Book 3: Chapter 54: Bear Hug


    High in the mountains to the northwest, a lone alchemist was trapped in his thoughts. If he had a friend present, perhaps they could have helped him challenge his internal narrative and break out of the downward spiral he was currently engaged in.


    s, Solomon was alone.


    The echo of a long-departed god had destroyed his ce of power, obliterating the means with which he was going to achieve ascension. Worse, the lightning-covered boulder had clearly been sent by a remnant fragment of Zeus.<em></em>Of all the possible gods to attempt to strike him down, it just had to be the god of the sky.


    Solomon looked upward, narrowing his eyes at the clouds above. More echoes could be up there this very moment, watching and waiting for the perfect time to strike. Solomon stared for a long while, part of his brain suspecting that another attempt woulde the moment he looked away.


    When nothing came, he let out a slow sigh, trying to calm his whirling mind. He was sitting on a wooden stool of his own design, having worked to rebuild the equipment that the falling meteor had destroyed. It’d taken him some time, but he’d managed to rece everything—well, the physicalponents, anyway. He’d not yet collected any more of the herbs and nts he would need to ascend.


    If he was being honest with himself, he wasn’t sure if he’d bother.


    A shaking hand drifted to the pouch around his neck, and without thinking about it, he opened the drawstring to peer inside. The powdered bark of the blue tree was there, hisst sample of the most-important ingredient. He stared at it as he considered his options.


    Though they were obvious, each possibility seemed untenable.


    He could continue on with his n, forging a new future for himself as the alchemist of prophecy. He gritted his teeth, acknowledging that it wasn’t so simple. Trying to do so could lead to another attack, one he might not survive this time. The other choice was to abandon his dream, to walk away from this ce and never again aim for the heavens. He was close to ascension, so his body held more vigor than it had in years, but who could say how long that wouldst? He could pass in his sleep one night not long from now, a gnat in the cosmos that never amounted to anything.The idea of being nothing, of not ascending to the heavens aftering so close to godhood, made fury build within him. Yet it did nothing to still his trembling hands.


    Clenching his fist, Solomon stood, wanting to take his anger out on something. He was partial to shattering vials during fits of rage, but he was without equipment, forced high into the mountains to flee a fledgling cultivator back in Tropica. Left with nothing else to destroy, he grabbed his stool and raised it high above his head. Just as he gathered his strength and prepared to m it into the trunk of a tree, a shift in the surrounding air brought him up short.


    It was as though something passed through him, its overwhelming potential screaming out to him.


    In a fraction of a moment, the sensation passed, traveling down into the earth beneath his feet. He tracked it as long as he could, eventually losing all sense of it as the phenomenon moved far below.


    Solomon stoodpletely still, not even daring to breathe in the face of such power. When something ttered to the ground immediately behind him, he flew forward, instinctively moving for the door of his wooden hut. He peered over his shoulder as he went, and when he saw the source of the noise, he skidded to a stop, finally exhaling. A softugh escaped his throat, relief soothing his prickling skin.


    It was the stool. He hadn’t even felt himself dropping it.


    Solomon had gone his entire life without hearing a peep from the gods prior to the meteor clearly sent by Zeus. And now, a second echo had called out.


    His heart fluttered as he jumped to the most obvious conclusion: the remnant power of another god must have felt his plights. Rather than smack him down or attack him, it had sent a sign.


    <em>It had urged him on.</em>


    Solomon’s blood pulsed, and his skin prickled once more, this time for an entirely different reason. He threw his head back andughed, unable to believe his luck. Even if Zeus attacked again, Solomon now had the echo of another god watching his back, one that wanted him to reach for the heavens.


    The next moment, Solomon took off, dashing for the forest.


    He had ingredients to collect.


    ***


    As I slowly settled back into my body, physical sensation returned. When I felt something tickling my cheeks, I wiped my face, my handsing away wet. Though I was anything but sad following the rapturous experience in the sky, I found myself unable to halt the tears. I heard a whimper from my left, and a secondter a form crashed into me, one I couldn’t mistake.


    Maria, her chest heaving with sobs and her own tear-streaked face pressing against my chest, hugged me tight. In swift session, a series of animals mmed into us. Snips, ws, and Cinnamon were first, all three nuzzling in as close as they could get. Pelly and Bill came next, looping their magnificent necks over Maria’s back. When Borks arrived, he transformed into a chihuahua and forced his way under Maria’s arm, whimpering and hitting my chin with rapid-fire licks. Even Pistachio joined in,ying his overge antennae across my legs. Myriad roots shot from the ground around us, and before my still-swimming eyes, I watched countless flowers bloom from them, Lemon reassuring us in her own way.


    Suddenly, something blocked out the sun. I blinked fresh tears away and gazed up, finding the source of the shade.


    Teddy was standing above us, great rivulets of liquid running down his face to pool around his nose. Bumblebro, Queen Bee, and the rest of the Buzzy Boys were on his head, all peering down at us, even theirpound eyes somehow leaking. Teddy leaned down, then paused, averting his gaze as he let out a soft, questioning growl.


    “Of course you can join the cuddle puddle, you big goof.” I sniffed and let out a half-heartedugh. “Get down here.”


    He let out a great huff and flopped down on top of us, wrapping everyone up. Because of our experience in the sky only moments ago, he knew exactly how much pressure our bodies could take. He squeezed us tight, giving us a literal bear hug. The bees buzzed the entire time, their wings emitting aforting tone that somehow made my core feel warm. I closed my eyes, enjoying the embrace.


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    Both figuratively and literally surrounded by love, my thoughts drifted toward the connecting mesh that had sunk deep into the ground beneath me. Though filled with potential, whatever power it would one daye to yield remained entirely unfulfilled. It had called out for something, and with our minds still linked, everyone present had known that we didn’t have what it wanted. But now that I was alone with my thoughts, I had an idea, one that I dove intopletely.


    As future ns unfurled in my mind, I lost track of time.


    What could have been seconds or minutester, a rhythmic beating drew my attention. Maria’s heart had been racing when she first mmed into me, but the longer we embraced, the slower her pulse became. Content with the extent of my nning, I focused on my body and all of my surroundingpanions.


    It was both a long timeter and all too soon when I patted Teddy on the side. “Okay, big guy. Let’s get up.”


    There was no response, and as I paid closer attention to him, incredulity washed over me. “Are you serious, Teddy?”


    “What is it?” Maria askedzily.


    “He’s fallen asleep!”


    Teddy let out a loud snore in response, even our loud conversation not enough to wake him.


    “What a shame,” Maria said, squeezing me tighter and pressing the side of her face into my chest. “Guess we’ll just have to stay here forever.”


    A muffled chirp of agreement came from somewhere to my side, apanied by some happy bubbles popping against my torso.


    “Girls,” I said, “I’m enjoying myself as much as you are, but if we stay here all day, I can’t exin the adventure I’ve just thought of...”


    There was a moment of silence, everyone goingpletely still as my words sunk into them. But that single, blessed glimpse of calmness was short-lived, because absolute hell broke loose almost immediately. Every creature tried to flee the pile, scrambling over one another to escape. Their aggressive exits were enough to wake Teddy, who woke with a start andunched himself skyward, letting out aical roar as he sailed up above the treetops.


    “Huh,” I said, sitting up and watching Teddy flip end over end, his roar taking on a confused tone when he realized he was in open air. “That’s something.”


    “Look at him go,” Maria added, craning her neck, her face unable to decide if she was impressed or amused.


    As he reached the apex of his flight, Pelly and Bill appeared at his sides, swooping in to grab an arm each. As he made his descent of shame, Teddy dipped his head in apology, appearing more embarrassed than I’d ever seen another being look.


    “My bad,” I called. “That one was on me.”


    He looked around as hended, his brow furrowing when he noticed none of the animals were looking at him, their attention locked on me. He cocked his head, trying to understand.


    “You fell asleep, mate, and no one wanted to get up. So I mentioned that I had a n for our next adventure.”


    Teddy cast aside his embarrassment and straightened, his ears perking up.


    I grinned in response, looking around at my alertpanions. “Here’s what I was thinking...”


    A half hourter, as we made our way back to New Tropica, I sighed and looked at ws, whose arms were crossed as she somehow raised her nose at me from the ground. “I’m sorry, ws,” I said. “We can’t all go.”


    She gave me a venomous dose of side-eye, not looking away. After a long moment, she snorted and raised her nose once more.


    Though Snips wasn’t so obvious with her dissatisfaction, her carapace dropped low, revealing how disappointed she was.


    “We won’t be gone long!” Maria tried.


    In response, Cinnamon hopped up beside ws and adopted the cross-armed posture. She raised her nose even higher than ws, her neck stretching further than I knew it could.


    <em>Hmph! </em>she squeaked


    <em>Hmph! </em>ws agreed, beginning apetition between the two for who could appear more disgruntled.


    Everyone else was more epting of the endeavor, Borks and Teddy because they were invited, and the rest because they weren’t as sassy. Knowing that trying tofort ws or Cinnamon might result in a lightning shock or a karate kick to the jaw, I scooped up Snips and cradled her in my arms.


    “We’ll be back before you know it.” I rubbed my chin on the top of her carapace. “I promise.”


    Despite her obvious disappointment, she leaned into me, letting mefort her.


    ws’s head swiveled our way, a dash of jealousy joining the annoyance in her eyes.


    Maria giggled. “Come here you, you goose.”


    ws’s jaw moved inaudibly, her desire for scritches warring with her indignation. Seeing an opportunity, Cinnamon pounced. She leaped from the spot, sailing for Maria’s outstretched arms before ws could reach a decision.


    It was, undoubtedly, a mistake.


    The poor bunny wasn’t even halfway there when lightning erupted. ws unleashed a battle cry as she rocketed across the ground faster than Cinnamon could hope to see. Kicking off the sand, ws mmed into Cinnamon, withdrawing her lightning chi at thest possible second.


    Rather than punt the bunny skyward, wstched onto her. In a jumble of limbs, fur, and blurred strikes, the two soared upward. I shook my head, and Maria sighed.


    “Seriously...” she said, rubbing the bridge of her nose.


    I justughed. “If they’re already willing to have a practice bout, maybe they’ll get over their exclusion rtively quickly...”


    Later that night, when I put my hand under my pillow, I was proven wrong.


    I groaned, slowly getting up.


    “What’s wrong?” Maria called from the shower.


    I lifted the pillow, frowning at what I’d touched. “There’s a pile of sand under my pillow.”


    There was a moment of silence as Maria turned the shower off, followed by a loud giggle that echoed off the bathroom tiles. “I guess ws is still bothered.”


    “When did she even find the time to put sand under my pillow?” I started scraping it into one hand.


    “She must have snuck off when we were talking to Barry.”


    “I could have sworn she was there the entire time...”


    Maria exited the bathroom, and I couldn’t help but stare, the sandpletely forgotten.


    She’d gotten into her pajamas, her visible skin glowing from the hot shower. Despite this, I could still see her face flush when she noticed me staring.


    “What?” she asked, twirling a wet strand of hair.


    “What do you mean, <em>what?</em> Have you seen yourself? How am I supposed to look anywhere else?”


    She tried to frown at me, but she couldn’tpletely hide her smile.


    “Come here,” I said, discarding the sand I’d been collecting. It scattered across the floor.


    She raised an eyebrow at me. “That’s very unhygienic, Fischer. Who knows where that sand has been—<em>oh!</em>”


    Her hair blew back from her face as I appeared in front of her and wrapped my hands around her waist.


    “I should really get going...” she said, her lips remaining parted as she stared up at me.


    “You should,” I agreed. “We’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow.”


    Her beautiful blue eyes reminded me of all the emotions I’d felt from her earlier. We had been joined as one only hours ago, able to see—toprehendpletely—the way we felt for one another. To some couples, such a bearing of souls would have been a death sentence for their rtionship.


    To us, it was anything but.


    We both leaned in, and as her velvet lips met mine, I stopped thinking about earlier.