## Chapter sixteen, a pet, a flying mounted pet!

“So a QueenaFant chose you?” Olof asked.

“Yes it seems so, I have one talking in my head now,” I said as I heard,

“hello? Who are you? Why don’t you have wings? Can I have a snack?”

“It wants a snack, what do I feed her? And most importantly can I put her in my [Inventory]?” I asked Olof.

“You can put her in your [Inventory] but only after you win her trust, my suggestion is to take a long trip, and get to know her. It takes time before she trusts you enough to let you ride and fly you, so that’s the first step. She will eat anything you eat and most likely drink anything you drink. When she trusts you enough that you can put her in [Inventory] It’s good to know that she needs food but not in the same amount as when she’s out and about. Another good thing to know is that if she’s hurt, the [Inventory] will heal her up.”

“Thank you, those are good tips,” I said, and Olof helped me to get her out. I was already thinking I needed to name her, I couldn't just call her QueenaFant. When all three of us were out of the stable, Olof showed us the way to the bridge to get off the Island that was Fantsiland. The QueenaFant moved along me and seemed at the moment quite satisfied, Olof had given her a snack that they had at hand in the stable. After a quick discussion, I now was the owner of 100 QueenaFant snacks,called Barbers, apparently it was some kind of high energy bar that filled all its dietary needs. So good to have on hand. Only cost me 500 gold, I have no idea if that was a good deal or if I got skinned. But it would probably be hard to get more so I thought it was worth it. Thinking about it I asked Olof, “Hey Olof, when I run out of snacks, is there any chance I can get more of those?”

“No,” Olof said with finality.

“I can’t send a mental message to you and you guys deliver to some place. I’ve never sent or received a mental message, I’d thought about sending Rondellen one but never seemed to have the time for it.

“You don’t understand the meaning of NO?”

I left it, didn’t answer him, and just continued walking towards the bridge. And it was kind of strange, we walked on a road made of stones. I didn’t really know why the KingaFants put energy and resources into roads as they didn’t walk, just floated in the air. But it was probably because of a good reason, maybe as easy as they needed a way to follow. And they were a rich nation. The walk to the bridge was along a crowded part of the island, there were KingaFants in richly embroidered clothes everywhere, there were stalls selling all kinds of goods. If I hadn’t seen all the disapproving looks from everyone and felt how no one wanted me here I’d stop and browse the wares they were peddling. But I did look, there were things I had never seen before mixed with everyday things like clothes, KingaFants, and food stalls. The smell coming from them reminded me that I hadn’t eaten in a while. So I asked Yoerus, “the food they sell here is it suitable for humans?”

“Yes, it’s quite nice, but if you hadn’t noticed they just want you off the island by now.”

“Haha, yes it’s hard not to notice. But it would be nice to get something different than cold rations in my belly for a change. Maybe if I asked Olof?”

“You could try, but the answer to everything you ask will probably be no, if it’s not a question about how to reach the bridge.”

“They want me of the Fantsiland that much you mean?”

“Yes, you are the first human here in over a hundred years. And they really don’t like outsiders.”

During our chat, we had passed most of the stalls and the crowd had started to thin out as well. You could see the bridge quite clearly by now also. My stomach was rumbling by now, and I felt the food stalls were an opportunity that I’d never be able to eat from again. Ah fuck it, what could they do? Throw me off the island? I turned and started to walk rather quickly and with a clear purpose back to the food stalls while issuing a command to the QueenaFant to wait for me. The response was instantaneous,

“I’ll stay here, but then you need to get me some food too.” Which I promised I’d do.

By the time I reached the first food stall, Olof had just noticed that I had turned around and was shouting and running towards me.

“Hey, can I have 2 portions of that,” I pointed to something that looked like some kind of meat on sticks. “I’m in a hurry, so instead of arguing about money, say your name and I’ll give you 100 gold.” I know I’m probably rude, but felt that the time I had was until Olof had reached me. After that he would force me off the island in no pleasant way. The KingaFant on the other side of the stall looked at me with both fear and contempt in his eyes, how that was even possible. But he obliged me anyway. So 2 portions of food richer and 100 gold poorer, I turned just as Olof reached me. “I just had to try your food, but I know there is a rush to get me out of Fantsiland, so I’ll eat it when I’m over the bridge okay?”

Olof didn’t say anything just pointed towards the bridge and this time he floated behind me. The point was clear, no mere deviations from the road. His patience was reaching its end. So I turned up the speed and walked at a brisk pace all the way to the bridge. We reached the bridge, just as the weather had been nice, with sun and no clouds turned for the worse, on the other side of the bridge there were dark clouds and it looked like it would start to rain any second. Which in itself was both interesting and bad, since I arrived on PAERD, there hadn’t been any other weather than sun and warm winds.

“Did you get food for me? FOOD?!”

“Yes I did, but you will have to wait until we have passed the bridge, then we will camp and eat and rest.” I didn’t get any response from the QueenaFant, which probably meant that her silence was acceptance.

“I will turn back here, good luck young Green Raven, and take good care of your QeenaFant and she will do likewise. A tip is not to linger on the bridge but go straight over it. Stopping or going over slowly, might alert the creatures living under the bridge.” Olof said and gave me a pat on my shoulder, turned and started back to the city.

“Now it’s only us left, you heard the man, let's go with a brisk pace over the bridge.” The bridge was really two bridges, both were old drawbridges one from each side, made of wood and stone, that was lowered when we came closer to it, and was now open for travel. The KingaFants meat business when it came to security. Although I didn't really see the reason for them to have a bridge at all, since they could just fly over the water. Or maybe they couldn’t? Maybe they were only able to float or fly over ground, not water? Either way I was happy for the bridges, which made it easier for me to leave their country on an island. The trip over the bridges was thankfully eventles, even if the bridges were easily 500 meter, it didn’t take that long to pass them. “Yoerus, can you find a good place to camp?”

“Yes, just follow the signs on your map.”

I realized that once again he was a step ahead of me, I had just ignored the map when we were in Fantsiland, I would not do that anymore. The way to the campsite that Yoerus had picked was not that far, we made it there in half an hour, but that didn’t stop Petra from harassing me about food. Yeah, I decided to name the QueenaFant Petra. And one thing I learned is that it’s kind of hard to ignore someone that’s in your brain shouting FOOD, FOOD, food! But I did it. I found out that if I sang a song in my head it canceled out her voice. Yes, I know, not that mature but I was tired and hungry too. Just wanted to reach the campsite and settle down. The place Yoerus had chosen was easy to defend up on a small hill. As soon as we reached it, I pulled out my tent, sleeping bag, made a small fire and took out the food I bought in Fantsiland. Got a small tree uprooted thanks to [Telekinesis] and with my ax I made it into a rough log to sit on. Brought out a second sleeping bag for Petra to lay on and gave her her portion of the food.

“Thank you Green Raven, I’m starving”

“Your welcome Petra”

“Petra? Who is Petra? My name is Jojo,” the QueenaFant said. Oops, I thought I was the one that should name it.

“Sorry Jojo, I wasn’t aware that Jojo was your name. I will call you Jojo from now on.”

“Haha” Was all I heard from Yoerus, while I chose to not comment on it.

During dinner I tried to speak some more to Jojo, to no avail, she was not that easy to speak with. She just focused on her food and then lay down on the sleeping bag and went to sleep. I asked Yoerus to keep a lookout and went to sleep as well. Sleep didn’t come easy, this was the first night in a long time that I didn’t pass out from leveling up, but getting to sleep the regular way. And boy did my thoughts hinder me there, started thinking about my mother, my friends and everyone else I knew back on earth. Even if time had stopped somehow according to Userus, so they wouldn’t miss me, time passed for me, and I missed them. I started to think if I would meet up with my mates in-game, they as Shadow Warriors and I as a, yeah, what was I? A human? Or something else? Somewhere in that mix of thoughts I must have fallen asleep because when I woke up all the clouds that covered the sky last night had moved off and the sun shone straight into the tent and my eyes. Not a bad way to wake up, better than getting screamed awakened by Yoerus the previous night I was camping. When I got out of the tent, got it and my sleeping bag back into my [Inventory] Jojo were nowhere to be seen. I was just about to ask Yoerus if he knew where she were when she landed right in front of me.

“Ah, you are awake Green Raven, I was out looking around, also found some food for myself. So I’m ready to move on when you are.”

“Great, let me just have a quick breakfast and something to drink, and we can start our day.” I had, once again, some cold rations, the food from yesterday was but a memory now. Also drank a lot of Canfee. Since sleep had been short and not that good, I needed a little pick me up, and Canfee hit the spot perfectly. When we started walking along the way Yoerus had mapped out on my map, or I walked, Jojo floated beside me just like the KingaFants did when they moved about. I started to think how I would get Jojo to allow me to ride on here, It was both with trepidation and excitement that I looked forward to being able to ride on her. I didn’t want to force anything, so I didn’t mention it, while the day passed. We reached a small river that I swam over and Jojo just flew over, after the river we came into yet another forest. I just followed the signs on the map Yoerus set out, I was somewhere else in my mind, thinking about earth and my loved ones again. And Jojo was not saying anything either, we were just traveling and it could probably have continued that way until it was time for camping for the night, if it wasn’t for five Wood Wolfs that suddenly crossed our path. This time I wasn’t a level 4 newbie anymore, but sadly they were not level two either.

“Green Raven, they are level 25” Yoerus said before I had the time to [Inspect] them.

“Jojo, get out of their way, so you don’t get hurt” I said tersely and brandished my sword, this is when she surprised me.

“Green Raven jump on, let's take to the sky” I of course did as she said, and jumped on her back. We left the five Wood Wolfs, confused, their prey had just vanished from sight for them. Flying with Jojo was simply put, amazing, fucking amazing! I have no other word for it. After I jumped on, we soared towards the clouds and flew aimlessly for awhile until I asked Yoerus, “Can you communicate with Jojo?”

“Yes, I can communicate with all your pets.”

“Great, can you share the map with her too?”

The answer came in the direction we suddenly were heading, allong the course Yoerus had set this morning. “Thank you, and by the way, where are we going?”

“Now you wanna know?

“Yes, I know, I’ve been a bit off today, been in my own mind for a spell. But I’m back now, and I’m flying!”

“Jojo, this is awesome, can I fly with you anytime I like now, or is this a one off since we met hostilities?

“This is the new common, when you want to ride just let me know.”

“That is great! Thank you Jojo.” I said as I was thinking that the first hurdle was over, now I only needed to get her to trust me so I could put her away in my [Inventory] when the need arises. “So Yoerus, where are we going?”

“Towards a village that has been invaded by dark forces. Your mission is to quell evil and save the people living there.”

“Oh, okay, so now there is no more playing around, is this the real thing? What kind of defense are we looking at?”

“That is not clear at this moment, but we will set down outside the village and then more will be clear.”

“Yes sir.” I said with no irony in my voice, now was the time for play over, I needed to sharpen up and do this! I was starting to think of ways to use my skills in the best way possible to take out evil. Or who was I kidding, I would probably have to kill people, that was terrifying, up til now I had only had to kill off monsters and more monsters. No people or fellow humans at all. Would I be able to do this? I thought that everything would lead towards something like this when I chose to be indentured instead of going back to the cleaning closet and sure death, but after meeting Rondellen and then Ragnhild, Eonde and the others that thought had kind of been forgotten. But now it was back in full force. According to the map we would set down any second, I could see the village over the next hill, Ersboda. Jojo started to fly slower and slower and we landed on a small hill just outside of the village. “Yoerus, are we safe out here? Can we camp for the night and go into the village tomorrow?

“You decide, but if you ask me I’d say we settle down here and wait for the night, and then we move in.”