"I still find it hard to believe you guys had a fight and separated," Lilly's voice echoed through the cold mountain wind.
"Is it that surprising?" Dan called back from above, his voice strained. "It's more shocking that you lost your powers and reverted back to a normal girl with a nasty attitude."
"Yeah, it's shocking alright," Lilly shrugged below. "The way she looks at you, I'd be surprised you guys don't share a coffin when you die. I mean, she almost killed me for insulting you in the past."
"Yeah, just so it happens," Dan laughed, gripping the rocky ledge tighter. "Besides, we weren't that close."
"I feel like you're lying to me," Lilly scoffed.
"Contractor, I feel like dropping her off the mountain. She's gonna be a liability," Croc grunted, her claws digging into the stone as she climbed.
They were scaling a steep, jagged mountain, the wind whipping around them with icy bites. Lilly had been tied to Croc's back like a stubborn backpack before they even started, and she'd been pestering Dan with questions the whole way.
"All you have to do is take care of me till my mother finds me. Is that such a difficult task?" Lilly asked, swinging her legs a little.
"Yeah, if you don't stop talking I don't think I'll be able to stop Croc from throwing you off the mountain," Dan yelled from higher up, his hands raw and chipped from the constant gripping.
Lilly stared down. The base of the mountain was nowhere in sight, just a dizzying drop into misty clouds and sharp rocks below. "Like she'd do that," she yelled back defiantly.
The job from the fat man named Daveld — the one Lilly had cheated out of his money — was to retrieve the ring of an undead lord who supposedly had a castle at the very top. Coincidentally, the mission Dan had been given the week before was to kill that same undead, who had been terrorizing a nearby town by abducting men for its growing army.
They'd been climbing since noon. Dan's hands were getting torn up and weak from the rough rock, sweat stinging the cuts. But Croc, despite carrying Lilly's extra weight, looked like she was just out for a casual stroll — muscular frame steady, tail flicking in annoyance.
Dan was up ahead since he knew the path. He'd stolen from this undead once before, back when he was broke and desperate. He glanced down at Croc, who looked extremely pissed as Lilly flailed around singing some ridiculous song about escaping taxes.
"What is it?" Croc asked, noticing Dan's stare.
"It's annoying how you're completely fine despite carrying another person while I'm struggling up here," Dan spoke through gritted teeth, pulling himself onto the next ledge.
Dan's blood-red eyes scanned Lilly strapped to Croc's back like a noisy sack.
"Stop staring," Croc snapped, thinking the look was for her.
"Oh sorry," Dan said, not missing a beat. "I was just wondering, Lilly... just what did you do for a thousand-year-old witch to track you across the world, steal your powers, and separate you from your family?"
"Well I'm not gonna talk about it. It's embarrassing," Lilly scoffed, turning her face away.
"Typical," Dan smiled, hauling himself up the next jagged ledge, his hands raw and bleeding from the rough stone.
"If the contractor approves, I could always carry him up the mountain too," Croc said loudly, claws digging into the rock.
"Saying it like it's a confession," Lilly called from her back.
"Shut up," Dan and Croc barked in perfect unison.
"It's fine," Dan sighed, breathing hard. "I've scaled these mountains before... but it wasn't easy."
"Question," Lilly said loudly. "If you could wipe the minds of about a hundred people without breaking a sweat, I'd assume you're a pretty powerful mage. So why aren't we just flying up the mountain?"
"'Cause the bastard would detect me if I did that," Dan said flatly, climbing higher.
"I'm so bored!" Lilly yelled into the sky, shaking violently on Croc's back.
The tip of Croc's tail suddenly plugged her mouth.
Her face went bright red. "If you make both of us fall off the mountain, I'm pretty sure you'll be the only one dead once we hit the floor," Croc said flatly. "Now stay still. I'd rather not shut your mouth with my tail again."
"Mm-mmm... your tail tastes quite good," Lilly said brightly after her mouth was freed. "I'll have to try it again." She suddenly grabbed Croc's tail with both hands and tried forcing it back into her mouth.
Croc flinched hard and turned bright red like a boiled crab. Startled by the sudden grab, she let go of the mountain edge for a split second and tried to grab it again — but she was already tilting backwards, legs almost slipping off the narrow ledge.
"We're going to fall! We're going to fall!" Lilly yelled in panic, eyes squeezed shut, still clutching Croc's tail tightly. "Dan, help us!" she shrieked.
Dan, already some distance ahead, looked down. "By the gods..." He grinned. "So you are scared after all. Also, I'm Mov."
"Sorry Mov, help us!" Lilly yelled in full panic.
"Quickly, she's about to fall!"
Dan sighed. Suddenly Croc flew off her feet — not falling, but floating upwards. She froze in mid-air, still bright red. Dan stared at them, then at Lilly who was still gripping the tail for dear life.
"I suggest you don't try grabbing her tail anymore... that's if you don't want to fall off," Dan said seriously. "She wouldn't tell me why, but she always gets flustered when it's grabbed."
"Oh sorry," Lilly said, quickly releasing the tail.
Dan smiled. "I don't think Croc will be able to climb for a while. Let's rest here till she regains her senses."
"For the record, if Croc falls from a height like this she'd be perfectly fine," Dan said slowly, still clinging to the cold, jagged rock face. "You're the one in danger, not her."
"Like hell," Lilly said in disbelief, eyes wide. "No beastkin would survive a fall like that."
"Well, it may sound like I'm bluffing, but in terms of raw physicality she'll put Cyra to shame," Dan continued, his voice steady despite the wind whipping at them. "We fell from a height way higher than this mountain while battling a large wyvern. Before I could react and float us, Croc had already pulled me close and wrapped herself around me like a shield. She cushioned the entire fall. I think we dropped about 20,000 meters by my calculations. When we hit the ground I was sure she was dead... but she just shrugged it off, completely fine, makes me wonder how she was caught in the first place. Going by that logic, she'd be okay falling from here. I mean, we're barely 8,000 meters above ground right now."
Dan stopped when he caught the horrified look on Lilly's face.
"What?" he asked.
"Please carry me instead," she pleaded, voice shaky. "Also... you're counting? What is wrong with you?"
"She's not gonna suddenly jump off just 'cause you're a bother," Dan laughed. "No need to panic. I'm just telling you so you know exactly how much danger you're in if you keep troubling her."
"Now that you're back, Croc, let's start climbing again," Dan yawned, letting go so Croc could take the lead on the wall.
She didn't move for a while, her face a small shade of pink.
"I'm not grabbing your tail again, am I?" Lilly asked in sudden panic.
"Just shut up," Croc said softly, still not moving. "It's not that."
It took nearly another hour of brutal climbing before they finally dragged themselves over the summit. Lilly actually stayed quiet the whole time, and for some strange reason so did Croc — both of them just breathing hard against the freezing wind.
Dan motioned for Croc to stay put with Lilly while he checked things out.
"I'd rather not get into battle with Lilly on my back," he said brightly as he hauled himself over the edge. "I only brought her along 'cause she's the entire reason we're in this mess. Might as well risk her life too."
Nothing could be seen from the top except thick, swirling clouds that hugged the peak like a living wall.
Croc poked her head up, scanning for any sign of a castle. There was nothing.
"Where's the castle?" she whispered.
"Just get down," Dan hissed as he stood up.
His bleeding palms healed instantly with a faint glow. "Once I summon your axe, it'll be the signal for you to come aid me." He said it casually and started walking away into the mist.
The top of the mountain was unnaturally smooth and barren — a vast, flat expanse of dark stone with no definite end in sight, just endless fog and the sharp drop at the edges. Dan walked forward, one hand stretched out in front of him. His fingers touched something solid in the empty air.
He smiled. "You think making it invisible would stop me, eh?"
"Quite the sturdy barrier," Dan whistled, knocking on the hardened invisible wall. "SHATTER."
A spiderweb of cracks instantly spread across the empty air. A faint purple glowing circle appeared for a split second, its light dying as it shattered completely.
Slowly, a large castle was revealed — dark, haunting, and broken. Towers leaned at weird angles, walls were cracked and crumbling, everything looked half-dead and forgotten.
"Hey, skelly!" Dan yelled right in front of the gates. "Come on out! I heard you're building an army."
There was a loud rumbling noise. The entire mountain top vibrated as something massive burst out of the castle, smashing through stone and sending chunks flying. A huge undead dog the size of a small hill charged straight at Dan, its mouth a horrifying funnel of endless jagged teeth.
It ran right into him... and cleanly through him.
Dan didn't even take a single step back.
The dog, now cut perfectly in two, couldn't stop its momentum. Both halves kept going and tumbled off the edge of the mountain with a horrible screech.
Lilly whimpered as she watched a giant pile of bones and rotting flesh fall down into the clouds below.
"You dare show your face here after raiding my treasury!"
The voice boomed like thunder across the entire mountaintop. Dan quickly covered his ears. Lilly did the same, wincing hard. Only Croc stayed completely still, her face still carrying that faint shade of pink from earlier. The cold mountain wind rippled through her hair as she tilted her head slightly, letting the breeze brush over her almost tanned skin.
Her eyes suddenly met Lilly's. They stared at each other for a long, awkward moment.
"Just what is going on in your head?" Lilly asked, still tied to her back. "I'm not even holding your tail anymore, so why are you still flushed? And for some reason seeing you all peaceful like this is making me pissed."
"Shut— shut up," Croc stuttered, quickly looking away, ears twitching.
"Come on, tell me!" Lilly yelled, shaking violently on Croc's back. "Is it 'cause of what Mov said earlier?"
"Shut up!" Croc yelled back, her ears turning bright red.
"Hell nah," Lilly looked mortified, eyes wide.
Dan stood there with his eyes closed, sighing. Both girls had been yelling so loud that even the owner of the castle clearly heard them.
"What's that?" the loud voice demanded.
"Mice," Dan lied shamelessly, not even opening his eyes.
The air stayed dead silent for a long moment.
"I didn't know they were rats here," the loud voice boomed again.
"I'm not a rat!" Lilly yelled angrily before Croc quickly muffled her with a hand.
"Keep quiet," Croc whispered. "I think they can hear us." But on the empty mountaintop her whisper sounded loud and clear.
"Those don't sound like rats," the voice said suspiciously.
"Apparently rats speak these days," Dan continued, eyes still shut.
"I'm not a rat!" Lilly yelled again. "I refuse to be called a rat!"
"Wait, Lilly, stop— don't grab my tail! Stop!" Croc yelled.
Lilly fumbled with the rope tying her to Croc, pulled out a small knife, and cut herself free. Using Croc like a ladder, she climbed over her and scrambled onto the mountaintop.
Still holding Croc's tail, she stared down at her. "Sorry."
She let go.
Croc immediately fell backward off the edge with a startled yelp.
"Did you just let Croc fall?!" Dan yelled, rushing to the edge. But Croc was already gone, plummeting into the clouds below.
"What's wrong with you?!"
"Well, you did say she could survive the fall," Lilly shrugged casually.
"Are you kidding me right now?" Dan asked, staring at her in pure disbelief.
"How dare you deceive me!" the loud voice thundered through the clouds.
"No, I mean— look at her. She's a rat," Dan said, quickly grabbing Lilly by the shoulder and lifting her up like a prize. "See?"
"I'm not a rat!" Lilly fought against his grip.
"Stop calling me a rodent, it's offensive!"
"Just stand in a corner," Dan sighed, rubbing his head. "I'll deal with you later. Right now it's not the time to bicker." He pulled her slightly to the side just as a massive spear shot past where she had been standing.
Lilly slowly looked behind her. An army of corpses was pouring out of the castle — skeletons, rotting bodies, and undead horrors carrying all kinds of rusted weapons.
"So you're really stealing corpses," Dan smiled, pulling Lilly behind him. "You've always been like this, so I won't blame you. It's your personality after all," he whispered to her. "But you're powerless right now. Try not to act rashly."
She nodded quickly, clinging tightly to the back of his clothes.
Dan pressed both palms together and slowly pulled them apart. A massive axe taller than himself materialized — its blade a brutal 2 feet wide, gleaming with dark energy. He tossed it carelessly over the edge of the cliff like it was trash.
"If my calculations are correct, Croc will hit the ground in about a minute," Dan said brightly. "She'll be back here in half that time… as long as she sees the axe. So you have to survive for two minutes." He smiled at Lilly like it was the easiest thing in the world.
"What? Survive?!" Lilly panicked. "Aren't you going to protect me? I'm powerless, remember?!"
"Well, you should've thought of that before sending Croc off a cliff," Dan smiled sweetly, grabbing her hand for a second. "I'm going to deal with the skeleton. You handle the undead till Croc arrives."
"Wait, you can't do this!" Lilly yelled, but Dan was already gone — vanishing in a blur and leaving only a long sword standing upright where he had been.
Lilly stared at the horde of corpses. They hadn't attacked earlier because Dan's magical presence kept them frozen in place. Now that he was gone…
The entire crowd lunged at her.
Lilly snatched up the sword in one smooth motion. Her heel cracked the first undead under the chin, sending its head tumbling off. She ducked under a massive swing from the next one and retreated a few steps… right to the edge of the cliff.
"Believe it or not, I did have my fair share of sword practice with Dad," she smiled, unsheathing the blade and staring defiantly at the creatures.
Her face dropped in pure horror.
The sword was completely weightless… because there was no blade. Just an empty hilt.
"Are you really planning on letting me die?" she whimpered, voice cracking. "I thought I was your friend…"
The undead lunged at her all at once. Lilly covered her head with both hands, not wanting to fall off the cliff and definitely not wanting to get hacked to pieces.
"Duck," came a low, rumbling voice from behind.
Lilly, with zero better ideas, dove face-first into the dirt. A silver light flashed above her head like lightning. In one clean, brutal strike, the entire mountaintop was suddenly empty of undead — just chopped-up pieces scattered everywhere.
Lilly opened her eyes after a few seconds, coughing dirt. Croc stood right in front of her, casually holding the massive axe across her shoulder like it was a walking stick. She turned to look down at Lilly sprawled on the ground, face covered in mud. Croc smiled, her sharp teeth gleaming against her tanned skin, dark eyes locked on her.
"Honestly, I was hoping that strike caught you too," she grinned. "Then you'd have to beg me to save your falling arse."
"Bu-but Mov said you'd take about two minutes to get back up," Lilly stuttered, still on the ground.
"That's if I had reached the bottom," Croc said flatly. "I saw the axe before I was even near the bottom. Guess my eyesight is pretty handy after all."
The next horde of monsters was only three meters away now, shambling forward.
"Also, try a trick like that again and I might actually hit you," Croc smiled, voice sweet but dangerous.
She swung the huge axe in a wide circle, grabbed the hilt with both hands, bent low, tail waving slowly behind her. She twisted her hips, tightened every muscle in her torso, then released all that tension in one explosive swing.
Another blinding silver light exploded across the entire mountaintop. This time it cut everything cleanly in two — undead, broken castle walls, everything.
"That should do it," Croc sighed, resting the axe on her shoulder again. "Not much for me to do here. The castle was a decoy after all."
"Whoa… you're actually pretty strong," Lilly yelled, finally sitting up.
"Duh. Did I ever give off weak vibes?" Croc smiled, flashing those sharp teeth again.
"Question," Lilly said, walking over to the now-ruined castle. The walls were cut so smoothly they could pass for polished tiles. She sat on one of the sliced sections but jumped off almost instantly — it was still hot from the cut. "If you're this strong, how come you're with Mov? I know he rescued you and all, but shouldn't you be searching for your people or something?"
"Also, how can he keep someone so powerful in check?" she added. "The Mov I knew in the past didn't have a single trace of magical energy."
"My tribe has a tendency of following the strongest one around," Croc said slowly, still resting the huge axe on her shoulder. "And currently the contractor is the strongest person I've laid my eyes on — even among those that captured me. When he suddenly appeared on the path the traders took to smuggle me, I was terrified. I've never actually seen anything like it. He was like a dark star." Croc's voice went a little distant, almost dreamy.
"Aren't you exaggerating a bit?" Lilly laughed nervously. "Surely you must be mistaken somewhere."
"I'm a beastkin, and all beastkin would say the exact same thing," Croc replied. "We have animal instincts after all, despite our human-like appearance. He's terrifying." She paused. "I'm even more confused 'cause he always does mundane things. I'd assume someone with his power would have something important to do."
"But we've spent days chasing cats, hunting snakes, being escorts, and cleaning bath houses," Croc said. "I try not to think about it. He's a genuinely good guy after all."
Croc stared out at the endless clouds far below. "He could raze this mountain to the ground in an instant and build it back up just as fast, but he chose to climb it like every other adventurer. I can't tell what he's thinking... it's so complicated."
"But—" Lilly began.
"Tell me, golden hair," Croc cut in softly. "I know the contractor is lying about his real name. Dan, was it? I'd like to know more about his past before I met him."
"If you think you got a shot, forget it," Lilly sighed. "There's a girl that'll mop the floor with you if you try going that way."
"You haven't even seen me exert myself and you're already jumping to conclusions," Croc laughed, sharp teeth flashing.
"Trust me," Lilly said seriously. "When we were kids, she was 11 when she single-handedly took down myself and my brother. Then years later a tale was circulating about a girl that single-handedly dispatched the hero's party, even engaging the hero in combat. The story wasn't clear, but according to the party members, even the hero was struggling against her after she fought a 4v1 with the most powerful people on the continent at the time. I'm sure it was her." Lilly stared into the distance, deep in thought.
"The hero, uh?" Croc muttered, deep in thought, still resting the massive axe on her shoulder.
"Also, purely out of curiosity — unlike most beastkins you have human ears. If you cut your tail, wouldn't you be able to pass off as a normal human?" Lilly asked suddenly.
Croc was silent for a moment, then shrugged. "Well yeah… but it grows back. We're reptiles after all."
"That's so cool," Lilly stared at Croc's butt. "I wish I had a tail. I'm sure I'd be useful with one."
But Croc wasn't listening anymore. The clouds above them were suddenly turning an unnatural, glowing blue. Without warning, she yanked Lilly close and one-handedly swung her axe up, deflecting a massive blue energy beam that shot straight at them. The axe vibrated hard from the impact, still crackling with leftover lightning.
"What was that?!" Lilly asked, voice shaking with fear.
"Take a look," Croc let go of her, gripping the axe with both hands now. A wide, feral grin spread across her face. "This is going to be fun."
Lilly's eyes widened in pure shock as she stared upward. A creature was breaking through the clouds — bony, decaying, and insanely huge. Its rotting flesh tore through the mist, wings moving in slow, dangerous beats. It was larger than the entire mountaintop they stood on. When it roared, the sound hit like a physical wave. Lilly clapped her hands over her ears, but it still felt like her eardrums were about to burst.
"A death dragon," Croc grinned wider, eyes shining with excitement. "This is going to be fun."
Meanwhile, Dan appeared in a dark space completely devoid of light. It was so pitch black that the darkness itself felt thick and physical, pressing against his skin.
"Light up," he said simply.
The space instantly flooded with bright light… but there was nothing to illuminate. He wasn't in a room, wasn't on solid ground — it was like he had stepped into the void itself. Endless nothing stretched in every direction.