It looks like I am going to have to bottle up my curiosity and not mess with the gate. I do check to see if there is a way to move the gate, but it seems to be built into the structure of the room. However, as I am investigating I notice that the tower above the altar is hollow.

From beneath I can look all the way up to see the very tip of the tower. Since it is used as a landmark chances are the entire tower never gets completely buried. Meaning it might be possible to come back later to have another look at the gate.

Once my mind is made up I quickly leave the temple and climb back up to ground level. Then I take my bearings using the tower as the landmark and take off. I need to deal with the lizard and return, then I can think about going back to play with the gate.

Although, convincing everyone to let me go through the gate without them isn't going to be easy. It is bigger than the teleport gates Yui has, so everyone could fit through it. Yet I don't want to expose them to unknown danger, especially since returning might be difficult.

As I arrive at the area of the lair I am still trying to think of ways to convince everyone. That is why I am too distracted to react when a huge tongue suddenly comes out of a sand dune and wraps around me. Before I even realize what is happening I find myself being pulled into a mouth and swallowed.

Luckily, I manage to snap out of it before I pass through into the stomach. Digging my claws into the flesh I manage to stop myself inside the beast's throat. I absolutely cannot ever let anyone know that I let a beast eat me!

There isn't enough room for me to draw Blitz so I start tearing with my claws. Then I turn to look down towards the stomach and cast Holy Shock. The lizard reacts to the damage and pukes me out, something else that can never be mentioned.

Instead of continuing to fight I immediately grab the cleaning stone out of my pouch and use it on myself. Then I turn to look at the beast that is about to die, it isn't a drake at all. In fact, it really is just an overgrown lizard, about the size of two school buses side by side.

My embarrassment at being eaten turns into anger and I rush at the lizard. Putting all of my anger into it I take a huge swing at the thing's neck, wanting to kill it in one blow. A wall of sand suddenly springs up, Blitz manages to cut through it but my swing is slowed down.

This gives the lizard just enough time to lean out of the way so that my strike misses. It would seem that this overgrown lizard has abilities similar to Lizzy, this won't be easy. Just as I step forward to swing again the sand beneath me erupts and throws me into the air.

I quickly spread my wings and stabilize myself then turn to glare at the lizard. Except, somehow, the giant overgrown lizard has disappeared, probably into the sand. As expected, a few seconds later it comes up from the sand directly beneath me.

However, since I was expecting it I am able to dodge to the side and slash at it with Blitz. This time I manage to get a good hit and leave a four foot gash in its side. The lizard drops back down to the ground and hisses at me before burrowing back into the sand.

This lizard is tricky and is starting to really piss me off, but killing it isn't as easy as I had hoped. Despite it being huge it moves quickly and it is cunning enough to use ambush tactics. That combined with its ability to control sand makes it a real pain to deal with.

So when it erupts out of a sand dune behind me I pretend not to notice. All I do is make sure my arms are high so that they are not pinned when the tongue wraps around me. As much as I hate to do it I let the overgrown lizard eat me again.

As soon as I am inside its mouth, before it can swallow me, I stab Blitz into the roof of its mouth. The entire mouth starts twitching as the lightning from Blitz hits the lizard's brain. Seeing that is effective I cast Holy Shock and channel it through Blitz straight into the brain.

1 Rank 10 Mana Beast defeated! 100,000 Exp gained!

The lizard drops to the ground and goes still, but I am still stuck in its mouth with the tongue wrapped around me. If anyone saw me right now I would never live it down, it makes me glad I came alone. Once I am sure it is dead I cut the tongue away and push its mouth open so I can climb out.

'Well, at least this ugly thing was decent exp!'

Then I set to skinning the thing and butchering it, I will give it all to the lizard tribe. The hide is decent, but I don't really want any reminders of the lizard. Besides, it is nowhere near as good as drake hide, so I don't really have any use for it.

Once I have dealt with the corpse I eat a meal as the sun goes down and the temperature drops. Then once I am done eating I start flying back towards the lizard tribe. It is much easier to fly while the sun is down and the temperature is lower.

I fly straight through the night and make good time, the cold doesn't bother me at all. At dawn I stop for a quick breakfast and then continue my trip, trying to get as far as I can before the heat hits. Once the heat becomes unbearable I head for an oasis to eat lunch in the shade.

After I finish eating I meditate for a while to avoid the worst of the heat. When the sun starts going down I get up and resume my flight to the lizard tribe. I manage to reach the canyon of the lizard tribe an hour or so before dinner time.

As I arrive all the members of the lizard tribe come out of their caves and start cheering. As I land I see relieved looks on the faces of my companions, it seems they were worried too. Myria looks happy to see me, but only for a minute before she remembers that she is mad at me.

Barcar says "Was your hunt successful, King Ash?"

"Of course! Everything went according to plan!"

Hearing that Myria gives me a suspicious look, but I ignore her and reach into my pouch. I present the head of the lizard to Barcar and then pile up all the hide and meat. Seeing the massive pile of meat, Barcar orders his people to prepare a feast.

Myria says "Do you really expect us to believe that a plan of yours went perfectly?!"

"Well, I did run into a sandstorm on the way there, but that wasn't a big deal. Although, I did find something interesting that I want to go back and play with."

Kechara says "What did you find, dad?"

"After the sandstorm I found out that one of the landmarks the tribes use is actually a tower. When I did a little digging I found what looked like an elven temple."

Kechara says "Core told me that the elves only worshiped the elements at the four temples."

"Right, that is what I thought too. Yet this place was a temple and all the carvings looked elven. There was even an altar so I am pretty sure it was a religious temple."

Myria says "So, you want to go back and dig up this temple?"

"While that would be interesting, I am far more curious about the gate I found inside the temple."