Chapter 20 - Dance and Thunder

That night, the burrow I slept in was cooled with my magic. It also seems that my body got kinda used to this way of sleeping, as it ached less when I woke up the next day.

So that became my new routine. In the early morning, training with sword and magic, then a bath and eating, then walking until late afternoon, when I would look for a burrow for the night.

I met other monsters on the way, and my level kept shooting up.

There was also a night in which a scorpion monster found me on the burrow.

:::

It was terrifying.

I woke up by the vibrations that the monster made as it walked on the earth, so I was aware of it before it found me.

So when it put its face on the entrance of the burrow, I had already cast my strengthening spell and had the lightning bolt ready.

Have you ever seen a scorpion face?

I'm gonna tell you, it's ugly.

And that one got even uglier with the electric voltage it received.

As it reeled from the (literal) shock, I crawled out of the burrow. I didn't even have time to get back on my feet, as I had to immediately roll to the side to avoid a strike by the creature's tail.

As soon as I'm free to move around, the match is already decided. My relentless magic has become more polished and stronger every day.

But that night I got too worked up to be able to get back to sleep. 

:::

I spend the rest of the night outside. I cover the floor with some hide I've been collecting and just lie there, looking at the sky.

It's beautiful.

The first night in the free world, I was too focused on escaping and surviving, so I didn't even think of looking above.

And afterwards, I would never leave the burrow between dusk and dawn.

So this is my first time actually appreciating the night sky... and the fact that there is not one moon, but three.

One was bigger and brighter, with a yellowish light, similar to our own on some autumn nights.

The second moon was red like oxidized iron. It wasn't exactly round and moved pretty fast in the sky, which makes me think that it was closer to the planet, even though it's smaller than the others.

The third moon was hard to spot. It was a dark circle, barely visible. The best way to notice it was by the way it blocked the light of the stars behind it.

So, that day, I spent the last hours before dawn remembering the tales about the three moon sisters that my mother and the others had told me.

:::

Today it completes one week that I've fled the slavery life. I've been constantly walking northwards during the day, in hopes of finding Mimby's tribe.

I've reached level 119. I don't know what exactly the power scale of this world is, but the number sounds impressive, not gonna lie.

But, to be honest, it's completely useless, as I'm locked out of its benefits.

It will probably be a good idea to register as an adventurer before breaking in to free my mother and the others.

119 levels' worth of stat scaling and skill points should improve my abilities by quite a lot.

But even if I entered the city and managed to get to the Adventurer's Guild right now, I wouldn't be able to do anything. A slave can't register as an adventurer.

So, my plan right now has four steps. Find Mimby's tribe, find a way to take the collar off, register at the guild, and rescue everyone.

Simple, right?

Heh.

I know, I know.

Well, I managed to escape and to survive alone in the Barrens, didn't I? 

So everything's gonna be alright.

:::

"Oh!"

I exclaim in a loud voice as I see a pattern with sticks on the ground.

I run to the pattern, then I take the pendant Mimby made for me and compare them.

It's the same pattern.

I start giggling alone, with a smile that goes ear to ear.

I'm in her tribe's territory right now.

I need only to keep pushing north, and I'll eventually run into one of their scouts.

:::

I keep walking and walking, with a jumping heart, always looking around for other signs of the tribe.

But what I find after a couple of hours is a huge bush. Its size is very similar to the one on the wall, onto which I jumped the other day.

I couldn't take a closer look at it as I was fleeing, but now that I look closely at this one, maybe they are the same species?

And this one... has fruits on it.

Fruits.

FRUITS!

Without thinking twice, I reach for one that looks to be ripe and pick it. It has a thick peel, like a mango. So I use the knife to cut a slice, then I bite the soft parts.

It's...

DELICIOUS!

Sweet!

Juicy!

I keep eating happily. The fruit is on the bigger side, twice as big as an adult's fist. I finish eating the first one, then I reach for the second one.

Suddenly, something feels awkward.

The fruit I was going to pick was actually two?

And now they're dancing?

What?

I close my eyes, then I open them again...

And the fruit isn't there anymore.

No, the fruit is... and I'm standing ON the fruit?

What's going on?

The series of nonsense images keeps cycling and dancing around me as the bush grows bigger and bigger, enveloping me. Bringing me in.

Soon I'm part of the dance myself, as pure ecstasy takes over my body. A feeling of communion, of being part of something bigger and more important than myself.

As if, for the first time in my life, I've found a place to belong to.

And then, suddenly...

"Found you!"

A thunderous voice cracks in the air, shattering the blissful scenery.