Hearing the six-tailed monkey mention ‘loot’, I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at him. “Loot? That guy didn't look like he had anything.” I said, glancing towards the now deceased body of Seven-Tails.

  The black-furred behemoth was still leaking out pools of blood onto the icy clearing behind us. From what I could tell, the monkey didn’t have anything on him. He wore no clothes, and wielded no weapons. The only thing remarkable about the creature was his impressive strength and ability to use magic.

  When my mind went to the strange ice magic the monkey used, I began to wonder. ‘Speaking of his magic, why is the ice still there?’ I pondered, for when I had seen my mother use her own magic, it had deactivated after she passed out.

  Looking out at the destroyed clearing around us and seeing the dozens of monkey’s still encased in ice, it became clear this was not the case for all types of magic. Perhaps Sapphire mana operated under different rules than Emerald mana, the type of magic my mother had used. The books I had previously read were mostly about Emerald mana, and I saw few mentions of the other main branches—Sapphire and Ruby.

  A gruff voice interrupted my train of thought, “We go to Seven Tails pyramid to get loot.” he said, looking towards the depths of the charred forest.

  ‘That must mean the black-furred monkeys also have a pyramid somewhere in this forest. What kind of goodies do they have for us there?’ I wondered, eager to find out.

  At this point, the fires that had spread in that direction had already been raging for a good while now. The once lush forest in front of me had become a desolate wasteland, and only the burned husks of trees remained for at least a mile.

  Four-Tails got up from the ground, dusting himself off as he cracked his neck. I watched as he then returned to the scene of the battle to retrieve his spear from Seven-Tails’ corpse. Once he had his weapon in hand, he came back to join us.

  The three of us promptly began our march into the depths of the burned forest. None of the other monkey’s who had come with us were still around, for they must have run far away during the earlier battle. It didn’t matter much to me though, for that just meant there would be more loot for us.

  As we continued through the forest, we quickly came across the vast majority of the black-furred monkeys, or what remained of them. My eyes took in the sight of scores of monkeys who had met their tragic demise from the onslaught of flames. Their blackened bodies were piled atop each other, and it looked like many of them died while trying to scramble away. As we reached deeper into the depths of the forest, we were greeted with many similar sights. These monkeys had all met the same grisly fate, and I even spotted a number of monkeys holding smaller figures.

  Belatedly, I realized that these monkeys were holding their children. This sobering sight made me understand the reality of this battle. I was able to dissociate myself from the massacre I had committed because these were just monkeys. However, these were clearly living beings with their own thoughts, desires, and dreams.

  I shook my head, attempting to rid myself of these thoughts. Six-Tails and Four-Tails evidently paid no mind to this though, for they hardly spared the burned corpses a second glance.

  With a weary sigh that escaped like the whisper of wind through leaves, I trailed behind the two figures, my feet drifting above the forest floor. The air hung heavy with smoke, a bitter tang searing my throat as we pressed onward. Ahead of us, the inferno we’d unleashed roared like a living beast, its amber claws devouring the canopy far faster than our trudging pace. Ten minutes had bled into what felt like hours, the shadows around us alive with fleeting shapes—black-furred specters darting just beyond sight. My aether twitched around my blade, every nerve taut, but the creatures melted into the gloom, their silence more unnerving than any battle cry.

  When the forest finally relented, yielding to a vast clearing, I halted, breath catching. The flames had dwindled here, starved of fuel, but the true marvel lay ahead. The space stretched wide and ancient, rivaling Six-Tails’ sacred pavilion, yet here, nature’s dominion had been usurped by a single structure: a pyramid. Not the twin spires I’d seen before, but a colossus—a mountain of stone that clawed at the heavens.

  Its base sprawled wider than a city square, its apex piercing the clouds, as if the gods themselves had anchored it to the earth. Moss veiled its weathered bricks like emerald lace, and time had gnawed at its stairway, leaving steps splintered and skeletal. At its summit, a shadowed chamber loomed, barred by a slab of rock as immense as a fallen titan.

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  Six-Tails erupted into a chittering frenzy, his six tails whipping the air as he bounded toward the monolith. I floated after him, eyes skimming the treeline for ambush, but the clearing lay still, abandoned. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.

  The ascent was a trial. The pyramid’s incline defied reason, each step a battle against gravity. I was blessed with gifts of telekinesis, but my new friends were not so uniquely gifted.

  Six-Tails and his kin scrabbled upward, claws scraping stone, while I drifted in their wake, the height offering no mercy to my mortal companions. By the time we reached the summit, their chests heaved like bellows, fur matted with sweat. Before us, the chamber’s entrance lay choked by the boulder—a sentinel forged by forgotten hands.

  Six-Tails hurled himself against it, muscles straining, veins bulging, but the stone mocked his efforts. Unmoved, unyielding.

  “Let me try.” I said, voice steady despite the growing tremors in my head. The monkeys retreated, their breaths ragged.

  I studied the slab, its edges fused with the archway as though grown there. Push, not pull, I decided, summoning the aether within me. The energy surged, a tempest howling in my veins, and I unleashed it—a thunderous wave crashing into the rock. The pyramid shuddered; debris rained down. Cracks spiderwebbed across the boulder’s face, yet it held.

  Gritting my teeth, I poured every shred of power into a second strike. The air rippled, a silent scream of force. The slab groaned, ancient bonds fracturing, until—crack!—it exploded inward, shattering the archway. Stone shrapnel flew, and a cascade of golden light erupted, washing over us like liquid sun. The chamber within hummed, alive with secrets, the tang of clattering where the boulder had collided with metal unseen.

  The glow danced on Six-Tails’ awestruck face. Whatever lay within, we’d awakened it—and the forest itself seemed to recoil.

  “Flying pup, you did it!” Six-Tails exclaimed, looking towards the depths of the pyramid with eagerness.

  I was inwardly pleased with myself as well, but the blood that was suddenly pouring from my nostril made me realize that I had overdone it. In the future I would need to be more careful when using my powers, for it seemed that this was my limit. Wiping my nose with my hand, I followed Six-Tails and his companion into the pyramid’s chamber, just as excited as them to see what riches we would find within.

  As we crossed the chamber’s boundary, our eyes were greeted with a mesmerizing sight. The walls, hewn from ancient stone, rose high into the darkness above, their rough surfaces catching and reflecting the glint of treasure piled high within.

  Mounds of golden coins, each one a tiny, gleaming sun, formed a glittering landscape of untold wealth. Jewels the size of a man's fist lay scattered amidst the treasure, their vibrant hues casting a kaleidoscope of colors that danced upon the stone walls.

  The stone boulder from earlier sat perched atop the middle of this treasure trove, no doubt crushing many treasures beneath it. Even still, there was more than enough riches to go around. Here and there, ornate chalices and goblets, encrusted with precious gems, peeked out from the piles of gold like tantalizing beacons, whispering tales of ancient feasts and forgotten kings.

  Amidst the mountains of treasure, mystical artifacts lay strewn about, their intricate carvings hinting at the arcane powers contained within. A staff, its length adorned with strange runes, leaned against a chest overflowing with priceless gems. A mirror, its surface swirling with an otherworldly mist, was propped against a stack of gold bars, offering glimpses of realms beyond our own.

  The air within the chamber hummed with latent celestial energy, the combined energy of countless enchanted items creating an atmosphere that was almost suffocating. Just from my initial impressions, this chamber seemed to possess more wealth than Six-Tails’ by several orders of magnitude. My eyes darted across the chamber as I took in the beauty in front of me.

  I spotted an ancient tome, its pages brimming with words long forgotten, perched atop a mound of golden coins—its bindings crackling with power. Another pile held a sword, its hilt encrusted with jewels that seemed to radiate a palpable energy, hinting at the legendary power it contained.

  The sheer magnitude of the wealth and power contained within the stone chamber was overwhelming, a testament to the might of Seven-Tails and the monkeys that came before him. Each glimmering coin, each gleaming jewel, and each enchanted artifact told a tale of ambition, conquest, and the unyielding desire for more—more wealth, more power, more glory.

  At the end of this chamber sat a massive golden throne, its surface adorned with jewels and rubies. I noticed that there was something sitting atop the throne—it looked to be some type of strange fruit. The fruit was blue in appearance, and when I peered closer, I saw that it was actually some sort of banana. This fruit stood out because it was the only thing in the entire chamber that wasn’t made out of precious metals.

  In this sacred space, time stood still, the treasures and their stories waiting patiently for us to sweep them into our pockets.

  The momentary silence was broken by the sounds of Six-Tails and his companion hooting with elation as they dove towards the piles of gold. They each jumped into a mountain of gold as they tossed and turned, sending glimmering coins flying around the chamber.

  I merely shook my head with a wry smile, for I would have done the same thing if I wasn’t trying to keep up my appearance as an enigmatic baby.