!”
We stopped just before entering the tunnel, then turned to look at her.
“We should take as much of the food from the gardens as we can. There’s no telling how long it’ll be before we can get home, so we’ll need as much food as we can carry..” She said with a slight shrug of her shoulders. Fenris and I looked at each other, then back to Lena.
“Can we empty out an entire garden in a few minutes?” Fenris asked while looking up at me.
“It’s certainly possible… If the two of you can snatch up a few plants while we move as I think that would be a better solution than just grabbing the food.”
Fenris turned his head back to Lena. “Do you think you could uproot some of them, while we move?”
Lena gave us a confident nod and allowed a grin to appear. “Of course, Who do you think you’re talking to?”
I nodded my head. “Alright, then we need some to put the plants in” I paused for a few seconds to think, then said. “Think you could make some containers out of the ship?”
She tilted her head to the right folded her arms across her chest. “Sure I could… But, what are we going to do with the rest of the ship? Are we going to just leave it there?”
I shook my head. “No, I was going to smash it, once it was no longer needed.”
Lena’s eyes went wide. “What, why!?”
I shrugged. “One of my evolutions requires me to smash five ships… figured it wouldn’t hurt to start with yours since if all goes well, you won’t need it anymore.”