As the seconds dragged and Am could visibly peek at the maw of the Platys.
Baaang!
A giant stake that looked like the end of an Ohrn Tree's branch, collided with the Platys.
'The branch that fell?'
Am looked at his right.
He could see Tiju, his posture resembling that of throwing something.
And he could also see Famu's shocked face.
Thinking it wasn't the time to waste precious seconds on the 'how?' his pupils dilated and became detailed with strange white streaks forming and creating a breathless image in them.
Thud!
The side of his body crashed into a tilted transparent block in the air, it sank slightly under the sudden pressure and—!
Fwoosh!
Am was flung forward, towards Tiju and Famu.
"Kugh!"
Rolling onto the branch, he almost fell but was caught by the joint efforts of Tiju and Famu.
Tiju looked back, heart racing.
"...."
Nothing was there, the Platys that should have at least been faintly seen.
Disappeared into thin air.
As if playing with them and enjoying instilling paranoia.
Tiju quivered in fear, he looked down to see if maybe it was paralyzed in the fog.
"..."
Nothing.
It had utterly vanished from sight.
'W-What the hell are we even supposed to do?'
They unknowingly started panting and inhaling raggedly.
Overly cautious with everything that so much as twitched.
*
*
*
"Genuinely, where the living fuck am I"
Iye was running around like a madwoman trying to find a way out.
She was a lost cat in a giant forest.
"Should I go to the edge?"
If she went to the edge of the 'stomach' she could surely find her way.
"But it would take too much time"
Which she was desperately pressed for right now.
"Well, I'll lose more time staying like this"
Making her decision. Iye went up the spiraling branch that seemed bigger than the rest. To see her current location.
Reaching the top, she saw the world below her. Dawn blinked and warmed the anxiety she once felt.
A giant bird flapped its wings as it flew in circles around the massive tree.
"Wait"
But she couldn't help but realize.
"Am I...in the middle of the 'stomach'?"
Looking down, she could see how every leaf, branch deeply interconnected with everything.
Creating something that resembled a giant Christmas Tree.
At the top. Yellowed wood formed a common shape.
A star, and under the sunrise's light. It gleamed a beautiful hue.
Xristopher's Tree is what the records in Gardenia called it.
But others and natives of the Sabe called it something else.
The Wish Bearing Tree.
'I heard an Elder Veva serves as its guardian'
Though no one really knows where it is and how exactly it protects it.
At her feet, instead of ending. The branch made a path towards the middle.
Trudging towards it, she took a glance at the other paths that were there. Although they led to the same place, the branches were deformed slightly.
None were the same branch.
Each one had a differing story to tell.
Iye entered inside the wooden dome cradling something.
'Is that?'
And it was there that she saw it.
A green glistening apple flew into her view.
The factor of sin 'Greed'
It dangled in the middle.
Only a thin branch kept it stationary.
Iye only raised a brow at this.
"I did hear that there is treasure here, but a factor of sin?"
It was astonishing to see something like this as treasure.
'No wait, it can't really be one right?'
She doubted her judgement.
A factor of sin could not be detected, however it could change the object it inhabits.
'The factor of Greed was last recorded as a green apple'
Which is why Iye connected it with the factor at first sight.
"Well, even if it was one. It wouldn't be a good idea to digest it"
Was a factor of sin rare? Yes.
Was it useful? Fuck no.
'It is mostly drawbacks and almost no pros'
A very niche power with more belt strikes than treats.
"Actually, what happens if a dead person eats it?"
Glancing at Cale she wanted to try, but time pressured her for bigger matters.
Leaving the dome after seeing the uninteresting. Iye waited right outside.
"Now, where is the little birdie~"
Kaaaaaa!
Hearing the bird scream and clap its wings at the same time.
She waited until it was close enough.
'There!'
Taking the opportunity. She jumped from the tree, Cale slung over her back.
Tok
Softly landing on the bird, and grasping onto its feathers while lowering her body as closely to the bird as she could. Cuddling with the bird as it started to realize that an insect started clinging to it.
Kaaag?!
The bird flailed around, astonished by the random that rode on its back nonchalantly.
Smack!
Iye smacked it once on the head.
The bird however only grew more violent.
'Guess a smack on its head won't make it obedient'
The red-feathered bird did everything to throw Iye out of its back.
Flying upside down?
"Thrilling!"
Spinning so much that it also became dizzy?
"Refreshing!"
Nothing worked and Iye....
'Having the cold wind lash out on you is truly as a euphoric experience as they say!'
Not only was it exhilarating, but it was genuinely fun. So much so that Iye forgot that she was going to die if she didn't hurry the fuck up.
Only honest comments were heard throughout the ride, and funnily enough.
The bird flew into the direction she wanted.
Flying closer to the edge each second that passed.
Iye clutched its feathers hard and made sure it didn't return back by smacking it a couple of times.
"Now that I think about it, can't I just ride this bird and get to my destination?"
Nothing stopped her from doing so.
'It's worth a shot'
Whilst riding the giant red-bird, Iye gazed at the green forest right in front.
"This"
The scene was straight out of a picture-book.
An endless forest stretched to the horizon, seemingly never ending and boundless.
Strange creatures flew and mingled with each other.
"Is quite a unique sight"
Seeing the inferno in the distance cover the sunrise, Iye found herself wanting to go closer.
'I guess looking from above does make the view better'
Letting her eyes fall onto the trees, she spotted something perched high up on the top of the Ohrn Tree.
It growled and stared at her.
'The Platys?'
Looking down at it. Iye felt no fear towards it.
"Well, how can it even get me from there?"
Her current altitude was extremely high.
And while the lashing and noisy whirlwind was now a pain.
She couldn't see any way for the Platys to kill her from here.
'Still, it's different?'
Its curved tusks pointed forward.
'I heard that depending on the shape of the tusks, it can do different things'
If it was curved to the sides, it was likely a sensory-type, if it was pointing forward, then it was likely a Brute-type and so on.
The bird glanced at the Platys, the eyes of the predator seeped deep into the bird.
Ka-GA!?
"...!?!"
It grew frightened with fear.
It flapped its wings erratically, losing its steady rhythm completely.
Iye looked back at the Platys.
It was gone, and she looked down.
'Ah?
Her breath was taken away.
'What?'
As if it were a lie, it appeared below them.
Waiting until they were close enough.
'A mirage?!'
The platys had no tusks, completely different from what she saw. A platys that had no tusks meant that they only had a mental-altering ability. In other words, a colorless that loans the power of gods.
'That damn bird! It must have seen the most horrifying thing ever if it creates mirages'
Sensing the bird's inevitable death. She parted ways and jumped away to at least use it as a decoy long enough.
The Platy's long maw parted, but it didn't sink into the bird.
Only its claw was needed to cut through the bird's flesh.
Its hind legs used the body of the bird as a stepping stone to launch itself higher.
In order to get the bigger prey. Which it had judged.
To be Iye Idiyele and the boy she slung over her back.