Pantheon Book 2: The Way of the Tao

Story Time

        Following Melody's instructions, Oliver carefully flies through the ship until he finds her room. He flicks the switch in the far corner, skitters out, and grabs one of the dozens of ropes hanging from the mast. Melody yanks on the rope with a quick nod of thanks, making the ship twist and warp. The wood folds at impossible angles, and as she keeps pulling, the boat collapses in on itself over and over. Before long, all that's left is a wooden cube that's only a few inches wide, hanging from a string. Melody nods proudly, seeming to bask in Oliver and Koji's amazement as she slips it into her handbag.

"See? No harm done," Melody says with a smile to Koji. "Next time we need it, I'll just throw it back in the water and it will be good as new."

"That's amazing," he says in awe. He catches Marcus's eye, recoiling back awkwardly. "I-I mean, I'm still sorry for all of that. I'm glad it wasn't as bad as it looked."

"Dwarven engineering is nothing to scoff at," Marcus agrees. "But we've got more important things to worry about. How are we supposed to find Orochi now?" He looks up at the sun, squinting so hard that it looks like his eyes are closed. Oliver follows his gaze. It's past noon. "Who knows how far it could have gotten by now."

"Not far. It's really slow on land unless it's hunting. And since there are no villages for a few miles, it can't be that far." Koji says, turning back towards the river. "We just need to follow the river. If it made land, trust me, we'll know." He drags his heel through the dirt to prove his point, leaving a long trail behind.

"Then we need to figure out how to beat it," Melody confirms, crossing her arms. "And how to catch up to it."

"We can just fly to catch up," Oliver suggests.

"That's probably the best plan," Koji confirms. He waves his hand, and a gust of wind curls around him, lifting him off the ground. Oliver closes his eyes as his shoes carry him upwards as well.

"Wait!" Melody says, her cheeks going pink. "Marcus and I can't fly!"

"I can shapeshift," Marcus protests. Melody pouts at him, her embarrassment growing.

"Fine, I'm the only one that can't fly," She huffs, crossing her arms.

"No problem," Koji says, waving his hand in her direction. Marcus snarls as he transforms into his winged lion form, flapping the wind away with his massive bat-like wings.

"I'm giving you a second chance, but I still don't trust you," He rumbles. He lays down, lowering his wings. "She'll fly with me." Koji looks down at himself sadly and nods. Melody carefully climbs onto Marcus's back, feeling his feline muscles ripple as he flexes his wings.

"Are you sure this is okay? I'm not too heavy, am I?" She whispers self-consciously. Marcus ruffles his main as he takes to the air.

"I'm fine. You can be my eyes if we spot Orochi," he says. Melody bites her lip, running her fingers through his fur towards his face. Even this form is mangled by the scars. "Now for how to beat him. Any ideas?"

"I-I know how this sounds, but I can't be involved," Koji says carefully, earning another glare from Marcus. "Why do you think he attacked last time? When he ate that first barrel, I came down to watch, and it probably smelled me or something. It recognizes me."

"Actually, I don't think that's it," Oliver says, stroking his chin. "I might be wrong about this, so sorry if it's a waste of time, but..." He glances back at the others, slowing down when he realizes he's at the head of the pack. "You said Orochi caught on to the trick with the sake, and you have to force it to drink, right? Well...what if it just recognized the taste?" He explains slowly. "We can make the barrel look like whatever we want, but it would still taste the same, right?"