After nearly half an hour had passed, Bessie and her passengers finally left the forest. Anne and Olivier looked on as they entered a now wide open area, with grassy plains as far as the eye could see.
As Maddie directed Bessie in the direction of the far off mountains, the two humans (well Human and HALF Human) took in the new sights with awe and wonder.
Yes, even the normally stoic Olivier couldn't help but have a child-like wonder at what he was seeing. While the Boiling Isles also have plain regions, they looked nothing like this!
The sky above was light blue with puffy white clouds, and the vast landscape was greener than an emerald. The air smelled so fresh and clean, and there was a gentle breeze that felt good against his face.
It was enough to almost make him forget the unpleasantness back in the Wartwood Village. Even enough to almost forget the recent peril that He, Anne and Maddie had been in prior.
This Amphibia Realm felt like something out of a dream that he wouldn't mind never waking up from.
"Man, look at all that..." spoke Anne. "I've been here for Months, and I still never get used to sights like that."
Anne and Olivier were now leaning against the edge of Bessie's saddle, gazing out at the horizon.
"It does look wondrous."
Anne then took out her phone and swiped the screen. Olivier glanced at her, wondering what she was doing.
He soon got his answer when Anne pressed a button, and an upbeat music began to play at high volume.
[MUSIC: Rather Be by Clean Bandit]
(("Oh, Woah, Ooh, ooh
We're a thousand miles from comfort, we have traveled land and sea.
But as long as you are with me, there's no place I'd rather be.
I would wait forever, exalted in the scene.
As long as I am with you, my heart continues to beat.
With every step we take, Kyoto to The Bay. Strolling so casually.
We're different and the same, get you another name. Switch up the batteries.
If you gave me a chance I would take it. It's a shot in the dark, but I'll make it.
Know with all of your heart, you can't shake me.
When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be.
N-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be.
N-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be.
N-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be."))
Olivier breathed out, finding this strange song oddly comforting.
The gentle breeze blew against his face yet again,
and Olivier closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.
He then opened them and watched the endless plains move
like waves of an ocean from the wind.
Anne smiled, glad that Olivier was finally feeling happy for once.
She too then relaxed. taking in the breathtaking sights along with Olivier.
Although she knew firsthand just how Dangerous Amphibia could be,
it really was beautiful sometimes.
It was almost enough to make her not miss her home world... ALMOST.
(("We set out on a mission, to find our inner peace.
Make it everlasting, so nothing's incomplete.
It's easy being with you, sacred simplicity.
As long as we're together, there's no place I'd rather be.
With every step we take, Kyoto to The Bay. Strolling so casually.
We're different and the same, get you another name. Switch up the batteries.
If you gave me a chance I would take it. It's a shot in the dark, but I'll make it.
Know with all of your heart, you can't shake me.
When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be.
N-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be.
N-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be.
N-n-no, no, no, no place I'd rather be.
When I am with you... there's no place I'd rather be."))
[Later]
Bessie moved along the mountain trail, that was getting more narrow the further she got.
Eventually the party reached a summit that was essentially a Dead End for the Giant Snail.
Anne hopped off with Maddie and Olivier in tow, and while Anne tended to Bessie the two magic users explored.
"Soo... what now??" spoke Olivier.
Maddie then pointed to a literal Misty Peak that wasn't very far from where they were.
"That's where we need to go." said Maddie.
Olivier looked and saw a trail leading to the direction of the peaks. However it was much too narrow for Bessie, meaning they would have to hike the rest of the way.
"sorry... But this IS a Mountain." spoke Anne, as she approached Olivier and Maddie.
"It's fine, I get it." said Olivier. "I've climbed mountains before in my own world. At least THIS one isn't frozen."
Anne smiled and then brought over her own satchel of items. She opened it, revealing what looked like rock climbing tools. "we might need these."
Maddie took a pickaxe. "Cooool..."
Olivier took some long rope and hooks. "We should link ourselves together with these lifelines." spoke Anne. "So that in case one of us falls, the others can catch them and pull them up."
"Guess that means I'm going at the end of the line." grumbled Maddie.
"Sorry, Mads. But if me or Ollie fall behind you, we'll only take you down with us." said Anne.
Maddie growled, hating that she was the smallest one here (but then that was a given when it came to Frogs.)
"Normally I would take the lead, BUT since you have more experience here, you'd better." said Olivier.
Anne blushed awkwardly. "th-thanks, Ollie. D-Don't worry, I won't let any of you down."
"Literally," said Olivier with dry sarcasm.
"Hah!" laughed Maddie.
Even Anne chuckled as she attached the hooked ropes to herself, Ollie and then Maddie. The lifelines were long enough to not be too restrictive, and felt firm and strong.
"Okay, let's get going," said Anne. "Bessie!, hang tight until we get back girl."
Bessie made a sound that indicated she understood Anne.
Olivier sighed as he and Maddie walked single file behind Anne along the mountain trail. They walked along the narrow path against the side of one of the mountains at a slow and steady pace.
Maddie glanced down over the edge of the cliffside, and gasped upon seeing how far down it was.
"don't look down," said Olivier, glancing back at the frog girl.
"sorry. I'm not used to being this high up." confessed Maddie.
"Really??, You climb tall trees all the time!" spoke Anne, looking back.
"It's not the same as climbing a mountain peak!" said Maddie.
"fair point," said Olivier. "Anne, hold up."
Anne stopped walking and looked back as Olivier turned and picked Maddie up.
"here. You can just cling onto me if it makes you feel safer." said Olivier.
Maddie grasped onto Olivier's head from behind, resting her tiny legs against his shoulders.
"This does make me feel better just a little..." spoke Maddie. "but we're still awfully high up."
"Yes, but if Anne and I fall, our bodies will at least cushion YOUR fall," said Olivier, bluntly.
Anne grimaced at the very grim statement that Olivier made.
"good point. I guess I would be safe." said Maddie, smiling.
Anne shrugged as she and Olivier resumed walking. ("well, if that calms down...")
[Later...]
After nearly ten minutes of walking, the party finally reached yet another summit.
Ahead of them was a long bridge made of aged wooden planks held together by rope, which stretched across a deep chasm to a mountainous spire shaped like an upside-down screw.
"Looks like we need to cross this old bridge," said Olivier.
"uh-uh, NO. WAY. the last time I tried that with the Plantars it broke to pieces and we all fell down!" said Anne.
Olivier eyed Anne, wondering how in Titan's name the human girl was still living.
"Anne, I don't see any other way to continue." said Olivier. "And that spire up ahead looks like a decent enough staircase to the lower levels."
Maddie then hopped from Olivier and dared to look down the chasm... she then gasped, but not out of fright.
"LOOK!, LOOK DOWN!!" exclaimed Maddie. "IT'S THEM!!"
Anne and Olivier dropped down and looked into the chasm below.
There, they saw a deep trench that was filled with giant, yellow worm-like creatures that were sparking.
"I'm guessing those are the Zapapedes." spoke Olivier.
"yep." said Anne.
"Okay, there is no doubt about it: We NEED to cross that bridge," said Olivier. "Our goal is waaay down there, and it's too far to scale down on our own."
Anne grumbled, realizing that Olivier had a point. "Okay, FINE. but I still don't trust this bridge to hold us all up!"
"Then let's just ditch the lifelines for now, and cross it one at a time instead of all at once." suggested Olivier.
Anne grimaced. "Risky... But, I suppose that makes sense."
The trio proceeded to unhook their ropes, and store them back into Anne's satchel
Just then... the ground beneath their feet started to rumble and shake.
"what was that?!" spoke Olivier.
"An Earthquake??" spoke Anne, thinking aloud.
The tremors returned. they started out low... but then started to grow.
Olivier's survival instincts immediately kicked in, and he grabbed Maddie.
"something's coming... Something BIG." spoke Olivier. "We need to get out of here."
"But, we can't go-(*GAAASSP!!*)" Anne gasped as she saw something long, and HUGE crawl around the spire before them.
It was a Zapapede with how it was bright yellow, long and had many legs. However, it was colossal in size (much larger than the other Zapapedes) and looked VERY mean.
"holy- LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT THING!!" exclaimed Anne, freaking out.
"It's the size of a Dragon!!" exclaimed Olivier, sharing Anne's shock and horror.
"IT'S A KING ZAPAPEDE!!" exclaimed Maddie, alarmed.
"Is that bad?!" spoke Anne.
(("SCREEEEEEEEEE!!!!")) shrieked the King Zapapede, its spikes pulsing with lightning.
"I'm guessing: Yes." said Olivier, bluntly.
The King Zapapede shot bolts of lightning at the Trio, who just narrowly managed to dodge out of the way. Olivier then acted quickly, grabbing Anne along with Maddie and evading the lightning with his own lightning fast speed.
He did pretty well for a while.. But eventually one of the lightning bolts hit him, knocking the three into a wall with only Olivier's golden magic protecting them from harm.
"This is INSANE!" exclaimed Anne. "WE NEED TO GET OUTTA HERE!!"
"Ah-agreed... but where!??" said Olivier, recovering.
The King Zapapede hissed and fired a continuous stream of lightning at the small creatures. Anne, Olivier and Maddie evaded the electrical stream which burned into the ground and into a mountain side.
This somehow caused an explosion, blowing a large gaping hole into the stone wall.
"LOOK!" exclaimed Maddie. "THERE'S A CAVE IN THERE!!"
As the King Zapapede started to crawl towards the three, Olivier lobbed a Hex Bolt at its head.
"EVERYONE INTO THE CAVE, NOW!!" ordered Olivier.
"BUT WHAT ABOUT YOU!!?" exclaimed Anne, worried for Olivier.
"JUST GO!, I'LL BE RIGHT BEHIND YOU!!" shouted Olivier while he fired Gold and Blue Hex Streams at the King Zapapede.
Maddie took Anne's hand and the two girls ran for the mouth of the cave. Once inside, they stopped at the entrance and looked back at Olivier as he continued to fight off the giant beast.
"WE'RE INSIDE!!" called Anne. "GET IN HERE, OLLIE!!"
Olivier grunted as he fired his Hex Stream with on hand, but drew a blue spell circle with another.
Anne and Maddie watched a a blue energy burst from Olivier, creating a blinding flash. There was then another flash behind them, and Olivier had suddenly disappeared from view.
"wher-AHH!!" Anne jumped as a hand suddenly grasped her shoulder. "It's ME."
Anne turned and saw Olivier now standing in front of her. "Oh. right... Time Stop."
(("HSSSSSSSSSS!!!")) The King Zapapede looked towards the trio, and started to advance.
"OH, CRAP!" exclaimed Anne. "IT'S COMING FOR US!!"
Olivier's heterochromian eyes glowed as he drew twin spell circles in the air. The light rings then both fired Gold and Blue beams like lasers that burned at the mouth of the cave.
Rocks and Debris then fell, collapsing at the entrance until it was once again sealed in total darkness.
"I can't se-" An orb of golden light then materialized, illuminating the darkness. "oh... Thanks!"
"No prob-nghhh..." Olivier dropped down to one knee, groaning in fatigue.
"Olivier!" exclaimed Maddie, running to her mentor.
Anne also knelt down to Olivier, and tried to help him up.
"i'm fine. just... got dizzy for a moment." said Olivier, shaking his head.
Anne frowned, remembering what Olivier said about his condition. He'd been using his magic a lot on this trip, and it was starting to take a toll on him.
This whole thing was her idea, and she only wanted Olivier to have a good time and forget the cruddy day that he had in Wartwood... But was it worth jeopardizing his health for?!
"here.lean on me-"
"I said I'm fine." repeated Olivier, standing up on his own.
"um... Okay. But, if you start to feel woozy-" Olivier ignored Anne, and created more balls of light.
"Should you really be doing that right now??" spoke Anne.
"We need the light," said Olivier.
"That isn't what I meant, and you know it." said Anne, more stern.
Olivier glanced at Anne, his eyes luminescent in the dark (which Anne thought was kinda cool.)
"I get it. But creating light orbs takes very little magic." said Olivier. "Even if I created 10,000 light orbs, it wouldn't be enough to affect me negatively."
Anne shrugged. "okay, But don't push yourself too much."
Olivier scowled at first, feeling almost insulted. but then exhaled sharply as he reminded himself that Anne was only concerned, and wasn't thinking little of him.
(in a way, it reminded him of his mother and how she always doted on him.)
"I'll be careful. don't worry about me."
Anne frowned as she watched Olivier turn away. ("I will anyway.")
The Trio then looked at where they came from, and saw the cave entrance was completely caved in by rocks.
"Looks like we're not getting out this way." said Anne.
"Hopefully it'll keep out... THAT THING." commented Olivier.
"Then we should probably get out of here." said Maddie. "Not only to find our way out, but to get FAR AWAY from that King Zapapede!"
The trio turned around and looked ahead to the cave tunnel.
"Guess we have nowhere to go but forward." said Anne.
Olivier placed his palm beneath one of the orbs of light he conjured and brought it to Anne.
"hold it like this. it'll move with your hand if it's close enough." said Olivier.
Anne did as she was instructed, and held her palm under a blue light orb. And just as Olivier said, the orb moved with her hand like it was a moon in orbit.
"cooool..." cooed Anne, in awe.
Maddie quickly got the hang of it, and 'held' her own light orb. "This is better than Lum-Shroom." said the Frog Girl.
"Let's stay close everyone." said Olivier, as he now took the lead. "this is uncharted territory, and we don't know what is in here."
"Hopefully not a QUEEN Zapapede." spoke Anne, nervously.
The Trio huddled and walked together at a steady place, holding their light orbs in front of them to literally light the way.
[End of Part Ten]