“Did your tasty thing meet your expectations?” I asked.

  He laughed a little harder and bobbed his head. “I haven’t used it yet. I’ll likely be incapacitated for days or weeks. I’m hoping it’s enough for the breakthrough to eighth tier.”

  “Oh. That would be phenomenal.” I grinned. “I’m honored to be any small part of your success.”

  “I like you.” The snake said. “It occurred to me as I sent you out of the cave that we never formally introduced ourselves. You may call me Vortex.”

  “I am…” I looked at him sideways. “Not Mira Lacer, but that is who I will be calling myself, possibly forever.”

  He bobbed his head again, more of a bow than an affirmative nod. “Names are artificial, but they are useful. If your system status does not match your chosen name, most temples can change it for you.”

  “I think my mother and her patroness took care of that. I will know for sure when I can see my own status.”

  “True. For what it’s worth, Mira Lacer is what I saw when I examined you.”

  “Oh. I don’t think I knew someone could do that.”

  “Most people over level ten and beasts over level four can see at least a name, sometimes more.”

  “Good to know. So… uh… what now? Do you go find a nest and do your advancement thing?”

  “I have found, over time, that the best place to do such a transformation is in an unused corner of a large human habitation. The deeper the darkness the better. Also, human storm drains are excellent hunting grounds.”

  “So you will go to the closest city?”

  “I have decided to go to Melanor along the swiftest route I know.”

  “I’m supposed to follow the river upstream to a waterfall that has a secret staircase.”

  “Hmmm there are several waterfalls coming off that mountain.”

  “I am supposed to walk towards the rising sun until I reach the river and follow the larger branch every time there’s a joining.”

  He looked thoughtful. “Right. So we’ll go there if you want, but we should take the road. There is a nice road just that way, it’s parallel the river you mentioned until it turns to go around to the mountain.”

  “A road in the middle of this forest?”

  “A long forgotten road that looks unpaved because nothing grows on it but all the trees shed on it.”

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  “Right. So. You’re saying we should go together?”

  “There is safety in numbers.” Vortex hissed cagily.

  “Horse dung. You’re babying me and trying to take care of me.” I accused hotly.

  “Like any respectable adult will do when they find a hatchling alone in the woods. There are many pitfalls, alpha territories and other dangers between here and there. I was between here and there.”

  I was starting to get suspicious. The sudden random ‘dungeon,’ the random high level protector… it felt like a Fortuitous Encounter in a cultivation novel. Not to mention that Spirit Beasts on this world were essentially cultivators.

  “I would be honored to travel in the same direction as you are already traveling at the same glacial pace I am capable of. Shall we begin?” I stood and waited for him to lead the way.

  “I like you. You remind me of my first human, Mikel.”

  “You…”

  “Yes. I was once merely mundane. I was his pet while he lived, or he thought I was, but I outgrew him well before he died. I enjoyed the way he brought me snacks.”

  I eyed him. “And the protected lair in a human habitation?”

  “Exactly.”

  I huffed a happy laugh. “I suppose he carried you everywhere too?”

  “I was much smaller then- Ah, I know.” He suddenly shrank in size until he was barely a string. “Now I’m not too heavy.” He was also a more common color.

  “You are ridiculous.” I held my hand down and he wound his way up my wrist to my shoulder.

  “You’re the one constrained to this glacial pace, why should I roam in circles so you can keep up?”

  I giggled. For the first time in a long time I felt like the child I still was. I didn’t have to worry about him falling off, but after a while he found the tear in the yoke of Aunt Glory’s shirt, which made a huge, convenient pocket. The first time I stopped for a rest he went to scout the area and I altered the shirt more to let him watch the road while I walked.

  I took his route, not Amelia’s. If I had a better map I would have seen that I was taking the road from ancient ruins I didn’t know about all the way to the gates of Melanor.

  At night I camped and Vortex kept watch. He napped occasionally while I carried him. Not that he seemed to need sleep.

  During the day I was able to run on the road, a luxury I would not have had in the overgrown forest.

  Some times Vortex curled around my ear and told me stories while I ran. He was a good storyteller. By the time he told me to turn east to find the river I felt like I knew enough about his first human and their adventure party to have traveled with them myself.

  I found a creek almost immediately when I stepped off the road. I followed it downstream until it met a larger creek.

  “I don’t know if I should go upstream or downstream.” I admitted, quickly putting my seat under my butt as I sat down, a new habit I picked up on this journey. Storage rings are so convenient.

  Vortex jumped off my shirt and landed on the ground, full size. No. A bit bigger than he had been when we met. A moment later a little concrete looking structure appeared in front of him.

  “I will scout, looking for the correct branch. A cave behind a waterfall you said?”

  “Yes, with a set of stairs all the way up to the city.”

  “That is a serious security breach.” He complained. “You stay here. Stay inside the house. Lock the door, I have a key. I won’t be long.”

  He was gone before I even registered that the concrete block with a door in it was the house he meant. I went inside and locked the door.

  I immediately felt guilty that I was so filthy. I removed my clothes right by the door and almost gagged at the stench of me.

  Storing the armor and clothes in the nose ring helped a little. I peeked into the side room and sighed when I saw the shower. I didn’t use up his water. I made a talisman and in moments I was squeaky clean. Then I took out each piece of armor and cleaned it with a talisman, making sure to clean the crevices and so forth. I hung them all to dry and finally put on some clothes. I used a pillow and sheet from Aunt Glory’s supplies to make the bed and fell asleep.