Earthling in Uncharted Dimensions

Chapter 111: Departure From The Forest

"Okay! Lets resume our journey."

Lee stood up in one jump and said out loud. The Perrafin quickly followed his lead. An, Mia, Ruella, Fero and the antelope had no other option as they raised themselves, still yawning. They rubbed their eyes and inspected around and found the heat of the day declined. Lee noticed them peering at the sky, and responded accordingly.

"It is 5 in the evening."

Ruella was surprised to know that they had slept for so long. Mia appreciated Perrafin's smooth and comforting fur while An checked about her longsword. Fero came near Lee and sat as he awaited for further instructions.

'D, where is the south?'

[Your back is facing the south. And you are 7 kilometres away from the nearest settlement.]

Lee took a U-turn and conveyed the information. The trio was actually surprised to see the Perrafin nodding in agreement. The beast stepped forward and lowered its torso, as it made a weird noise with a head gesture.

*gnum gnum*

From the visual and auditory conveyance, Lee deduced that the beast was offering a ride.

"This Perrafin wants to give us a ride."

Lee spoke as he neared the beast. Without a second thought, Lee climbed onto its back, and sat near to its tail. The seating was perfect for him, As it can be considered as the back of a slightly larger horse. Ruella initially hesitated, but soon made up her mind and got on it. Mia jumped and gave Ruella a company. An saw this and shook her head with a smile. She was happy to see this family consisting of a couple and two sisters. As she climbed onto the Perrafin's back, Mia gave space and signalled An to sit in front of Lee. The antelope hopped onto Ruella's lap, and Fero found stability at the front most seat, where he hung his legs free as he used the beast's neck for seating.

Fero in the front, on the beast's neck. Mia right behind it, and Ruella behind her, with the antelope in her lap. An and Lee sat secure at the back most position. Then, a slight discomfort arose.

The female outfit did not allow them to sit comfortably. After a few seconds of seating, the beast felt them squirming and moving as they tried to adjust their postures. Unknown to them, the Perrafin itself was having trouble with all the load on its back. The legs started to wobble, the body shook and lost the balance and its underbelly kissed the ground.

*thud*

Lee jumped out of the beast's back as he realised the situation. He came near its head and saw the pain in its eyes. He felt sympathetic, and came up with an idea.

'D, you said that Perrafin's have affinity with lightning and air?'

[Yes. Why?]

Without bothering to give a reply, Lee condensed a mass of Mana in his palm and air twirled inside the ball. Before D could understand what he was meaning to do, he pressed the sphere into the beast's body. The Mana slowly dissipated as the air went into its fur. Within a second, the being felt itself lighter. The legs supported the load of three women and two four-legged animals effortlessly. He glance at An, who was having trouble with the seating and spoke-

"Sit with both legs on the same side."

An understood the solution and sat as he said. Ruella and Mia found themselves secure and safe as they followed her lead. Within a few seconds, the trio attained a comfortable and much refreshing seating. Fero slid a couple of centimetres down to its torso, and decreased the strain on its neck.

"But what about you, brother?"

'Flight!'

Mia sounded her concern and a smile appeared on his face. Within a few seconds, his body slowly rose up and levitated above the ground. Fero and the antelope were visibly surprised, as they have not seen him use this skill before. As the Perrafin noticed Lee, he was floating above the ground, and was slowly rising upward.

"I have tricks up my sleeve, little sister."

Saying this, he rose upward and moved towards the south. He glanced over his shoulder and gave a wink at the surprised Perrafin, which realised that it is its cue to fly with him. The beast gave a warning to the boarded passengers, as it bent its legs to take a leap into the sky. They had nothing else to hold onto, other than its fur. Without angering the beast, the trio held onto the fur.

*whish*

A single flap of the wings and the beast rose into the sky. It adjusted the direction and tailed Lee. Within a dozen of seconds, it closed the distance. Lee saw this over his shoulder, and a racing spirit bloomed in his heart. But he had to say no to it, as there are people on the Perrafin's back, people dear to Lee.

The sight of Folx forest from an aerial view was not a stranger for the beast. Lee was already somewhat accustomed with the forest's topography. But for Mia, An, Ruella and the four-legged friends, it was a visual feast. They enjoyed the scenery as the twin stars still had some time before intercepting the horizon. The antelope, which has never been airborne, was trembling as Mia comforted it with pats and belly rubs.

The Foura Monkeys witnessed their ascension, and watched them till they disappeared from their sight. The silence that enveloped those vertebrates came off detached, as a monkey made a comment in their dialect. Followed by the comment, the atmosphere became chaotic. As the noise died down, the elder monkeys had conveyed a wise decision that they should remember the faces of those humans, so that they can avoid pulling pranks on them in any manner.

-----

With the daylight enough to illuminate the objects at a distance, Lee saw the multitude of villages situated around a fortified large city. The entrances of the fortress were through the villages, so the residents acted as the security guards as they dwelled. From 3 kilometres away, Lee noticed a turquoise blue coloured flag. The lemon yellow eagle beak embedded on the deep green pentagon felt very familiar, but he couldn't just pinpoint where he had seen that before.

A second later, his eyes went wide as his altitude dropped drastically. He came to a sudden halt as his feet made a thud with the ground. They were a little away from the carriage road, and the road was luckily empty at the moment.

Lee, dropping down suddenly, alerted the Perrafin. It came round about and descended next to it. As the trio and Fero stared at Lee, the cursed and crumbled pile of bones flashed in front of his eyes!