Lion made me wear something that looked like a trench coat.
It must have been his, since it was a few sizes too big, but he used magic to adjust it until it finally fit.
Curious, I asked him where we were going, noting that he was also wearing a trench coat.
He apologized, mentioning he'd forgotten to tell me that we were headed to a far-away place, one the flying canoe couldn't reach, and that would require too much magic to get to by flight alone.
It turns out the place we were headed to was a floating mountain, reminiscent of the ones I used to see in Chinese fantasy dramas back on Earth.
I couldn't help but wonder if I'd find a sect of cultivators hidden among the peaks.
Lion explained that the air there stays chilly, with mists that linger even when the suns are high in the sky.
He added that while it was cold, there were other regions far more frigid than our destination.
With the explanation finished, Lion prepared to activate the spell on the scroll.
But just as he began, a sudden, deafening BANG echoed through the air.
OH, FOR GOODNESS' SAKE! Lion yelled, his hands frantically weaving magic through the air. A moment later, behold, Ghost came tumbling head-first out of the portal.
Of course,nothing can ever just be simple with these two.
The two of them immediately dissolved into bickering, their voices echoing off the walls as they traded barbs.
They went on like that for several minutes until Lion suddenly froze, remembering that we actually had somewhere to be.
Ghost turned to me, his eyes wide and pleading, asking if he could come along.
Lion started to protest immediately, but Ghost wouldn't back down. He kept up the puppy-dog eyes until I, who had been seconds away from saying "no," finally relented.
Awww...
I'm such a pushover for those eyes.
Before Lion could get another word in, Ghost suddenly swept me up into his arms and shouted at Lion to activate the scroll.
Lion wore a murderous look on his face before he finally turned away and activated the scroll.
If looks could kill, Ghost would have been disintegrated right then and there.
The room was suddenly flooded with a blinding light. When I blinked, the world around us began to pixelate, dissolving into jagged blocks of color before everything turned pitch black.
Then... poof!
...
The three of us materialized at the peak of a massive mountain, surrounded by a sea of other jagged summits.
My head spun from the transition, and I instinctively gripped Ghost's arm to steady myself.
Earth never had anything like this...
The view was beyond anything I had ever seen back home. Gorgeous, towering peaks draped in thick blankets of clouds and shifting mists. It looked exactly like a scene plucked straight out of a Chinese fantasy novel.
Instead of waterfalls, streams and rivers of water were suspended in mid-air, flowing in various directions throughout the sky.
The water shifted in color depending on which way it moved, creating a vibrant, liquid map above us.
Wow...
I've never seen anything so beautiful, or so impossible.
To the north, the water was a deep, cool teal, while to the east, it flowed in shades of rich indigo.
Looking west, the streams turned a bright, sharp cyan.
The south held the most stunning view of all... a majestic azure river with a faint, silver hue running through it.
When the rays of the suns hit the water, they created a dazzling shimmer that sparkled like fine glitter across the sky.
Beyond the wonder of the floating rivers, the mountains and vegetation were in a league of their own.
I couldn't fully find the words to describe what I saw... it was like standing inside a masterpiece of a painting.
Unlike the greens of Earth, the foliage here bloomed in a palette of colors that looked like spun cotton candy. The trees grew in all sorts of whimsical shapes, their branches heavy with an abundance of exotic fruit.
It felt less like a forest and more like a dream I didn't want to wake up from.
...
I was taking my time to soak in my surroundings when, suddenly, a massive dragon soared overhead.
OH MY GOSH!!!
Lion and Ghost immediately jumped in, doing their best to calm me down, but the damage was done.
I had become hyper-aware of the sky, realizing it was teeming with all sorts of creatures I hadn't noticed before.
Note to self: beautiful scenery in this world usually comes with a side of monsters.
I'm definitely still not used to seeing things that should only exist in storybooks.
I started to shake uncontrollably. In that moment, I truly understood that humans have a limit when it comes to processing things they aren't used to.
I was now painfully aware of how terrifying this world could be.
Yes, it was more beautiful and wondrous than Earth, but it was just too much to take in all at once.
The weight of trying to understand and accept things so far beyond my human comprehension was becoming overwhelming. My mind was screaming at me that I didn't belong here, no matter how pretty the view was.
Tears suddenly spilled down my cheeks as I began to sob. I was terrified and completely overwhelmed.
The beauty of this place didn't matter anymore.. I just felt so small and out of place....
Lion immediately took me into his arms, enveloping me in a warm, protective embrace.
I cried for a long time, letting all the tension out. As he held me, he whispered soothing words in a language I didn't recognize... perhaps some kind of calming magic?
Whatever they were, they comforted me deeply. He gently caressed my hair while using his other hand to wipe away my tears.
Meanwhile, Ghost began singing a song that sounded incredibly comforting to my ears.
He has a truly beautiful voice. He held my hand as he sang and I found myself wishing I could understand the lyrics.
Lion's tail swished to and fro and his hair seemed to flow in a slow, rhythmic motion.
As I watched him, my sobbing finally subsided, replaced by a sense of amusement. Both Ghost and Lion looked visibly relieved once they saw that I had calmed down.
They both apologized for overwhelming me.
Being so used to the strangeness of this world, they hadn't taken into consideration that I'm not originally from here.
It was a relief to know they understood. I think they sometimes forget that my human brain wasn't built for floating rivers and dragons.
After several minutes of rest, I took a deep breath and smiled. I told them that I could do it, but that I would need their help whenever I felt overwhelmed.
I knew I might get scared again in the future, but I promised to try my best to be more courageous.
Admitting my fear actually made me feel a little stronger..
Lion told me he understood exactly what I meant. He explained that being scared is perfectly normal for any living being, there isn't a single creature that isn't afraid of something. He promised he would be right beside me every step of the way.
Ghost exclaimed, not wanting to be left out, that he would also be there for me. Even though he might not always be around, he told me to just summon him anytime I needed him.
Lion retorted, asking who exactly would want to summon him.
The two of them immediately started bickering again, which made me chuckle.
To be honest, I felt a little embarrassed for acting like such a child, but then I remembered someone telling me a long time ago that being afraid is normal at any age.
Bravery isn't the absence of fear, it's measured by how we face those fears.
I decided to be more honest with myself. I can do this. It might be overwhelming, but I believe I can adjust.
After all, it really is a beautiful, strange world.
I took a final look at the shimmering azure rivers in the sky, realizing that while the world was vast and intimidating, it was also a gift to see it.
....
We succeeded in our task.
It turned out that the creature's offspring, a hybrid that looked like a giant beetle with big eyes and, thankfully, only two human-like legs, couldn't see anything at a distance, not even at arm's length.
The parents were famous for their incredible eyesight, capable of seeing as far as the moons' surfaces. Consequently, having an offspring who struggled to see even a few inches away was considered a source of family embarrassment.
I felt a pang of sympathy for the little guy. It's hard enough being a giant beetle without the added pressure of meeting impossible expectations.
Lion and I managed to design and create a pair of eyeglasses for the offspring, who smiled for the first time since we met. Seeing that tiny, beetle-like face light up made every bit of the earlier panic worth it.
The father joyfully thanked us as the offspring excitedly began to describe everything it could finally see with perfect clarity. It was heartwarming to watch him point at the floating rivers, his words tripping over each other in a rush of pure wonder.
The female parent hesitantly asked Lion if she could buy the "magical reflector thing", which turned out to be a mirror, that she had heard about from a colleague.
It looks like being a merchant is now an additional occupation for us.
I couldn't help but smirk. Leave it to Lion to turn a rescue mission into a business opportunity.