Chapter 1662 A Strange Agreement

--- Kat ---n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

When Kat landed Meg had set up a little camp of her own with a few chairs and a campfire. Lily and Kamiko were sitting nearby, with Julyn looking somewhat pensive. Kat glanced over at Meg, but didn’t say anything just yet. Meg had no such issues and asked straight up, "So what’s the verdict?"

"It’s too much snow," said Kat with a sigh. "Pretty much everything is blocked as far as I can see. There are patches where it’s clear but honestly? I’m trying to work out where all of this snow even CAME from,"

"It’s not natural," Kat twitched in place, nearly jumping high up into the air as Hunter stated that little fact next to her. Apparently she wasn’t trying to hide away anymore. Julyn… didn’t seem all that surprised? Or perhaps she was just hiding it better then Kat.

"Hmmm? Do you know what caused it?" asked Meg.

Hunter shook her head, "No, I saw no signs of whatever monster caused the avalanche that blocked the road but I am quite certain it’s not natural. It’s not just the main road but it is… mainly the main road,"

"I’d guess that something ancient and powerful lives underneath the mountain then…" mumbled Meg. "Probably detected the drake piece moving through its territory and freaked out,"

"Drake piece?" asked Julyn.

"It’s not your concern," said Meg as she pulled out… a map? Kat looked the paper over a second time and realised that it was a map. It wasn’t the greatest and from what she’d seen up in the air it wasn’t all that accurate, but it did give you a general idea of where everything was. It marked a good deal of outposts as well as the settlements in the area.

Julyn huffed a bit at the dismissal but didn’t push. She knew better then a lot of others just what demons could be capable of and if they didn’t want to answer her? Well there wasn’t much she could do about it. She’d seen Meg ’handle’ the three idiots arguing and somehow walked out of it with a map.

"Um… so you think we’ve got a monster problem?" asked Kat.

"Eh…" Meg glanced at Hunter who shrugged. "No probably not? I mean, it’s probably one of those giant monsters that sleeps for centuries and doesn’t really DO much anymore. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was some giant mushroom creatures that curled up here to nap one day and hasn’t woken up. It’s… hmm… how best to explain it?"

Hunter glanced at Kat and said, "Some monsters simply decide to keep existing. At some point they generate enough magic to continue functioning without the need for food. Most monsters continually seek strength. Eating, fighting, growing stronger. It is in their nature. Sometimes they are more violent then others, sometimes it’s more about strengthening the tribe or the species, but that’s not all that common.

"Now, what likely set the monster of was a large injury… say perhaps a world ending event," Kat rolled her eyes. "At that point the monster decided to hibernate and recover… and with it sleeping and still gaining power it sees no reason to wake up. Nothing around is acceptable ’food’ and just be continuing to exist its power goes up,"

"Is that why dragons hibernate?" asked Kat.

"Some of them yes," admitted Hunter with a shrug.

"So… so… um… it’s not an issue?" asked Kamiko. "Wait but… but if it’s asleep then… then how did it cause an avalanche?"

"Eh, for a monster like that this is more akin to shifting a bit in its sleep. Like rolling over of sneezing. Which, is actually a great metaphor to explain what happened. That drake piece was like waving a bunch of pollen in front of its nose," explained Meg.

Kamiko gulped. "Is… is it likely that something so powerful is really here? I mean… can’t something like that also be a major problem? Like just as bad as the drake?"

Meg burst out into laughter, while Hunter chuckled off to Kat’s side. Kat herself felt a bit indignant on Kamiko’s behalf. It seemed like a reasonable question. Clearly there was something they were both missing but Julyn at least wasn’t laughing. "You want to take this one Lil Sis?" asked Meg.

"Sure," agreed Hunter as she turned to Kamiko. "The monster, whatever it may be, is helping reinforce the planet as it gets stronger. Unlike the drake which would’ve been determined to devour everything until there was nothing left anywhere, this monster is generating more mana then it needs to exist. It’s how it can get stronger while sleeping after all.

"It is likely ice aligned, and possibly also aligned with mushrooms in same way. The mountain range here will get colder but the ores developing in the mines will become more plentiful if I had to guess. Eventually the monster main end up pouring so much magic into the area it becomes a part of it,"

"That’s very unlikely though," Meg cut in. "Most monsters wake up before that point and then they turn into calamities’. Demons usually get called in at that point. It’s the type of job our clan loves,"

"Right… so… we’re heading off then?" asked Kat.

"Soon yes. This map is a great guide. We’ll likely head for the main settlement and then check out what direction we need to head from there. I doubt they’ll have heard of anything involving our missing drake piece… but we can ask around a bit," explained Meg.

"Before you head off," cut in Julyn. "Would you be willing to complete my delivery for me?"

"Oh?" asked Meg with a raised eyebrow. "How would you propose we do that?"

"I’m not an idiot Meg. You didn’t exactly hide the fact that you have a spatial storage on it, and barely made any effort to hide that it’s the ring you wear, and one that your companions happen to have a similar copy of.

"I’m betting that it’s either one large shared space or you all have quite the large amount of supplies inside. I’m also willing to bet that if I hand over my stock you can deliver it all for me. You’re heading for the main town right? Mountain Brook?" asked Julyn.

Meg gave a shrug, "It does seem that way doesn’t it?"

"Right, well while those tools aren’t going to Mountain Brook they are going to a nearby outpost. The main mining company in the area owns it and they’re the one after the tools. I’m hoping a short detour wouldn’t be out of the question. I can follow up later once the snow melts and make better time with all the missing weight," explained Julyn.

"Oh?" asked Meg. "Well I suppose it’s not out of the question… but what are you willing to offer for such a service?"

"Oh? And you aren’t willing to do a favour for a new friend?" asked Julyn with the sort of look on her face that said butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. Kat was… genuinely surprised at the gall.

Meg pulled a table out of her ring just so she could lean forward on it and smile smugly. "Oh? Friends are we… well I suppose I could be willing to do something like that for a friend… but I’m not sure we’re there yet,"

"Ah? But I poured my heart and soul out to you!" insisted Julyn. "Truly I revealed many of my greatest secrets in that conversation and yet you say we aren’t there yet! I’m hurt Meg, truly I am,"

Stay tuned to empire

"Meh," intoned Meg with a shrug. "We’ve just established I’m not really friends with you so why injuring you be my concern?" Even as she said that though… Kat felt like there was the beginnings of a smile on Meg’s face. *

What… the fuck is going on here?*

"Alright then I suppose I could throw in a few rusty nails, but if you get sick from them that’s not my problem," answered Julyn.

"A few?" confirmed Meg. Julyn nodded. "Hmm… not sure a few is enough here. I mean, if the nails are rusty I’m gonna need more than a few,"

"Hey I’m not made of nails. I only got a couple and I’m literally giving them away here!" insisted Julyn.

"Huh… well I suppose we didn’t really talk about the goods did we? What exactly are you wanting me to carry for you? That could change things," retorted Meg.

"Well it’s mostly pickaxes. The good quality stuff that’s enchanted and works especially well in the icy mountains here. Made from a combination of rare ore, and decent magic. They also ordered a few other little things, but you don’t HAVE to take those. They can wait and were more curtesy things. Rope, lantern oil, a few spare handles, stuff like that,"

Meg nodded a few times, "Alright that doesn’t sound too hard. I think we can come to an agreement here…"

*WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MEG?! Why is whatever the heck this conversation is working?*

Kat glanced at Hunter and she looked similarly confused. Which did not help matters.