[Zack's View]
"I think I can see that Bastard!" I growled as I strained to push forward.
Now, my body had been conditioned, and I no longer needed to use the forward and back strategy. I just had to push as my body absorbed the pressure of whatever was creating such a massive gravitational pull.
[You are doing great! Just keep going!] Libra said, cheering me on.
Harold had been silent most of the trip, but I think that he was getting tired of fighting with Libra. It was surprising just how much the two seemed to detest each other, but it was a nice distraction.
I had no idea how long I had been at this walk, but I was sure it was more than two days. I was starting to think that I was outside of my previous reality because I had been going nonstop.
[You are right. The astral plane does not move with time; it is outside your ordinary reality. I don't know how it works; I just know that time doesn't flow here.] Libra explained, and I frowned but left it alone.
I had been worried that the girls would be waiting for me, but if time froze in here, I could take my time if I wanted. The thing was, I was running out of all forms of patience, and I just wanted to get back to my girls.
"Impressive, I never imagined that you would be able to make it here so fast," The familiar voice of Chey called from up ahead where I had glimpsed him.
Hearing the centaur's voice made my blood boil, and I was filled with a new burst of energy. I pushed myself forward and marched into the clearing that Chey was standing in, and then I looked around.
There was nothing but an empty area.
I was not really sure what I was expecting, but I expected more than an open patch of grass. I had assumed that Chey would have something set up to train me or something, but there was just the horse-man.
"What now," I asked as I walked up to him.
"Now? You can sit or stand, but I am going to explain some things before I send you back," Chey replied, but I narrowed my eyes.
"Send me back? What about training me?" I asked, confused.
"Training? What do you think you have been doing? While you are on my Astral Island, you won't notice the change, but you will when I send you back," Chey explained.
"Are you not coming?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No. When you are sent back, you are going to kill Carnage, and then you will be set free from this reality, but that also means that everything in this place will be reset. All the bugs will be returned to their normal forms unless you have given them power," Chey explained, but as he finished, I was distracted by the sounds of heavy breathing coming from behind me.
I turned around to see a much healthier-looking Howl slowly making his way forward. The massive blue wolf was panting, but I could see the fire burning in his eyes.
"Glad to see that you make it, friend," I called to Howl, and the wolf just growled at me, but that made me smile.
I was glad that he was able to catch up. I was starting to become fond of the creature, but then something hit me, and I turned back to Chey.
"Does that mean that Howl will disappear as well?" I asked, and Chey nodded.
I would have to make sure that I did something about that before killing Carnage. I enjoyed hanging out with Mex, but he was the only guy around. It would be nice to have another male presence with me to talk about certain things.
"Okay, well, I am listening. What do you have to explain to me?" I asked, not really sure what else I needed to know.
"After you kill the first SkinWalker, you and your party will be forced out of the rings. The first four rings will come to you, but you are not strong enough to wield them all yet. For now, you will only be able to wield one, but after leaving the island, you will be able to challenge the next one," Chey explained, but I already understood this point.
"Sure, I understand that, but what am I supposed to do with the other rings? I don't want to come back here to get them after," I told the centaur, and Chey nodded.
"You will have to remove them from the ground and take them with you. The other two cocoons will have to be dealt with at another time when you are much stronger. The same thing will happen again when you try to enter one of them as it did for you in this one," Chey explained, and I nodded as I listened.
"Okay, I get that, but now I have a couple questions," I told the centaur, and Chey nodded.
"Ask, but know that I can tell you nothing that has been sealed, so my answers may be short and limited," Chey explained, but I had already assumed as much.
So many things were covered in a lead blanket that no one seemed to be able to lift, but that didn't mean I couldn't try and get some answers. I decided to focus on things that Chey was more likely to be able to answer.
"What are you, and why are you all connected to me?" I asked, but I was not expecting the look that Chey gave me.
He was surprised.
The question seemed to have caught him off guard, and the centaur stood silently for a moment as Howl walked up beside me. I looked over at the wolf, and the creature gave me a look that was equivalent to a raised eyebrow.
The following words from the Centaur's mouth only left me more confused.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l