{"sf1_id":2112021,"sf2_id":"Vm2zElgm","title":"JIH Chapter 7: In Deep","author":"Dextrose Overdose","words":3427,"posted_at":"2024-03-06T06:20:04.000Z","tags":["Adventure","Alien","Bug","Death","Eel","Fantasy","Female","Griffin","Human","Insect","Isekai","Magic","Male","Monster","Mountain","Sword","Trouble","kaiju","poo"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2112021-jih-chapter-7-in-deep","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/Vm2zElgm","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/0c/b4/0cb48263-ac17-4116-91c5-51a12a8c1e88","description":"Jack, an unassuming holiday traveler, continues to deal with very big problems.","content":"Zoe took the loss of Rockie rather hard considering how blase she had been about my eventual demise.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Since the situation I found myself in made said demise a high possibility, I wasn't in a mourning mood about an overgrown bug.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;However, Zoe would not be consoled.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;She blubbered and wept until I had to put her in her sheath, only to continue when I pulled her back out.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\n\"S-she was s-so full of life!\" my sword bawled.\n\n \n\n\"Zoe!\" I hissed.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;She was making far too much noise for my liking.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\n\"She h-had so much to l-live for!\"\n\n \n\nI shook her vigorously. \"Hey!\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Hey!\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Zoe!\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nShe made a horrendous squeal and wailed: \"Why did it have t-to be herrr?\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\n\"Will you calm down?\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\n\"What's th-the point of i-it all?\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\n\"Rockie is fine!\" I shouted.\n\n \n\nHer crying ceased.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\"W... what?\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\n\"Yeah, I forgot to tell you.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Uh, when you were in the sheath she dug her way out and climbed up the mountain.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Which ignored the faint crunching that could still be heard under the ground.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\n\"Really?\"\n\n \n\n\"Yes, really.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;She went home and she's just fine.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Presumably free to pursue a life of religious fulfillment.\n\n \n\n\"Sh... she's okay?\"\n\n \n\n\"Yep.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;She's doing great.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nZoe sniffled.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\"And you didn't let me say goodbyeeeee?\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;With that she started up again.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nUgh!\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;How did I find myself standing in a tentacle minefield trying to calm a sword that wouldn't get over the loss of her pet rock?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Not sure how she managed to gain such affection for the bug anyway.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;It's not like Rockie ever beat her off.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The next time she wants to name something I'm telling her no.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I put her back into her sheath to deal with more pressing matters.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nWhen the subterranean octopus had taken Rockie I had been momentarily frozen in confusion and shock.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;When that wore off I fought my initial instinct to flee.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Partly because that was the opposite direction that I wanted to go, and partly because if I did start running in blind terror I might happen across another one of them that wasn't currently engaged in eating.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;This might be the only one on the side of the mountain, or there might be thousands of them and I've been lucky not to walk over a hungry one yet.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The broken ground in front of me was a circular indentation about the same footprint as a modest house, and I guessed that would correspond to how large the creature underground was.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I glanced around and noticed another circle not far away with a smooth and unbroken surface, although much larger.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;There was a smaller one in the other direction.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The circles were clear of rocks, boulders and shrubbery.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nOkay.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I could do this.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nI worked my way around the ground-topus' position, hoping the circle was an indication of its reach.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;It seemed solid reasoning to me that if I stayed away from the circles I should be fine. I simply had to keep my head up and plan my path. Any suspiciously open arias should be avoided.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nThe perfectly clear sky was starting to develop clouds from the changing temperature.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The clouds sporadically passed in front of the black sun and the rave party would fade momentarily before returning to full luster.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;It was still hot, but more like a summer's day back home instead of the Death Valley range it had been.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The intense need to get out of the sun wasn't pressing on me anymore so I could take my time and find my way.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nI continued for a while without any issues, although circumventing the easy places to walk was slowing me down. The rocky ground was giving way to spongy mounds covered with knee-deep masses of some type of orange moss or lichen plant, and I found myself walking through increasingly thickening foliage and fighting thorns that I hoped weren't poisonous.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The skylickers were getting fewer in number, but the ones that were there were older and taller, more like trees than bushes.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The edge of the jungle proper towered before me like a cliff face.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The height tricking my mind to keep thinking I was nearly there, but it just kept getting taller and not get closer.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The trees along the edge stood like skyscrapers in stark contrast to all the struggling and stunted growth of what was on the mountain.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The ground-topus impressions were becoming fewer, perhaps they preferred to inhabit areas where there was less root structure.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Still, I kept an eye out for more.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Stepping into the last one is likely just as dangerous as stepping in the first.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Flying creatures were becoming prevalent as I neared the jungle.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Many translucent ribbons—some type of airborne worm several feet long—fluttered above me, their flattened internal organs glowing multiple shifting colors.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;They appeared to stay aloft in much the same way as a kite does, catching the air to give them lift.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;A long filament of webbing glistened below them, attached to a bush or rock to anchor them in place.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;A four-legged bird landed in the high branches of a skylicker, causing it to withdraw all its leaves.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The \"bird\" looked like a cross between a house cat and a raptor with orange and yellow wings.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;There was a glint of a tracker blinking in the center of its chest.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Substantial owl-like eyes glared at me for a moment before the mini-griffon swooped to the ground and snatched up a small boulder bug.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;It carried it high into the air before dropping it to the rocks below, circling down to feast on the kill.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Several small, purple and green lizard creatures with a thin beak and four wings flit between clumps of cover, feeding on large berries that grew there.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Never landing, only hovering with wings that beat the air like a hummingbird and poking the berries with needle-thin beaks.\n\n \n\nI was drawn to the berries, stopping for a moment to examine them.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The bush they grew on had fine, yellow hairs instead of leaves.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;It had long, straight thorns and a blue-speckled bark.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The berries were finger-length blue banana shapes that grew in clumps.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I grabbed one and it pulled free easily.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The berry had a firm skin with a waxy feel to it.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nWas it edible?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The wildlife was feeding on them, so... maybe?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;It at least looked like it could be a tasty fruit.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I broke it in half and dark juice oozed out.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;It smelled okay and I hadn't eaten anything since before my flight so I was getting hungry.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I took a tentative taste test, licking the pulp.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;It was mild, a flavor reminiscent of a melon mixed with sweet peppers. It was the closest thing to food I had seen thus far that I didn't have to beat to death with a rock.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Eventually I'd have to eat something and the fruit was possibly that something. I pulled out my empty water bottle and found they fit neatly through the mouth.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I stuffed it full of ones that didn't look like they had been poked, capped it off and put back in the bag.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I bit one of the berries in half and chewed on it.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;If one didn't make me feel ill maybe later I'll eat the rest of them.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nOne of the humminglizards buzzed in.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;It took no notice of me, only went about its business.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Likely not recognizing me as a possible threat.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The unusual little reptile had two small legs and a tail that it held up in a curled position that looped several times.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;It poked one of the berries and probed at the pulp of the fruit.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Withdrew and poked the same berry again, this time finding what it wanted.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Something small and green was removed that was gulped down in a flash.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I squeezed the berry I was holding and the pulp oozed out.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Inside several green larva wriggled.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I retched and spit, tossing the the berry away.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nI wasn't that hungry yet.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nThere was a sudden change in the wind.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;It startled the humminglizards and they scattered in panic.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The kiteworms dropped out of the sky and squirmed around in search of hiding places.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;A shadow fell over me and I expected to find the robot box hovering above, coming back to torment me again.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;What I saw was much, much, MUCH larger.\n\n \n\nGliding over the plankton glittered sky was a long, slender eel monstrosity that had a multitude of short, finned wings sprouting from its sides. It had a long and narrow head that tapered down to an upturned nose.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Positioned at the rear of the head were huge, squid-like eyes.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The body was striped with purple, blue, and orange colors that shifted constantly as it slithered through the clouds at the mountain's peak.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;It moved in slow, rolling waves of its narrow body, trailing a feathery fan of a tail that pushed it along lazily.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Rows of bulbous, glowing sacks pulsated along it's body like breathing blisters.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The flying eel (Snake? Dragon?) was gargantuan beyond my ability to grasp.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The only thing I knew for sure was that anything of that enormity had no reasonable right to be alive, much less be able to fly.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The creature banked and rolled its body around, turning its nose down the side of the mountain to descend.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Staying low to the mountain's face, it quickly picked up speed, kicking up a cloud of dust in its wake.\n\n \n\nIt was heading straight for me.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\n\"No, no, no, no...\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I stumbled backwards before turning to flee.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Could I make it to the safety of the thick jungle before it reached me?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;No way.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;No way in hell.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Certainly not while dragging the luggage.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I dropped it and kept going, aware of a steadily growing roar of rushing wind like a fleet of runaway freight trains.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The monster—as wide as a battleship and ten times as long—rocketed over, angling up to avoid crashing into the tall trees of the jungle.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The air it was displacing slammed into me, knocking me from my feet.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I tumbled on the ground as hurricane force swept over me, stinging my eyes and choking my lungs with the dust it carried.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The deafening sound of the creature continued to pass above, driving the wind to buffet me further.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I scrambled on all fours under a gnarled purple-barked tree and clung to its trunk, waiting out the storm.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Several curled up boulder bugs bounced by, as did my luggage.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;After almost a minute, the tail of the creature passed and disappeared over the forest.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The wind dropped down to a mere gale as the dust settled and left behind a hazed sky.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I hugged the trunk of the tree, coughing as I peeked up through branches that had most of their leaves stripped away.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nThat thing looked like something from a Toho film!\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Was it gone?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Please be gone.\n\n \n\nThe howl of wind rolled around and it sailed off the canopy far to my left, sweeping a cascade of branches from the tops of trees.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;One massive tree slowly leaned toward the mountain, the wind being too much for it to withstand.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;There was a rumbling crack of splitting wood as the top attempted to outrun the bottom, the middle of the trunk exploded into fragments as it crumbled like a tower, hitting the ground with enough force that I could feel it over a mile away.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nThe monster climbed up the mountain, circling around when it lost momentum and careening down far to my right before rushing over the jungle again.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Moments later it appeared on the left, sweeping around once more.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;What the hell was it doing?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nAround and around it went like a roller coaster, each time it passed it was a little closer to me.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The air violently changed directions in response to the beast's movement.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Above me the plankton was jumbled and chaotic as the wind buffeted it to and fro.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Eventually the creature had closed the distance around me so much that it's head circled all the way around to meet its tail, forming a giant eel ring.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Further and further it contracted until it looped around twice, trapping a high pillar of sparkling plankton in a whirlwind within the ring.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nThe momentum it had gathered from diving down the mountainside was starting to wane.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;As it slowed so too did the wind, and the pillar threatened to collapse.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The eel applied what little speed it had left to twist skyward, its head squirming up into the clouds until it stalled completely.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;For a moment a long corkscrew of an impossible dragon-eel shimmered in the black light, hanging motionless in the sky.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Then the creature started to descend again.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The head rolled over and unfolded like an inverted umbrella.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;A mouth large enough to swallow a baseball stadium enveloped the mass of billions of trapped plankton.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;As it plummeted toward me, the billowing, bottomless craw took up more and more of the sky until blocking it out entirely.\n\n \n\nSwallowed by Godzeela?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;That's how I die?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;That's unfair!\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Someone started to scream like a terrified little girl, and it took me a second to realize it was me.\n\n \n\nBefore it could impact the ground the massive mouth shut, pushing a powerful gust downward.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;It was like getting hit by a bomb. The wind blasted up dust and shattered limbs off the tree I was under.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I lost my grip and was thrown from the tree.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I tumbled and landed on something thankfully soft, blinded, choking and disorientated by the concussion.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I struggled to pull my shirt up to cover my mouth, gagging on dirt and likely a mouthful of plankton that the eel had missed.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nAnd then it was quiet.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nAs the dust-choked air started to settle I could make out the monster still hanging over me.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;It hovered in place, its long body coiled through the sky like a titan's tangled garden hose. The bulbous sacks on the sides of its body continuously altered size, apparently inflating and deflating so the creature could maintain its altitude.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;It was taking great efforts to align its mouth, which was bulged out at the throat like a frog.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Wisps of glitter would manage to escape periodically, but most was getting swallowed.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;The body behind the head expanded as a mass of doomed plankton, and anything else that happened to get caught, was pushed down the gullet.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\n\"This is crazy,\" I muttered and spit sand and dirt from my mouth.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I lay for a while watching the monster and taking a moment to catch my breath while trying to take stock of any injuries.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I was hurting, but I didn't feel like anything was broken. I reached for my side to find that Zoe was still snugly in her sheath.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\n\"—never see her again!\" she cried as I drew her out.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\"Rockie!\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Wher—\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Her crying abruptly ceased.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\"Ooh!\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;A great big sky noodle!\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;And with that Rockie was forgotten.\n\n \n\n\"Yeah it's very big,\" I agreed.\n\n \n\n\"Is it dangerous?\"\n\n \n\nI glanced around at the damaged trees and broken skylicker shells around me.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\"That's a definite possibility.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\n\"She's really pretty.\"\n\n \n\nI squinted at the flying eel.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\"That's a female too?\"\n\n \n\n\"Can't you tell?\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nI looked down the creature's twisted length and eventually noticed a vent toward the tail directly above me.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;That didn't mean anything to me.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Reptiles all have their genitalia hidden inside, so how am I supposed to know the difference?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;In fact, they use the same hole for all their basic functions; mating, egg laying, and...\n\n \n\nWait a minute...\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nA healthy crop of orange lichen stuff stood all around me, underneath the soft soil had an odor and warmth to it like a mound of composting manure.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;What happens after an animal eats?\n\n \n\n\"We have to get out of here.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I quickly got to my feet, ignoring any pains in my body.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I started to run down the mountain without worrying about the ground-topus' anymore.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I stopped briefly to collect my baggage that had blown by, finding that one of the wheels had been destroyed.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I dragged it as quickly as I could.\n\n \n\n\"Master, what's the rush?\"\n\n \n\n\"We're in that thing's litter-box,\" I panted.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\n\"What's a lid-or-box?\"\n\n \n\n\"Someplace we don't want to be.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nMy escape was blocked as I ran into the first of many of the massive tree trunks that at one time stood at the edge of the jungle.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Perhaps several centuries earlier it had dropped onto the mountain's foot to slowly start to decay into the ground.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Even after so much decomposition it was higher than a two story house. The tree had fallen sideways and blocked my way in both directions for quite a distance, effectively creating a wall.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;In its shade there were a multitude of giant, red spotted mushrooms growing out of it, some of them as big as a sedan.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Many blue-barked bushes had taken root in the rotting trunk and sprouted from it above me.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\n\"What now?\" Zoe asked.\n\n \n\nI looked over the situation.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I wasn't directly under the eel anymore, so that was something, but I still wanted to get as far away as I could.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;If I could reach the lowest bushes I could use them as handholds and climb the rest of the way up.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\n\"I'm going to have to put you away for a bit.\"\n\n \n\n\"Okay, Master.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nI opened the baggage and pulled out my spare belt.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Lashing it through the luggage's handle and knotting the other end to the broken wheel, I created a crude shoulder-strap, then put my arm and head through it to position the bag on my back.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I tested one of the mushrooms to see if it would support my weight. They were springy, like a mattress, but appeared to be sturdy enough.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I clamored up on a low one and stood up.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Gauging the distance to the higher one next to it, I jumped over.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;It flexed, but rebounded.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I nearly lost my balance, but managed not to fall off.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\n\"Just like Mario,\" I muttered to myself.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nThree more careful jumps and I was almost high enough to reach one of the bushes, but I had run out of mushrooms.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I put my hand on the fallen tree's surface.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;It was soft and coated with purple moss.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;There was nothing to hold onto that didn't simply squish through my fingers and peel away.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I pulled Zoe out and reached up with her blade to try and hook one of the branches.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;After some effort I managed to grab one, but it was too thin and broke off.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\n\"So close!\" Zoe hummed.\n\n \n\nI frowned.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\"I suppose I have to look for a better place to get past this.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;From the vantage point I could see that the tree was one of thousands that had fallen, which created a tangled barrier across the mountain's base.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Likely there were gaps and low spots in it, but I'd have to search for them.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nThere was a deep, rumbling groan that shook the air.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;High above Godzeela shuddered and her body squirmed.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\n\"Is she sick?\" Zoe asked.\n\n \n\n\"I don't—\"\n\n \n\nThen the floodgates opened.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;A long stream of pale green fluid dumped out from the monster's vent, and a massive waterfall of sewage slammed down onto the mountainside with a roar.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\n\"Oh, poor thing.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;She is sick.\"\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nThe creature's health was not of concern to me.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;What did have my attention was the giant \"mudslide\" that was rushing down the slope, knocking over small trees and carrying everything in its wake.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Finding another way over the obstacle was no longer an option, I was about to get buried by an alien's diarrhea.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I reached up and jammed Zoe into the rotten trunk as high as I could, her blade sunk into the decaying material easily.\n\n \n\n\"Ow, ow, ow!\" her muffled voice cried as I hoisted myself up by her hilt.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I never could do a lot of chin-ups, certainly not when I was tired, sore, and had baggage weighing me down, but I never had this much motivation before either.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I got my chin over her grip, using it to help keep myself in place I managed to grab the base of a bush.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I withdrew and stabbed her in higher.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;My feet kicked at the slippery tree, trying to give me as much help as they could as I climbed up.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Once I reached the first shrub the going got easier.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Using the foliage and Zoe I managed to scramble up, the whole time the rush of liquid growing louder.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I reached the top and my feet sank into the rotten wood, staggering me.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I turned just in time to witness a wave of excrement crash into the tree and heave up against the dam it created.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Everything below me shifted and I lost my balance.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I tumbled off the opposite side of the tree, managing to smash into every single bush on my way down and Zoe was flung from my grasp.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Before I hit the ground I landed on a huge mushroom, shattering it to pieces as it broke my fall.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\n\n \n\nShocked I was still alive, I gasped for breath.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;Through dazed eyes I saw a surge of fecal matter wash over the top of the decayed trunk and realized there wasn't anything I could do to avoid it.\n\n \n\n\"Aw, fu—\" I managed just before the wave of hot goop did what this world has been doing to me at every opportunity since I arrived.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;I was learning to hate Xog as much as it seemed to hate me.","series":{"name":"Jack's Incidental Holiday","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2111630-jih-chapter-6-bask-in-the-glow.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/2112256-jih-chapter-8-point-the-way.json"}}