Coye 4.3 (Patreon)

Chapter 3 - Stuck in a Rut

"Ok, Byng. Just to be sure… I'll ask just one last time. Are you sure you'll be ok if we do this? Because nobody is going to force you or anything…" Coye said.

"Yes, I'm sure!" Byng crossed her arms impatiently and rolled her head back in irritation. "Why do you keep asking, huh? This was my idea in the first place, short-stuff! What, you don't think I can handle a little-"

The brown mare they were bordering on renting let out a loud neigh, causing Byng to startle and instinctively put distance between it and herself.

"Gah! Fucking go and scare me, why don't you? You fargarhk!" Byng pointed at the horse, who merely stood in its stable doing nothing.

"That's why I keep asking," Coye sighed.

'This is gonna be a long ride…' Shayla mused.

Just as they were heading out the front door to go on their quest, Byng brought up a possibility that had struck Coye as a surprise coming from her. She proposed they save some time by renting a trusty steed from a well-regarded stable located conveniently across the street from the Guild. Any Neighs provided care for travelers' horses while in town and lent out mounts for a reasonable fee. Coye had used their services a few times before when Dorothy had sent him off on quests that were further out from town than usual.

The location they got from Suzette was pretty far off, but with a horse and a decent amount of stamina, Coye could significantly shave off the travel time. He thought the idea was sound, but Byng's distrust of mounted animals made her suggestion somewhat out of place.

"I'm just worried about what happened the other day," Coye frowned.

"That was that, and this is this," Byng insisted, feeling a deep hatred as she recalled that cursed, bumpy right on the back of that accursed bird.

"It's fine. Seriously! Look, see?" To prove her point, Byng approached the horse and extended her hand toward it. It gave her a small lick, and beyond an initial wince, she was doing well. "I know these 'horse' thingies that you guys ride or more or less chill, and it's not like trying a new thing is gonna kill me…'

'Yes, Byng. Jinx yourself, why don't you? That always works out well…'

Coye laughed to himself as the horse continued licking Byng until she took its hand away and waved the slobber off of it.

"So, are there any animals you guys do ride in Grurguhrohk? I know you talk about how dangerous it is and how many monsters there are, but it's hard to believe there aren't any mounts at all…"

"Oh, we have mounts. Or at least some tribes do. They're just not really comparable to horses or whatever. Walvohks are the most common ones, but you won't ever find one of those in a place like this," Byng patted the stable door that kept the horse pinned where it was. "They're kind of like Direwolves, except, like… two or three times as big? And their heads are fucking huge! Yeah, Walvohks are just as likely to eat you as they are to let you ride them. No thanks."

"That's so…"

'Terrifying?' Shayla finished for him. She hated Direwolves plenty enough as they were, and she could go without their Grurguhrohkan equivalent.

"Fascinating." Coye smiled, picturing the beast in his head. The more facts he learned about Byng's Homerealm, The more that continued to intrigue him. Amid all the terrifying tales of fantastical beasts and struggles for survival, there was a continual drip feed of tidbits that made this foreign culture one he never would've dreamed of and one that he was proud to know more about.

He raised his hand to the horse, following her lead and allowing it to inspect him with its tongue as well. He was pleased as it licked and sniffed him, showing off that weird thing horses do with their lips. Coye had always loved animals, with horses being one of his favorites. Satisfied with this one's pleasant behavior, he looked at Byng and said, "She'll do just fine if you're still sure about this. Just make sure you hang onto me nice and carefully, and I'll protect you from the big, scary horse. Does that sound good to you?"

Coye expected Byng to get all huffy and defensive over his teasing, so it came as a surprise when she only looked at him and tilted her head. "You know, short-stuff… you strike me as a whole lot more chill lately."

'Chill works,' Shayla shrugged. 'Personally, I would've gone with sassier, though.'

"Do you really think so? I, um… I've just been being me, so I don't really feel too much of a difference…"

"Oh yeah, trust me on this one. You're like, almost a whole new man! Don't believe me? Look at you! Cracking jokes at my expense, riffing on me like we're the best of pals!"

"Aren't we a lot more than best friends?" Coye asked with a tilt of his head.

This brought out a sigh from Byng shortly before she clasped his shoulder. "Never mind, short-stuff. You're still the same old you as ever."

Coye felt all warm inside at their closeness, her smile stirring interest within him. He usually wouldn't have acted on it given their public setting, but he was emboldened today and decided to show it. It's not like it was any weirder than kissing in front of Dorothy, right?

Coye moved in without a word and wrapped his arms around Bung's waist, pulling her to him and giving his lover a short but memorable kiss before she even knew what was happening.

Shayla didn't know whether to feel proud or groan, but Byng knew precisely what to think. She was much more approving of his boldness and showed as much by kissing him straight back with matching passion. Sadly, their love was soon interrupted. The owner of Any Neighs, a broad, rotund man whose love for horses was limited by his inability to ride them cleared his throat loudly as he came up from behind.

"Pardon me, but if you're going to rent this mare, then I'd prefer if you hurried up. I have other customers to deal with, and you should know this is a reputable business and not some kinky hook-up spot, you damn brats!" He said sternly.

"Oh, wait. Really?" Byng broke off from Coye and took an offensive position. "Shoot. All the horseshit lying all over the place had me fooled! For real, dude. You should clean that up. Don't want anyone else to get the wrong impression, do you? That smell in the air? If that doesn't scream 'fuck me hard and fuck me faster,' then I don't know what does!"

Shayla held back a loud snort as Coye blushed at the obscene joke. The owner did not share Byng's sense of humor, judging by the red color building up on his face.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Brindall. We'll take her, and, um, y-you'll have to forgive-"

The owner now realized who he was talking to. Coye had been turned away from him, and he was surprised to see the innocent boy engaged in such public debauchery. Uninterested in excuses, he raised his palm and said, "Lucky Wind is 150G for the day and 100G for each additional day you're late. Feed is not included."

"Lucky Wind?" Byng cackled. "Who the hell names their horse-"

"My daughter," Mr. Brindle crossed his arms, causing Byng to shrink back. "Sorry. I must've misspoken just now. I meant to say 165G for the day."

In a rush, Coye covered Byng's mouth with his hand, correctly predicting she was about to start another fight with the man and leave their situation even worse. She accepted the position a moment later after he took his hand away, and together, they each paid half. Mr. Brindall took Lucky Wind from the stable to saddle her up, and a few minutes later, they were ready to go after fastening all of their gear to the lucky mare.

Coye showed Byng the correct way to mount Lucky Wind, and after some initial struggle, she sat comfily behind him, or as much as she could, given her level of nervousness. As they left the stable and trotted down Mainstreet, she started to calm down a little more when she saw how expertly Coye handled their mount.

"This is going pretty smooth. Do you have a lot of experience riding, short-stuff?" Byng asked. Her shaking hands began to steady, and her tight embrace became less desperate.

"Yeah. You could say that." Coye smiled as he reared the mare into a right-hand turn, bringing them west with the Meadow Gate off in the distance.

'You're being vague. Tell the girl your story, dummy!' Shayla bonked him on the head, successfully loosening his tongue.

"When I asked my dad to train me so I could become an adventurer, riding was just one of the many things he passed on to me… it, um… didn't come that easily compared to a lot of the other things I had to learn but I picked up a little more than the basics eventually."

"Really? Nice. My Dazhak taught me all kinds of things too, but you already know that about me." Byng cackled. "So why was horse riding harder than swordsmanship or whatever else he drilled into you?"

"Um, well… riding wasn't the hard part, actually. It was the horse."

"Oh?"

"Big Alexander was my dad's horse. He was just this huge, huge beast… he had a black coat and a thick, red mane, but his eyes were the scariest part of him. I've seen scarier eyes on monsters, but not that many."

"Is this one of those 'once you actually get to know them, they aren't as bad as they let' on sorta deals, or what?"

"Kind of. Big Alexander was as mean as he looked… just being around him was enough to scare me. But then I remembered what this was all for, and I started making an effort. I gave him treats, talked to him, got him to let me brush him, and soon enough, he became a big old softie…"

"Gah," Byng hugged Coye tighter. "You're gonna have to can it with the adorable backstory. I don't know what I might do to you while I'm back here if you get too cute on me!"

"P-Please don't grope me on the horse…"

"There you go again, short-stuff… always giving me these tall orders…" Byng sighed. "So, do you miss him?"

"Yeah, he's a good horse…" Coye smiled as he took a stronger hold on the reins.

He compelled Lucky Wind to gallop once they passed the Meadow Gate and left the town behind them, testing Byng's endurance as they picked up speed. She seemed alright with it after a period of adjustment, and Shayla hadn't said anything about a bumpy ride, either, so everything seemed like smooth sailing.

After they had been at it for twenty minutes, Coye spoke up and proposed a speedier way to travel. "If it wouldn't make things harder for you, I can get us there even faster. My dad also taught me a few riding Arts."

'Oh, for fuck's sake. It's always something, isn't it…?' Shayla had been enjoying the leisurely pace of Lucky Wind thus far, but she had a bad feeling about where this was going. Above all else, she didn't want to repeat their ride on the Woodtreadeer.

"How, uh… how fast are we talking, short-stuff?" Byng clutched his tunic harder and pulled her body tight to his.

"This fast," Coye focused his energy into the reins, using them as a conduit to transmit power into the mare. It whinnied at the sudden infusion of stamina and speed. Lucky Wind wasn't trained to handle this like Big Alexander, but she proved an adept learner as she became used to Coye's Burst Handling Art.

The speed increase was phenomenal to the point where the world blurred around them.

"Gah! Fuck, fuck, fuck!!" Byng exclaimed after the initial burst, only for the panic she felt to subside a little bit more every moment. She blinked and looked around at the passing scenery, astonished at what was possible thanks to their four-legged friend. "Wait, hold on… this… isn't actually so bad, I think…"

'She should- ugh! Speak for her damn… self…!!' Shayla cried out as her stomach churned. The fact that she didn't black out immediately was cause for celebration, at least.

"Maybe it was just the Woodtreader you had a problem with?" Coye asked.

"That's probably part of it, yeah…" Byng grumbled, her brows twitching in annoyance. "Fucking feathered piece of shit…"

Coye laughed at her bitterness, and together the three of them sped off and enjoyed the ride in varying amounts. Lucky Wind was undoubtedly enjoying herself, her stamina supplemented by Coye's energy to the point where she didn't even need to take breaks while going far, far past her top speed. They even zoomed past an entire caravan- nothing could stop their pace.

It took them a few hours without breaks galloping down the Greatway like this before they spotted the location Suzette indicated. She'd mentioned the transporter said there was a little hill with three trees in the distance near where he was attacked, but it turned out they didn't even need to keep an eye out for it. There were much more obvious signs that they had arrived.

The dirt road was suddenly interrupted by significant claw marks dragged through the earth, and on both sides of the Greatway, there were scorch marks in the grass. A puddle of horse blood was dried out on the ground, and nearby there were large splinters of wood from where the wagon was carried off. A long and slithering trail zigzagged from the grass to the southwest of their current location.

Lucky Wind came to a halt once Coye's energy cut off. She reared her head and let out a great cry of displeasure, sensing a degree of what must've happened here.

'Finally…' Shayla gasped for her life as the speed let up at long last. She proved she could handle the long-distance horse ride, meaning her motion sickness mainly came down to erratic bumpy rides like the Woodtreader or Coye's Quick Step. She still wasn't a fan of horseback, but thus far, it was her favorite method of travel that wasn't her own two wings.

"This isn't good," Coye observed.

"I'll say…" Byng scoped out the damage. "Guess that Dotty wasn't kidding, huh? Whatever did this must've been huge!"

"How are we ever going to find it?" Coye asked, staring straight at the long trail it left in its wake. "Oh, wait. It's a good thing I have such a skilled huntress here with me. Do you think you'll be able to help track it down, Byng?"

Byng slugged him in the back and chuckled. "Very funny. Unless you're blind all of a sudden, I'm pretty damn sure you know the way to go, short-stuff. Stop being a smart ass, and let's get to it!"

"Ok," Coye laughed.

Their next move was to follow the trail in the grass for quite some time as it took them further southwest. Coye gave Lucky Wind a break from Burst Handling, as the mare made it very clear how uncomfortable she was following in the path of the monster. Still, she didn't resist and took them where they wanted to go. It wasn't long before they saw the Gnarled Woods cropping up in the distance. It spanned a vast stretch of Arrark's southern half, and Cransmere was far from the only town troubled by its existence. They wouldn't be bothering with it today, at least.

Rather than taking them into the woods, the trail led them towards a big hill with a tremendous cave mouth which no doubt had to have been the lair of the Lindwurm. He and Byng agreed on it, so they doubled back far enough to tie down Lucky Wind somewhere where she wouldn't see the battle as it happened. She was just fine with being left there. When you're a horse, it's hard to complain with a bag of oats strapped around your mouth.

Coye and Byng then returned to the cave entrance site, studying it and thinking about different ways to proceed.

"Dorothy said we needed to lure it out," Coye thought aloud. "Do you think there's enough time to set up one of your traps?"

"Hate to break it to you, but does it look like I brought any of that crap with me?" Byng said with her hands on her hips. Coye felt a little stupid now, and Shayla gave him a few soft pats on the head to help with his embarrassment.

'The best I could do is set up a pitfall, but that's not gonna do us much good against a big snake or whatever it is.' Shayla said.

It seemed like they didn't have many options. Coye didn't bring any tools that would help give them a strategic edge, either.

"Do you have any ideas?" He asked.

"Do I have ideas? Pft. Short-stuff, I always have ideas." Byng smirked, then started walking around the perimeter, her little head absolutely buzzing with possibilities, plans, pranks, and schemes. Then, it came to her. She pointed up at the top of the hill. "I think you should go and wait up there while I stay down here and shoot off a couple of special arrows to smoke it out. If it works and the big ugly serpent comes to check what's going on out here, then I'll come up and join you. You can jump down and fight it while I stay up there and provide 'decent enough' support. How's that for ideas?"

"Not bad," Coye nodded. "It's better than what I would've come up with."

'I would've thought of that eventually…' Shayla insisted with a frown.

"We don't know how deep the cave is, though. What if the Lindwurm doesn't come out?"

Byng shrugged. "If it doesn't work, then it doesn't work! Duh. We'll be fine. It's not like it's the only idea I have swimming around up here." She knocked her noggin a few times, proving it wasn't hollow.

Coye didn't have any problems with that logic, so he went ahead and scaled the hill from behind, getting into position at the ambush spot. Byng did the same. He drew his sword, watching over her from above with Shayla ready to help cover him however he needed.

Byng drew three arrows from her quiver, which Coye recognized from the morning of their date. They were identical to the one she shot at his face that exploded into a burst of water. He figured that this batch of them was filled with another liquid altogether.

She shot them far, far into the cave. Byng's next move was to pull out an ordinary-looking arrow that she then struck on one of the metal plates of her bow. This caused the arrowhead to catch fire, like a match hitting the strip. It burned bright as she aimed it into the cave and shot it right after the others.

Coye felt a large explosion beneath his feet, deep within the earth. It sounded like some of the ceilings even caved in down there.

'Geez, she should be careful! Byng's gonna blow out the ground right from under you!'

"I'm mostly sure she knows what she's doing…" Coye insisted.

'Real comforting word, mostly,' Shayla teased.

A loud, deafening hissing echoed out of the cave. Byng performed a boosted jump, joining Coye at the ambush point. "Did you hear that?" She asked, excitement and satisfaction abound. "It sounds like somebody's really pissed off in there. You better get ready to drop, short-stuff. If we're lucky, my little explosion did some damage, but-"

"I doubt it. Their scales are fireproof." Coye reminded her.

"Right, right," Byng conked herself in the head. "There I go again. Stupid Byng."

The ground continued quaking in a more regular pattern. No doubt it was slithering its way up the lengthy cave. Any second now, it would poke its head out. Coye gripped his sword and unsheathed it. He was ready and didn't have to wait very long.

The Lindwurm emerged.

Coye, Byng, and Shayla all witnessed it in its foul brilliance. Its length was not exaggerated, its body thin and protracted like an enormous snake. At the top end was a fearsome, viper-shaped head, its brow crowned by a small ridge of impressive spikes. Two razor-sharp red eyes burned bright with spite, its jaws opening to reveal a puff of smoke and many worrying fangs.

Running down its back was another ridge of dark green spines, and although the beast most resembled a snake, at a certain point, two legs sprouted out that ended in massive white claws which rent the earth wherever it walked. All along its body was a shining green coat of scales, as beautiful as Dorothy had said and then some. Each scale looked as if painted by a masterful artist, so rich and vivid that it defied belief. The serpent ended with a tail that fanned outward in an explosion of pointed spines, these ones appearing the most deadly of all.

It looked left and right for the source of whatever caused the disruption to its lair, which Coye took as the optimal time to get the literal drop on it. He nodded at Byng as he ran off the hill's edge, angling his sword down at the Lindwurm's skull as power coursed through his faintly-glowing blade. If he was successful, Downward Thrust would make quick work of things.

Unfortunately, the serpent had greater awareness of its surroundings and much twitchier reaction times than the Ravenous Boarman. It sensed Coye's oncoming attack and twisted out of the way before it was too late, turning his fatal blow into one that merely scraped the surface of its hide. His blade sliced through a few scales as he fell to the ground, tumbling away safely before he hurt himself.

'Coming in from behind you!' Shayla shouted.

Coye whipped around and brandished his shield. Because of its lengthy body, the Lindwurm could slip around and attack from many angles. Its tail slammed straight towards the Fighter, and it met his steel barricade head-on, the force of the attack being strong enough to send the boy flying backward towards a jagged rock jutting out of the ground. Before it could even threaten him, Shayla used a gust of wind to blow him safely away onto a comparatively softer leafy bush.

"Damn, why can't anything ever go according to plan…?" Byng clicked her tongue, then lined up a standard arrow and prepared her next attack. "You alright down there?" She called out, her booming voice momentarily catching the beast's attention before it turned back its focus to Coye.

"Yeah," Coye responded, pulling himself back up to two feet. The Lindwurm was near. Every second was one where it could strike. "You got my back?"

'I do,' Shayla cut in. She wasn't too happy about their standard battle back and forth stolen by Byng's presence. This was traditionally their time for bantering.

Unaware that she was distressing the Pixie under Coye's hat, Byng grinned and said, "Always."

The skilled huntress then whistled as loud as she could, and when the serpent looked back at her for a second time, her arrow was sent straight into its slitted eye. The projectile pierced deep, wet ocular fluids raining out of the wound like a burst balloon.

"Hey!" Coye complained as the monstrous snake writhed in pain. That eyeball was perfectly sellable, but now it went entirely to waste.

"Sorry about that, short-stuff," Byng shrugged. "Gotta shoot for the parts that I can actually hurt!"

'I wouldn't have ruined its eye, baby. You know I'm more careful than that, right?' Shayla fished for attention.

"Not a competition, Shayla," Coye mumbled with a sigh, and he cautiously strode toward the Lindwurm just as it started to settle down from the surprise arrow to its eye. It was now in an even greater state of rage- but Coye wouldn't allow himself to be caught off guard by that tail again.

The Lindwurm crouched low to the ground. It considered its options, and with its left eye now blinded, it swiped its tail like a whirlwind, slicing at Byng on the top of the hill and then at Coye in the same motion. Byng hopped over it, but Coye did her one better.

He charged his shield with power and unleashed a Shield Bash at the oncoming extremity, smashing into its tail hard enough to break some bones and dislodge some of the spines. The Lindwurm hissed and raised its head into the sky, more smoke billowing out of its nostrils as it dealt with its increasing irritation and pain.

Coye wasn't done.

His sword surged, and he jumped closer, hitting the tail a few feet from the end with Double Strike. Coye cleaved straight through the scaled armor, dyeing the brilliant green in a thick wash of red. He ripped his sword out through the wound, blood sputtering like a broken fountain. He didn't manage to sever the tail, but he made it halfway through, and the injury showcased many sliced bones.

Would Triple Strike have fully severed the tail? Probably. He spited himself for not trying it first, but his self-reflection ended just as Byng called out to him with a warning.

"Nice one, but you need to get outta there! You don't wanna get hit by this. Trust me."

Coye Quick Stepped backward from the monster before it could try a counterattack and watched Byng do her thing. One of her trick arrows zoomed its way to the wound, where it exploded into a voluminous cloud of orange, speckled powder. The Lindwurm's remaining eye watered, and it opened its jaws fully, hissing like a devil.

And then the itching began.

'Nasty,' Shayla cringed as the Lindwurm brought its tail within grabbing distance of its two arms, scratching like mad at the bloody wound. 'Between this and the whole arm-eating incident, I'm starting to wonder if monsters maiming themselves is just gonna be a thing whenever Byng is around.'

"Better them than me," Coye sighed and contented himself to watch the monster do its grizzly work until the tail was entirely severed and blood spurted from its new stump with healthy vigor.

Coye took this chance to get in real close when it least expected it and slashed at one of its arms. His sword gained purchase and bit through the scales, but he found that its arms were corded with thick muscle, thicker than he expected. The cut wasn't deep at all, giving the Lindwurm the time it needed to swipe at him with its opposite claw.

Coye tried to back up out of the way, but it caught him on his leg. He activated Steel Soul to soften the blow just before it hit, but it made him topple back to the ground, and he clenched his teeth as the white hook cut through his trousers and into his flesh.

"Shit," Byng sized up her options. She decided to shoot off a flurry of arrows at the damage Coye inflicted to its arm and made sure they had some excellent strength behind them. Each was charged with her energy, one Power Shot after another.

A few missed, others either lightly pierced or were deflected by its scales, while just enough of them hit the mark to draw the monster's attention away from Coye.

He got back on his feet in that short instance, Shayla quickly healing his leg like it was nothing. The Lindwurm drew in a deep breath of air at the same time, strong enough to give both adventurers pause. Its throat started to expand, its underbelly glowing a scorching shade of yellow.

"Byng! Get out of there!" Coye tried to warn her as the first embers crackled forth from behind closed jaws.

Byng was faster than him, but there was a chance she wouldn't make it out of the way in time. Fire spread, and it was unlikely that it would be shot at her in a straight, dodge-able line to begin with. The entire hilltop could be wreathed in flames before they knew it.

'I'll handle this,' Shayla declared. Somebody had to do something, so it might as well be her. She focused her glowing eyes on the towering serpent and expended more and more mana in one massive attempt to manipulate the Lindwurm's luck with Fortune Fix.

Byng was just about to book it as the Lindwurm opened its mouth, but before she did, she noticed a blue glow resembling fireworks within its exposed throat for a brief second. That seemed suspicious enough, but what happened next was even weirder. The creature suddenly let out a large, reverberating wet burp that canceled the attack and dispersed the oncoming flames inside its own body.

"Nice!" Coye pumped his fist.

"Agh! More like fucking nasty!" Byng cringed, back-stepping away from a sloppy spray of oncoming burp gunk. She looked down at the beast, which was now momentarily staggered as it struggled to regain its breath and flopped around like a wet noodle from the fire burning within.

Once it stopped twisting, it opened its mouth wide and looked up at the sky, allowing a plume of pitch black smog to waft out of it by the throat full. Byng knew an opportunity when she saw one, and whatever that magical blue crap was, she was thankful it set up the finisher for her.

"I think I got a chance. I'm going in for the kill!" Byng shouted.

Today, Byng carried five of an experimental trick arrow she'd been testing lately in her quiver. It was a weapon she designed specifically for use against Woodtreaders, but it was versatile. This would be the new arrow type's first use in actual combat- it was time to see what they could do. She notched them all, charged them with Power Shot, and aimed at the throat. These arrows each had tips shared similarly to a morningstar or a spiked flail, but their shape wasn't what made them deadly.

It was their function.

The arrows flew down the serpent's maw, and once the heads made contact with flesh, the many metal spikes at the top would explode outward into a ton of different directions, creating a storm of shredding needles bolstered by Power Shot. This increased the piercing power of each and every one of those needles. Its scales were of no use to it now, and its throat was torn apart in hundreds of different directions.

Her new tool, the aptly named Pinsurge Arrow, was a success by all measures.

The Lindwurm hissed one final time as its vision faded into black- one of the spikes driving itself deep into its heart. With the last of its strength, its upper half scaled the hill and raised a single clawed hand toward Byng, but it couldn't make it, and the hand limply fell over the edge and pointed at her. Byng stood triumphant, and she kicked at the arm, dislodging its claws from the earth, so it fell back onto ground level.

"And that's how you do it," she smirked with pride as the Lindwurm's massive weight shook and scattered the earth where it landed. She jumped down on top of it, then jumped off and strutted towards Coye. "Pretty cool, aren't I? Go on, you can fawn over me a little. I'll allow it! Gahaha!"

Coye was stunned over how fast things had managed to wrap up. "Uh, y-yeah, you're awesome… but… what did you even do to it?"

"Not much, just took advantage of that magical burp you caused…" Byng slung her bow over her shoulder, and the next thing Coye knew, her hands were on her hips, and she was pressing her nose into his personal space. "That was you, right, short-stuff?"

"U-Um, yeah?" Coye took a step away from her out of habit and sheathed his sword. "I-I told you I've been working on my magic, so…"

'I'm getting really tired of not getting any credit around here…' Shayla grumbled.

Whether or not Byng believed Coye remained up in the air, but she gave him some space and told him, "Whatever the case, that gave me a big chance to shoot a payload straight down the hatch! I got to test a new arrow I've been working on, and it worked better than I even expected, gahaha! Guess Dotty shouldn't have underestimated us archers. Am I right, or am I right?"

Coye had a small laugh at that but appeared strangely dejected.

"Huh? Something wrong, short-stuff?" Byng frowned.

The boy scratched his head and looked away. "No, it's nothing…"

"Doesn't look like nothing. Am I gonna have to tickle this out of you?" She gave him a threatening glare to show she meant business, her fingers wiggling as she drew them closer.

"Fine, ok," he relented with a sigh.

'Pussy,' Shayla rolled her eyes.

"I was just thinking that… um… the way things ended felt kind of anti-climactic, didn't it?" Coye admitted.

"Uh, no?" Byng looked at him and blinked a couple of times. "Are you kidding me? I had like a huge badass moment and everything!"

"Exactly. Usually, I'm the one who-"

"Oh, now I see…" Byng narrowed her eyes and jabbed his chest with her black, pointy claw. "You mean it felt anti-climactic for you. Sorry buddy, but I ain't your sidekick!"

'Hey!' Coye's actual sidekick took offense.

"You had your chance to look cool the other day when you saved my life, so now it's my turn. We're a party now, so you're gonna have to get used to sharing the glory!"

"Byng, I-I didn't mean it like that, I-" just as he started to feel as bad as he could about it, she started laughing. Coye should've seen it coming, but he was relieved she was just giving him a hard time yet again.

"Gahaha! Chill, short-stuff, I'm just messing with you. I'm sure you'll get another chance to impress me again sooner or later. Afraid you're just gonna have to let me have this one." She grinned from ear to ear and wrapped her arm around his neck, pulling him in for an awkward hug that they both enjoyed.

"I guess I can do that…" he smiled at her. "What I meant to say, though, was that I thought this would be more difficult."

Byng let go of him and then looked at their fallen foe. She nodded and said, "Y'know, joking aside, I do kinda agree with that…"

Coye noticed something odd. Byng looked a little forlorn as she stared off into the middle distance. She seldom looked sad, so this gave him cause for alarm.

"Byng? Are you ok?"

She blinked and shook her head. "Gah, sorry. My bad, my bad. I'm all good now. I just…"

"You don't look good," Coye frowned.

"Fuck you, I look fantastic!" She jabbed him in the chest but then laughed. When she saw he was still giving her a pouty face of concern, Byng relented and sighed. "…Ugh, is it really that obvious?"

"Obvious enough that I noticed it."

'Which says a lot,' Shayla teased.

Byng walked over to the slain Lindwurm and reclined against it, thinking to herself. "It's not a big deal. I've just been feeling like I'm in… I dunno, some kind of a rut ever since we got together." Coye was about to make an even sadder face, just as Byng predicted he would, so she raised a finger and shushed him. "Let me finish! Before you worry that pretty little face of yours, it's not about you or us. I'm just kinda confused about where I go from here, that's all. I'm fine whenever I'm with you, but otherwise, I just get... restless. I was hoping for a chance to get a good hunt in today to try and make me feel better, but you're right. It was a little anti-climactic."

Coye was taken by surprise, Byng hadn't let on about this when they hung out two days ago, but he related to the uncertainty that came with being unsure of what to do with his life. To hear that Byng was going through something similar was shocking, especially since he thought she had everything all figured out.

"Do you, um… wanna talk about it?" He asked.

"Nah. Not now, anyway. You should do your thing before we go cave diving to see if we can't find that wagon. Here," Byng tossed him one of her Bags of Holding, reminding him he needed to get his own one these days.

"Alright, but promise me we'll talk about it later?" Coye pressured her as he pulled out the ordoghite knife she gifted him the other day and approached the defeated Lindwurm.

"Guess we have to, now that it's out there…" Byng sighed and breathed as the boy began processing their kill.

Coye scooped out its remaining eye, a considerable orb as large as his head, he cut out an extended portion of its forked, rope-like tongue, some of its fangs, and more. For proof of kill, he took one of the Lindwurm's fingers from the last joint down, and after he was done there, he hopped onto its head to harvest some of its spines.

'You know, baby, you're getting a little too weirdly good at this…' Shayla commented with sarcastic concern. 'You ever think about becoming a butcher? Might suit you better, at this rate.'

Coye had a small laugh at that, making Byng curious. "Something funny, short-stuff?"

"N-No, um… I just remembered something funny, that's all. It's not important."

"…Riiiight. Make sure you remember to get a scale for Dotty while you're at it."

"How could I forget?" Coye laughed as he started to skin a portion of the monster's scales. They were really wedged in there, but they proved no match for the sharpness of his knife.

Byng saw how he lit up even at the mere mention of their Guild Mistress, which compelled her to ask, "Forget about my issues for a sec. Do we need to have a quick talk about Dotty?"

Coye's cheeks burned bright red as he paused his grisly work to look over at his inquisitive lover. "Uh, I don't think so? We're just friends. That's all."

"Kay, but hear me out. I didn't even bring romance up at all, and you're already prefacing the discussion by telling me you're just friends. Kinda makes a girl think it's already on your mind, you get me?" Byng smirked as Coye looked away shyly, proving she was right. "Relax. I just wanna know what the deal is and how much you like her, short-stuff. That's all."

"I like you and Suzette just as much," Coye defended himself, then tied off his bag and strapped it to his bandolier.

"That so? Y'know, that kinda implies you like her a whole lot."

"Uh…"

"Hey, hey! You know me better than that by now, don't ya? You know I'm not jealous."

'Rub it in, why don't you? Stupid ass all-female harem-minded sex slave race…' Shayla mumbled, feeling personally attacked given her rampant jealousy issues.

At last, Coye turned to properly face her and scratched the back of his head. "I-I didn't mean to get defensive, it's just… yeah, I… I do have feelings for Dorothy, and they're pretty strong because of how long I've known her. You know?"

"I can relate to that," Byng gave him a wholesome smile that only made him blush harder. "I'm not trying to grill you. Honestly, I was just asking because I think it'd be a really good thing if you just went for it, y'know?"

"...What?"

"What do you think? You've seen her. Bags under her eyes darker than the Gnarled Woods, ratty clothes, presumably cries herself to sleep every night? All I'm saying is that poor girl needs a win more than anyone I've ever met. You would be good for her."

At first, Coye tried not to seem overly happy about her words. That didn't pan out. Instead, a huge smile spread across his face, and he looked down at the ground, scratching one arm with the other.

"Oh. You, uh… y-you really think so…?"

Shayla rolled her eyes, and Byng laughed at how transparent he could be before clasping him on the shoulder. "Sure do. I can only speak for Suz and me, but you're kinda like clay. Flexible, dependable, and pretty hard once you get a little heated up. Gahaha! Ah, I'm awful... but yeah, what I'm trying to say is you're exactly what we need you to be to the both of us, so I'm sure you'd be exactly what the Wahvurgal ordered for Dotty, too."

"Thanks, Byng… I still don't even know if I'm ever going to… p-pursue her or anything. At least not seriously. If I did, I'd want it to be slow. I know you can be pretty pushy, so-"

"You want me to promise I'm not gonna go scheming to try and hook you guys up?" Byng cackled.

"Y-Yeah,"

'She better not,' Shayla simmered. Byng and herself already had enough in common as they were. She didn't want her encroaching on her job as Coye's wingman.

Byng gave Coye a playful jab in his upper arm. "Hey, I get it. Your hunt is your own; if you don't want the help, I'm not gonna give it. Respect."

Coye smiled at that. "You promise?"

"What, you don't trust me?" Byng got all up in his business before laughing when he backed away. "Relax, I promise I won't get involved until she's in our bed, short-stuff." She gave her lover a wicked, naughty grin that threatened to make him erect right then and there.

Sensing his increased arousal, Shayla sighed. 'Hopeless as ever, aren't you, baby…?'

To take his mind away from the horny, Coye looked back over at the felled serpent. "R-Right, um, thanks? Anyway, I have more than enough on my plate right now between you, Suzette, and-"

"And?" Byng glared with intrigue.

"S-Slip of the tongue," Coye countered.

Shayla performed a facepalm.

"I meant to say that the two of you are enough for me, at least right now. Just because I'm interested in making more connections with girls, well… you know… doesn't mean I'm going to jump into anything…"

"Right, right," Byng nodded, intentionally not calling him out on his little slip-up and instead filing it away for later. Instead, she decided to rib him just a little. "Be real with me, though. Are you thinking about chasing down any of those 'Baddest Bitches’ chicks or what? Cause if so, I ain't sure how I feel about that. Don't get me wrong, they're hot as fuck, but-"

Coye blushed and frowned simultaneously. "C-Can we put aside the relationship and harem expansion talk and get back to the adventure part of our adventure?"

"I guess, but are you avoiding the question?" Byng cackled.

"N-No, the short answer is I don't plan on… 'chasing down' Britni or any of her other party members…"

'The same way you didn't plan on booking up with me. Or Suzette. Or Byng.'

"And the long answer is what happens, happens. Right? Gahaha!"

"I refuse to answer that," he frowned and stared at his feet. Hooking up with his bullies was far from the first thing on his mind, but if pressed harder, it's not like he could deny the possibility any longer. Two weeks ago, he would've said never, but stranger things had happened since then.

"Fair enough," Byng smiled and decided she'd teased her adorable boy enough for now, turning her attention to the cave mouth. "Guess it's time to go and see if anything in that suspicious wagon of Suz's is still salvageable, huh?"

"Guess so. It's been a while since I've had to check out any caves. Should be a nice break from doing work in the woods."

"Yeah? Then let's get to it! I'm sure we'll be fine as long as we stick together. If there was another Lindwurm or some other monster, I'm sure it would've come out by now." Byng ran ahead to the entrance and stuck her head in, eager as ever.

'I'm getting really tired of her constantly jinxing things, baby…' Shayla groaned.

"I'm sure things will go fine," Coye mumbled softly to please her.

'Now you're doing it, too! She's such a bad influence on you, I swear...' Shayla bopped him on the head, causing him to laugh as he trailed after Byng and began the plunge into the cave.

The Lindwurm's lair was a long, straight tunnel that descended into the dank darkness below the earth. There was no natural light whatsoever, and as their vision continually worsened, Byng lit her lantern while Coye raised his sword and gave it a sheen of magical luminescence. Both adventurers were focused on business, and talking was kept to a minimum to avoid attracting unwanted attention.

As they continued down the tunnel past where Byng's explosion had occurred, they found little branching paths splintering off from the main one. Paths much too small for the Lindwurm to have made itself. They kept these alternative routes in mind to listen for any oncoming threats; otherwise, they stuck to the main trail.

Eventually, Coye and Byng came across a vast pit they couldn't see the bottom of. Simple enough. Byng shot down a fire arrow that hit the bottom roughly forty feet below, showing it was perfectly safe to jump down so long as they reinforced their landing with energy. Both adventurers did so, and their light cleared up the view enough to see what they were looking at.

The pit was a cold, dangerous place that served as the Lindwurm's nest. Bones of other monsters and animals were scattered about, every last one picked strangely clean, and in the center of the broad expanse was a collection of large, shredded tree branches, bushes, and other such materials that the serpent slept upon. Just as Dorothy had predicted, they could see the ruins of what used to be a wagon strewn about the mess. There was a broken wheel here, a carriage seat there, and most importantly, wooden boxes aplenty.

"No way," Byng whistled. "I didn't think we were actually gonna find anything…"

Coye got closer to the nest and picked up one of the boxes for inspection. It had some claw marks from when the Lindwurm handled it, but otherwise, it was in excellent condition. "Suzette'll be real happy to find out she was wrong."

'Better crack a few open and make sure she's not smuggling drugs or something,' Shayla laughed.

Coye wasn't amused, but he was curious. He placed the box down, found one that had been destroyed, and then checked its contents. Just as Suzette claimed, there were just some cheap-looking clothes, books, and other simple items like dried fruits and nuts. Perfectly legitimate, no surprises.

"Do you think we should get out of here now?" Byng asked. "We just had to kill the snake and find the wagon, so technically we're good to go."

"I think we should carry a few of these back as proof, at least. We'll fill both Bags of Holding, and when we're done, I think we should try and haul the rest of these boxes back up to the entrance. I don't feel good about pushing this job off on ordinary scavengers." Coye said.

"I was actually thinking the same thing, short-stuff. Normal people ain't gonna be able to stick a landing like we can, right?"

'That sounds like a lot of extra work to me. I don't feel that great about this place, baby, so try and wrap it up quick.' Shayla suggested.

After Coye sorted out his Lindwurm parts into a standard, non-magical bag that he then fastened to the back of his bandolier under his shield, he and Byng loaded up six boxes each of Suzette's cargo and stretched the Bags of Holding to their limit. There were still another thirty or forty boxes they could count mixed up around the lair, which meant they had a lot of work ahead of them.

"If you give me a moment, I could rig us up a lift with some of this junk lying around," Byng said as she started messing around and organizing some of the huge wooden scraps, her mind already working on mapping a use for them all.

Coye felt a tingle run down his back before Byng noticed the same sensation. He looked off in a seemingly random direction, totally frozen. "Hold that thought… we might be in trouble…"

'I'm only gonna say it once, but this is what you get for all that jinxing,' Shayla crossed her arms.

Byng hopped up and dropped all her collected junk, drawing her bow in case she needed it. Coye was right- she could feel it too. Something was coming. The earth below their feet began to shift slightly and then even more so. Nearby, three prominent sets of red mandibles broke the ground and surfaced. Afterward, three insects roughly the size of a dog skittered out from their self-dug holes. Their shiny carapaces reflected the bright light of Coye's magical sword, giving him ample opportunity to recognize them for what they were.

"Damn it… Gargants." Coye grunted, gripping his sword tighter.

Drawing from her experiences with this newest threat, Shayla started to warn, 'Shit, this isn't good. If you didn't already know, baby, those things will-'

"Fuck!" Byng exclaimed. "Those things are gonna swarm the place if we don't get out of here!"

'That's what I was gonna say!!' Shayla fumed. She'd been feeling like a third wheel all day, and it boiled over at that moment, perhaps because of the additional danger they were suddenly in.

Coye didn't need to be told that there was about to be a swarm. Over a year ago, he once stumbled into an underground hive of them after tripping and falling through the earth at just the right spot. Luckily, he made it out of that particular labyrinth before he was consumed by its depths.

There must've been one such hive under the Lindwurm's nest, Coye thought. That would've explained all those smaller branching tunnels and how suspiciously well-cleaned all the bones in the lair were. The Lindwurm didn't strike Coye as the sort of monster with the best table manners. Dorothy had mentioned the term 'symbiotic relationship' a few times in all her many monster lectures, so Coye assumed this must've been an example of one somehow.

The three Gargant's antennae all wiggled simultaneously as they advanced toward the adventurers. Like many monsters before them, they were looking for their next meal. Maybe even a gift for their queen, perhaps. It didn't matter. This first wave served its purpose and alerted the rest of their hive through their pheromones. Even if Coye and Byng brought them down, more were already on their way.

"Let's go," Coye wasted no time and ran straight forward, slashing through one of the insects and cutting it in half.

"If you think these are bad, you should see the ones we got back home!" Byng laughed as she loosed a Power Shot-infused arrow into the skull of the second. "Banras are, like... three times the size of these fuckers, but other than that, they're pretty damn similar. Imagine my surprise when I found out how small they get here in Karnalle!"

As Byng went on with her little factoid about life back home, Shayla expended mana and lifted a large rock above the last remaining Gargant. It crumbled against its head, but not before killing it. All three twitched instinctively at their defeat before ceasing movement altogether.

Byng noticed the odd way Coye's 'magic' worked just now. He wasn't even looking at the third Gargant, let alone the Boulder he just lifted. Now, Byng barely understood how magic worked back in Grurguhrohk, but she was pretty damn sure that Karnallian Mages had to at least do something with their hands if they weren't casting the spell verbally. Nothing added up, but that was hardly the first concern on her mind at the present moment. Just more fuel for something that was already bothering her.

They started running towards the pit's edge, but their escape was cut short by a series of tremors. An untold number of feet were hard at work scurrying below the surface, and before they knew it, more mandibles appeared and broke through the surface. Hundreds of them- maybe more. Some came from below, while others dug out through the wall of the pit's edge and seemingly cut off their escape.

Any hope they had about scavenging the rest of Suzette's cargo was done away with right then and there, and they doubted anyone else would be able to, either.

Both adventurers could jump extraordinarily high thanks to their training, and Byng could even climb up flat surfaces with her bare feet to a degree. Still, neither of these was ideal when a wave of overgrown insects was gushing out toward them.

'Don't sweat it, baby! No matter how big they are or how many of them there are, they're still just ants!' Shayla grabbed two tufts of Coye's hair and pulled, stabilizing herself as she tried to pump him up. She didn't see how else she could contribute at the moment, so she relegated herself to cheerleader duty.

This served its purpose, and Coye's hidden cleverness won through as it often did whenever he was in a pinch.

"Give me a second," Coye said as he built up energy and performed Spinning Slash, clearing out a broad swathe of the advancing Gargants at the cost of a bit of Pixie stomach bile spattered against the inside of his hat.

Once the path was clear, Coye took out an item from his tool belt. At first, it appeared to be a cube with one glowing red gem on each face, but this proved not to be the case as he pulled on the bottom side and created a handlebar from its collapsible center. Grasping it firmly, Coye pointed it at the area directly in front of him, and he swung the rod a single time. It glowed magnificently, and the light from one of its five gems faded as its effect activated.

A weightless white cube of inorganic material appeared right where he indicated, floating a few feet off the ground. It was four feet tall and just as wide, and it didn't budge as Coye jumped on top of it. Once he was astride it, he gave it yet another swing, jumped up, and continued on like this until he'd made a staircase of five blocks in the sky.

Byng didn't need to be told what to do- she was right behind him after he made the second block. She was impressed with his quick thinking and the handiness of whatever gadget this thing was.

"Damn, short-stuff, where can I get me one of those?" Byng joked as she joined him on the final platform.

"Adventurer's First catalog. Just ask Dorothy about the Block Rod."

'Could they really not think of a better name?' Shayla asked.

At the top of the last block, they were just about level with the pit's edge where they first jumped down from. All it took from there was one well-placed jump, and they were safe. Byng caught her footing and gave the boy a grin of approval, causing him to blush and feel proud of himself.

"Never hurts to be prepared," he said as he collapsed the now magically-drained tool and returned it to his pouch, where it would slowly regain its charge.

'Save the showing off for some other time!' Shayla said and knocked on his skull again. 'You're not safe yet!'

True to her word, the danger had followed them out of the pit. The Gargants either scaled the wall or burrowed through the dirt to crawl out and join them here as well. Coye and Byng looked at each other and exchanged a silent nod, coming to a mutual understanding that they needed to book it.

Both began sprinting at their top speeds, jumping over Gargant after Gargant, which kept popping out from beneath their feet. It took several minutes straight worth of running, but eventually, they could see the entrance in the distance. They were almost home free. Now that the way ahead was adequately lit, they supplemented their speed with Quick Steps and were out in mere seconds.

Coye and Byng made it out safely, but there was still a lingering question for them to deal with.

"Think we should do something about this?" Byng asked as they looked back at the cave together. The Gargants were still hot on their tail. "No one's getting the cargo now, but the less of those things running around, the better."

"Couldn't agree more," Coye said. He produced a few small bombs from his belt and lit them before throwing them all inside.

Byng matched his efforts by following up with the last of the oil arrows she had in her quiver, creating much more powerful explosions than he could have on his own. She aimed a Power Shot-infused Force Arrow at the ceiling near the entrance, which brought the hill to collapse in on itself, sealing the exit with rocks and earth. It was nothing Gargants couldn't handle, but their efforts at least killed a decent chunk of the swarm.

Now that they were in the clear, they traveled back to Lucky Wind and found her right where they had left her. She had long since run out of oats but had remained blissfully unaware of all that had transpired. Her tail began to sway, and she whinnied at them once she saw her renters coming, causing Coye to smile. He went up to her and freed her from the mask, giving her a few loving strokes down her mane before plopping down on the ground a few feet away to take a breather.

Byng joined him as soon as he did. Both were sweaty and red-faced but greatly relieved to be done with their work.

"I didn't know I'd be getting two workouts today," Coye laughed softly.

"Gotta work those legs of yours, pretty boy!" Byng cackled and jabbed his upper arm, then leaned in close to rest her head against his shoulder.

"U-Um, Byng…" Coye leaned away and blushed. He could smell her all too well from this distance, and she was just as pungent as ever. The spice of her pheromones only added to his sweat.

"Really? There's a pile of horse shit right over there, short-stuff. I thought that would've been a mood-killer." She gave him a playful look before scooting away just a bit.

'She doesn't know you like I do,' Shayla sighed.

"My nose filtered that out and focused on you. It's not my fault…" Coye blushed even harder and stared at the ground. His mood picked up when Byng surprised him with a kiss on the cheek and a big grin, prompting one of his own.

"Maybe we'll have some fun later tonight, but we got a long ride ahead of us, and I don't want my pussy aching the entire way home." She teased.

The thought excited him, but Coye looked away before he could get out of control. "I-It's a real big shame that we weren't able to save more of the boxes…" he said to distract himself.

Shayla was on the verge of consoling him in her typical sarcastic manner but was once again undercut by Byng, who at this point seemed absolutely dead set on outperforming the little Pixie in the chill, supportive girlfriend department.

"C'mon, Coye! Don't be so down on yourself." Byng insisted, reaching out to give him a pat on the back as reassurance.

Shayla frowned. Hard.

Sitting up in Coye's hat was so inconvenient, unable to say anything while he talked to Byng and other people in general. Maybe if Byng knew of her existence, this wouldn't be such a problem, but it's not like that was an option. Shayla wasn't going to go and ruin all her attempts at remaining a secret just because of a bit of jealousy. Thus, she held her tongue and let her issues continue to simmer within most healthily.

"Sorry," Coye gave Byng a weak smile. "It's a bad habit of mine. I always feel down when things don't go the best way they could have. My dad sort of hammered it into me to review things in my head and self-reflect on ways I could improve, but…"

"Knowing you, I'm gonna guess that does more harm than good a lot of the time." Byng frowned.

"Pretty much…"

"Well, just remember that we did the best we could, so don't get hung up on it for too long! If it makes you feel any better, I know better than anyone else how much it sucks when something doesn't go your way, gahaha!"

That got a smile out of him, and he relaxed soon after. Now that he felt better, Coye's thoughts returned to Byng and recalled what they were talking about before entering the cave.

"How are you feeling? Was that enough of an adventure to pull you out of your rut?" He asked.

Byng gave it some deep thought before sighing heavily and sprawling herself on the grass. "Eh. It was fun and all, but it goes a lot deeper than that. One adventure isn't gonna fill up the… well, I don't wanna say emptiness 'cause that's a little overboard and sad-sounding, but…"

Coye replied with silence once she looked up at him, making it clear he didn't intend on saying anything until it was entirely out of her system. Byng appreciated his patience. She knew she wasn't good at this, but he did deserve to know.

"You already know that you've been my goal ever since I met you and even for years and years before that. The whole reason I left Grurguhrohk was to find a strong yet pretty boy like you… and now that I have, part of me is just sitting here like… what's next? I get that you're the kinda guy who takes things one day at a time. I'm not. My hand's have always gotta be moving, I always have to be planning something out in my mind, all day every day is just like 'go, go, go,' y'know?"

"So you're saying you need a new goal in life?" Coye tilted his head. "I'm… not the best person to help with that. My only goal is to get stronger, and-"

"Seek out fresh pussy. I know, short-stuff." Byng cackled, causing Coye to light up bright red.

"T-That's… only… partially true…"

"Don't worry about it. I'm not expecting you to help me out with this," Byng said with a sweet smile. "I don't want to be defined by you. If you really wanna help, then just… keep treating me like you always do and give me love and attention while I figure this out for myself. Ok?"

"Will that really help?" He tilted his head.

"No, Coye, having the love and support of my adorable Half-Elf femboy lover will do absolutely nothing for me in these trying times. What the fuck do you think?" She had to hold back a laugh as she spoke, and by the end, Coye was close to a laugh, too.

"Alright, stupid question. I get it…"

Byng surprised him by going in for a deep kiss. He blushed heavily but soon got into it, attempting to pull her closer in his embrace. She slipped out of his grasp, though, giving him an impish grin.

"No hugs, short-stuff. We both know where that'll lead us if we don't stop now." Byng teased, then hopped up and offered him her hand. "Ready to ride east into the sunset?"

Coye laughed as he took her hand. Their adventure only took a few hours after dismounting from Lucky Wind, and sundown was still half a day away, but he leaned into it as he said, "Sure. Why not?"

And a few minutes later, they were galloping back down the Greatway as Lucky Wind carried them at breakneck speed.

As for Shayla, she had checked out mentally and missed most of the adorable romantic moments between Coye and Byng. She'd felt left out enough for one day and brought herself to her happy place by focusing on what would happen the next time they saw Suzette. They would be getting a house of their own!

Probably.

Suzette didn't precisely specify to that extent. Still, the news was house-related, and that was enough to drown out the annoying negativity her amplified emotions forced her to suffer through.