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nI dug my feet in as I ran back up the hill; my Earth Force Pact made steps like another stair, and I was able to scale the crater in no time. Lizy was staying quiet, but Keri was cheering as I made my way up.

n

"You can do it!

" Keri yelled with joy as I reached the top.

nI looked around and then concentrated on the area I assumed the Keep was in, but I wasn't entirely sure. I could take the path around to the other side of the crater, but that would take extra time that I didn't want to waste.

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"Do either of you know the direction that the Keep is in?

" I asked the girls and then explained myself when Lizy looked up at me with a strained look.

"I don't normally go this way, and I used the smoke that was coming from the Fire Lake as a marker when I was coming over here. The problem was I had to go deal with something, and I was thrown off course.

"

n

"I think that you just have to keep going this way, and you will get there,

" Keri said as she pointed in the general direction that I had assumed, but I frowned at this.

nI had remembered that the smoke from the Fire Lake was off to the left from the Keep. That was the direction I was pointed in, so that seemed a reasonable assumption.

nThe issue was that I would have to run a couple of miles before I got there, and I wouldn't be able to see the Keep until I was almost next to it. The trees in the forest were very tall and hard to see through even when I was big.

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"I think that you should just go back down there and let me eat all those women! You know what they were coming to do, right?

" Lizy told me but then cried out as I pinched her ass roughly,

"OwO!

"

n

"Don't be like that. None of the women were going to hurt you; they just wanted to make sure that I was taking you and not leaving you here to eat more of them,

" I explained and started to run, but Lizy just crossed her arms, looking slightly embarrassed from my pinch.

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"Things will be different for you now! Stop complaining about everything, and just enjoy the fact that you are not dead right now! That was what was going to happen, you know!

" Keri told Lizy as I jogged into actual green trees.

nI could feel the temperature finally drop to a reasonable degree, but it didn't really matter to me, but I still noticed those things. The Water Sphinx Totem always made me more aware of my surroundings, but I still had a bit of trouble controlling it.

nLidy. She was filling my mind right now, and I was trying to figure out what I would say to her or what she might say to me.

nI barely noticed when the trees turned to the giant jungle leaf tree with the hanging vines. That was because they went straight into the typical forest that I was used to entering, and I assumed I was close.

n

nI am, but what do you think that In should do about Lidy? I mean, I can't have her keep on doing this all the time, and I would have thought that her being my assistant would have prevented her from doing that, right?

n

nMaking Lidy part of my System doesn't sound like a bad idea at all, considering how I feel about her. I probably should have done this in the first place, which would have prevented all of this.

n

nUgh, if I just would have waited, but how was I supposed to stop the girls when they were on top of me?

n

nYou are right, and I will work on it.

n

nHuh?

nI slowed and then looked around, but I didn't recognize the trees that were around me. I was standing in sand-like dirt, and there were palm trees all around me.

n

"Hey, umm, do you guys know where we are?

" I asked but knew I wasn't going to get a helpful answer before I finished speaking.

n

"Yes, lost,

" Lizy said, and I resisted pinching her ass.

nI didn't want to take all the fight out of Lizy, but I didn't really need the smart-ass comments right now.

n

"I think we are close to the village, but the one south of Mex's Keep. If we keep going, we will get to it, and then we can take the road back, but I don't know anything about the village. There was a Hero before you that came and messed around with some of the Gog Girls. One of the girls stole a map from him, so I know where some of the things are on the island, but not much,

" Keri explained, but then Lizy started to laugh in my arms.

n

"You mean that children's drawing that you all have framed in your main hall? OwO!

" Lizy sneered at Keri, but then my pinch made her cry out and then go silent.

n

"Enough with the constant attitude, or I will be putting you over my knee for the next lesson I need to teach you, understand?

" I asked Lizy with a menacing look that took the sassy look off her face, and then I turned up to Keri,

"Thank you.

"

nNow it was time to get moving forward and get back home, or that was my plan.

n