The Bird and the Garden 3: The Final Adventure

Chapter 41: Ruby Attacks

The sun hung high over their heads as they relaxed their sore muscles, Salem disappearing for a moment before coming back with berries for them to snack on. As they ate, the tension crackled through the air. Mostly from Vao and Jasper. Salem really wished that it wasn't so intense.

Yin took the least amount of time to finish the pitiful excuse for lunch, his eyes scanning the thick forest. He didn't feel like they were in danger, but something about keeping an eye out made him feel a bit better. Or was the right word secure? Vao was doing the same thing as he ate. Jasper was the only one who had a full stomach after eating because of her size. She barely even finished one berry.

The birds chirped overhead, the clouds lazily rolling across the sky as they watched. Something about the place they found themselves in was serene, calming. They knew they should be searching for their companions, but they knew just how difficult that would be. They were lost, with no sense of direction due to the river branching out so often. Their best bet was aimlessly wandering, hoping that Midori had enough mana to fly around on her staff with Pip, scouring the forest for them.

"... Bloody hell," Vao muttered after a while, putting his head into his hands. "Jasper, put the fucking flute away."

Jasper looked up at him in confusion. "What flute?"

Vao glared at her, and immediately his face fell when he saw her hands empty. "W... Wot?"

Yin raised an eyebrow. "... Did you hit your hea-"

"Fuck off," Vao growled. "One of yas is playin' a flute or something, and it's gettin' annoying."

Yin, Salem, and Jasper stopped, straining their ears. And finally, just barely, they could hear a tune deeper in the forest. It was light-hearted, soft, and brought that sense of calmness. Yin furrowed his brow, his hand resting on his katana as he began to walk closer to the source of the sound, Jasper struggling to climb up his pant leg until he put her on his shoulder.

They pushed through the undergrowth, ancient stone ruins jutting through the bushes, moss and vines growing on the sides. There were four arches; one leading to the right, one forward, one left, and the one they had come from. Salem traced her fingers along the ancient bricks, her mouth slightly agape in awe. "... Was there... Ever a civilization on this mountain?" She asked quietly. Vao shrugged his shoulders.

"I skipped most of high school."

"That explains a lot," Jasper muttered. "That explains a lot." Vao glared at her, but Yin interrupted him before he could speak.

"No... None that were ever recorded," he explained distantly. "The schools are funded by the Church... We learn about every human city, and every known nonhuman city... The mountains have never been fully explored, though..."

They made a left turn, walking deeper. And the further they walked, the sound of the music grew more distant. Before they could walk back, the music returned as quiet as before. But that wasn't the only thing that returned.

They found themselves standing among the same ruin again, leaving them speechless.

"W... Wait a minute. Didn't we already pass by here?" Vao muttered. Yin nodded, his face falling.

"W-we... We definitely did..."

They chose to go forward this time, rather than taking a left. And just like last time, the music went quiet, and then returned as they walked back into the same clearing. The adventurers looked at each other worriedly, slowly approaching their final option; the arch on the right.

This time, the music grew slightly louder. And as they passed through it, they found themselves in a new area entirely. The thick undergrowth hid the ruins behind them, leaving them in the clearing. A ditch was in front of them, a dead, fallen tree making a gate to their front, and a giant, hollowed out log to their left. Through the hollowed out log, they found themselves back at the entrance of this new area. Vao scratched his head in confusion.