’Awaken, Matsimela.’

“Urgh, just five more minutes Mum.”

“Pardon great one?”

‘Damn, this is embarrassing.’

‘The Elders wait, and your mission calls.’

“We are not your mother. Please awaken.”

“Right. Aheh, sorry about that.”

‘What was that about?’ I asked ‘My Goddess’.

’I was merely calling you from your sleep, for I have not yet had evidence to suggest your capability to do so yourself. Do not treat me as a personal alarm clock in the future however.’

I, this time much more easily, lifted my legs and withdrew my roots from the pile of earth beneath me. My form changed before the eyes of the elders, but they didn’t seem bothered by it.

“Good, now we must send you on your way. Head out of the city and up from the lake. When the stream meets the river you must cross. Head west, away from the river once it is crossed, and you will be headed towards the graveyard forest. We believe the creatures have made hold between there and here for those we have sent have not returned. We wish you luck on your quest.”

“Mmhmm, got it. Headed out now, then.”

I started towards the door, there were several of the priestesses lining the hall past it, and the one closest to the G&3G was the one I had met last night. She was shrinking back slightly further than the others.

“Wait, do not forget your sword!”

“Oops.”

I awkwardly walked back to my sword and picked it up, along with the sack.

“Do you mind if I take this?”

“We do not, for it was intended for you anyway. Though what you would need it for we do not…”

I had started putting my sword into the sack, turns out that wasn’t the best idea.

Thi pierced the sack as I dropped it in and fell all the way through the hole, the sack instantly disappeared from I assumed all of existence.

“If you wish we have another one. Poking a hole in a sack of holding will not be beneficial to your cause.” Even though I was their apparent savior, these elders were still being quite condescending.

“Um, thanks. That would be great. Sorry about that.”

’Why are you so hopeless? Just carry your sword.

‘Ok, ok. Yeesh.’

I picked up Thi and stood awkwardly, the second time in as many days, for the new sack of holding to be brought for me.

In mere moments the replacement, this one completely empty, was brought forth by Syzya. She dropped it at my feet, as I had finely become comfortable with calling them, and scurried back to the ranks of her fellows.

“Thank-you elders. And, uh, once again…sorry for that inconvenience. However, I do have one request to make, if it would be all right?”

“Whatever we may give, we give willingly.”

“Well, not so much give, as lend. I would like to employ one of the priestesses as a temporary guide for me. Would that be a possibility?”

The elders formed a circle and many mutterings came from within, but they must have been speaking completely inaudibly to any others as even I couldn’t make out the words.

They returned to the earlier formation and addressed my request.

“We think that this may be dangerous, but any one of us would gladly lay ourselves down for the goal this task represents. But we will not choose for you, this must be something you decide.”

“I already have one in mind.” I gave a slight smirk, “Syzya, could you come forward please?”

A small and surprised squeak gave away her location, but she did come forward so I didn’t need to go get her.

“M…m…me? You want me to accompany you?”

“Why yes, I do.”

“I am afraid we must speak here, Syzya is inexperienced and very young. Your choice may prove ill-founded.”

“I know what I’m doing here, and she was the only one whose name I knew.”

“Very well. But please take good care of her, for she is no match for those who you shall face.”

“Don’t you worry; I mean, what could go wrong?”

‘Whelp, now I know she’ll at least get injured, why did I have to say that?’

“Why would he…what good am I to a…oooh, I don’t feel so good…” Syzya proceeded to faint.

“Is she going to be okay?”

“Do not worry, this often happens to her if she gets too excited. If you let her be endangered it may happen again.”

“Right then, could you give me some supplies for her? I don’t need them but she will.”

“Yes, we have planned for such a possibility. There is all you need within the sack, including a method with which to carry your companion until she awakens. Please, go ahead and set up the carrier.”

I reached down and picked up the sack, holding Thi with three of my fingers I used the remaining one and my thumb to hold the sack’s rim as I reached in with my other hand.

I couldn’t feel anything until my arm was in to the shoulder. When it was I could feel a sort of general mush, nothing in particular seemed to have shape.

‘So, I need something to carry her…that feels like a cloth.’ As soon as I started thinking of the purpose an item seemed to form from the mush. I grabbed the ‘probably cloth’ and pulled it from the massive depths of the bag. It was a hammock, an actual hammock.

“I assume you want me to tie this to some of my branches?”

“We do.”

“Right, let’s see how this goes.”

To get a grasp of what I’m doing, think about trying to tie a ribbon in your hair. But make that hair completely rigid and jutting out in a random jumble as well as having to tie the ribbon to two of those rigid parts at the correct length to make it sufficiently taut, but not too taut to be uncomfortable…WITH ONE HAND. I wasn’t very good at it.

‘Isis, this is starting to get embarrassing. Can you help at all?’

’You were the one who insisted upon choosing the flighty one. It is your problem to solve. That is it would be if I didn’t need you to get moving soon. Get the bats to do it for you.’

“What!?” I quickly realized my mistake as the priestesses all flinched, not the elders though.

’You are speaking aloud again.’

‘I know, I know. But what did you say I could do with the bats?’

’Ah, yes. Putting your human logic aside for a moment once again, just try and ask them to do it.’

Having learnt that Isis could be ‘trusted’ since my attempt to uproot myself yesterday, I did as she had told me.

‘Here it goes then. Bats! Wait, woah. My head voice has gone all weird.’

‘Continue with it.’

‘Um, right. Got it. Bats, tie up the hammock?’

As soon as my ‘command’ had been issued the bats awoke from their sleep. They lazily glided down and landed on the ropes I was holding and flew up just as lazily in several short arcs around two well-distanced branches. They then proceeded to fly very fast and in a strange pattern. What resulted was a bowline knot. How bats can do that I shall never know, or ask. But I suppose I kind of made them do it, so I was happy.

My hand still hung in the air as I looked in awe at what the bats had done, then my arms fell down in awe when I realized I couldn’t be looking at it with my own eyes. Then rose once again in a sign of victory as I made the realization…I’m a little bit psychic.

…

I thought about how very embarrassing what I just did must have been, but I now had a hammock tied by bats so I didn’t care.

I reached down and scooped up the still unconscious Syzya and lay her in the hammock along with the sack. I could barely feel them there and there seemed to be no strain on the material I had placed them on.

“Have I forgotten anything?”

“We do not think so, please continue on. Explain the situation to Syzya when she wakes up, her spells have never lasted for more than half an hour.”

The Zebras parted around me and a path was formed towards the exit, so I started my journey to retrieve the stones.

…

We were approaching the river now, having left the city several hours before. It led in two directions, one heading to the lake and the other heading down to the islands southern coast.

Syzya had awoken along the journey and had been conscious again for just long enough for me to tell her where we were and why we were there before fainting again.

Walking towards the large body of slow-moving fresh water I saw movement from far past the other opposite bank. As quickly as it had moved all but the water was still once again.

I had Thi held in my right hand and resting upon my right shoulder. It had taken some time to slide it there between the branches but felt as if it could be lifted out easily once the need arose.

Upon reaching the water’s edge I stared intently at the river, the water level wouldn’t even go up to knee level if I was correct, then took one step into it.

Cool and refreshing, I had not noticed my thirst before but my roots drew in as much water as my body could hold. That was quite a lot to absorb within seconds of them breaching the surface.

“Urgh, good, it must have been a dream. Big sis will kill me if I’m late to prayer again, aaaahhwwwn .” Syzya shifted position in my branches, it felt as if she was…getting off the. Oh no.

“What! Aaaah!” sploosh”Pffft, pleh, help! I can’t swim!”

“Hehe hahaha, bwahahaa.” I scooped up the flailing zebra quickly and held her up to my face. “You silly thing, can’t you remember what I told you?”

“Eeep, I…I…I’m so sorry.” She shrunk down and hid her face from me, behind her fore-hooves.

“Don’t be like that, this must be very hard on you. I also didn’t know you had a sister.”

“Whaah, um.” A strange expression flashed across her face. “I… don’t anymore. She was taken when we were attacked by the creatures.”

“You poor thing, but I’m sure we will find her. We are heading to meet these creatures anyway.”

“I…suppose so.” Her eyes peeked out from above her hooves and she even started to smile. “Thank-you, I didn’t think someone so important could be so friendly. Let’s get going!”

“Don’t mention it, but I’ll still need your help getting to the western forest.”

“Right!” I held my hand flat, up against the hammock. Syzya hopped back into place and lay down.

I started moving once again, wading through the waters and then climbing back up to the other bank in a single step. Now that we were across the river things would be getting dangerous.

In the distance I saw another figure move, and another.

“Aroooooo!” A sound I had heard before came from where they were. The howl of a wolf, or a dog. Then it came together in my mind; the slaves and the gems could only mean one thing.

‘Shit, Diamond Dogs!’