CHAPTER 485: WESTERN AUSTRALIA

They approached Australia from the western coast, which supposedly consisted of large red desert-like terrain. The sun burned bright above their heads, yet the air felt cool on their skin, nothing like the warm weather near New Athens.

It took a moment for Sera to remember that they were on Earth’s lower hemisphere. While it was early summer in Europe, in Australia winter began.

Sera checked the information in the Archive and also opened an old map made before the Apocalypse. The watch automatically located their position, but a problem arose quicker than expected... The map was wrong...

The map said they were in the lower-middle part of Western Australia, right where a large city once existed before the Apocalypse. The terrain was also barely a few dozen meters above sea-level, which was the issue.

As they flew about a hundred meters above the ocean, a cliff face stretched another hundred meters above them. There was also no sign of any abandoned or destroyed city, which meant either the map was wrong or Australia’s terrain went through drastic changes.

The giant forests of North-America popped into Sera’s mind. If one continent could change to such extent, why couldn’t another?

An annoyed sigh escaped Sera’s lips, bringing Kastral’s attention to his rider...

"The maps are wrong. The continent must’ve changed after the Apocalypse; we need to know its extent. Let’s fly higher above those cliffs to get a view of the land!"

Kastral nodded and communicated with Alyrine. Bea and her mount nodded a second later, and they all rose high into the sky, just below the cloud layer. This way, they could scout the ground without endangering themselves.

After the cliffs, a flat land stretched out, with smaller hills rising every few hundred meters. Strange wide cracks covered the ground, from which lush vegetation grew onto the surface.

Bea felt the presence of many different plants and other small critters like insects, rodents, etc. Smaller birds also hid inside the vegetation, while larger predators flew in the sky, hunting.

Smaller trees also appeared, but mostly dry grass and red sand made up the terrain. The only green they could see was near the wide cracks, which led far below ground. They were like miniature oases in the desert-like plains.

Strangely, they saw no monsters moving on the surface, which meant either this part of Australia was safe from them, or maybe something more powerful, like an Abomination, kept them away.

Either way, they needed to find their bearings, which meant they had to investigate the ground from closer. The hippogryphs began losing altitude in circular patterns until only a dozen meters separated them from the nearest wide crack.

The crack could fit multiple Kastrals in simultaneously, but the hippogryphs hated underground areas, so they settled next to the crack, onto a large green field with a few tall trees providing shade.

Sera and Bea dismounted. Together, they approached the nearby crack while keeping a constant lookout for anything dangerous. The place felt quite peaceful, yet neither woman let her guard down.

They walked through the greenery right to the edge of the hole. Long, thick vines stretched across the wide gap. Small monkey-like mammals climbed along the vines, unaware of the viper waiting on the other side and the predator birds coming to swoop them away.

Bea felt all the animals and plants on the surface, but when she tried feeling anything below the surface, she became disoriented and overwhelmed. As they stood at the edge, she realized why.

The hole led into a giant cave system, with vines and roots stretching along and across the gap. It looked similar to a wall of plants, with flowers, leaves and even fruits growing everywhere.

Sera only ever seen jungles from pictures, yet this sight reminded her of those lush rainforests full of life. The air felt warmer near the cavern, and the sound of water droplets combined with the noise of critters, creating a strange calming melody.

They both wondered what natural phenomenon caused this oasis to appear within the desert, when a blood-wrenching scream shook the ground. Both women’s heads snapped towards the source, to the nearest hill-like mound.

From afar, these hills didn’t look anything special, but up close, they both quickly realized what they were...

Two giant mandibles broke the sandy surface of the mound. The creature’s dark brown chitin skin seemed to absorb the light, making the mandibles look more menacing.

The beast continued screeching and climbing until its head and part of its body were visible. Four long, powerful limbs pulled, and another pair pushed from below the mound, until the creature’s bulbous backside appeared too.

After fully appearing before their eyes, there was no denying it. The insect was the size of a house, with giant mandibles, two sharp antennae, six powerful limbs, and a giant maw dripping with some acidic liquid.

"Is that..." Before Bea could’ve finished the sentence, Sera cut in. "Yeah... A giant ant, and if my knowledge serves me well, ants don’t live alone!"

Indeed, just as the words left Sera’s mouth, other mounds began shaking too. The loud screeches became louder as more mandibles pierced the desert ground. However, mixed with the screeches, the sound of wingbeats resounded.

Sera and Bea looked up just as Kastral and Alyrine landed nearby. They quickly jumped on their mounts and took off so fast they left behind a giant sandstorm. The loud chittering and stomping came close, but they were already a hundred meters above ground.

They stopped at a safe distance and watched as mound after mound exploded. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of ants crawled around, looking for their escaped prey.

A shiver went down Sera’s spine as she watched the giant insect move. After a few minutes, they began climbing back into their mounds or they simply went into the wide hole in the ground, which meant everything was connected below the surface.

After the threat fully disappeared, Alyrine floated beside Kastral, so their riders could discuss the next steps...

"I think we should head further inland. I have a feeling the map isn’t entirely wrong." Said Bea, and Sera agreed.

They flew east for nearly five hundred kilometers before the ground began changing drastically. The mounds and oasis-like holes covered the surface, but on the horizon, they saw something strange, a giant slope.

The hippogryphs flew further up until they were hidden inside a larger cloud. As the water vapour soaked Sera’s clothes, her eyes focused on the few hundred meter slope, leading further into a desert.

This desert was a lot different from the one atop the tall hill. There were no mounds or oases. Dry grass and sparse vegetation covered the surface, making the place look much more desolate.

For the next few minutes, they continued flying until another hundred kilometers was between them and the giant hill. They found a taller tree and settled under its shade to figure out their next steps.

Sera and Bea dismounted again. This area felt safe, and this time Bea didn’t feel any overwhelming vegetation, which could disturb her nature sense. All she felt were small critters, birds, insects. She didn’t sense any monsters nearby.

"Okay, so let me get this straight. That giant hill was, in fact, a big fucking anthill!" Said Sera with an anxious sigh... "I hate this place already!"

Bea just chuckled and sat at the base of the tall tree. The dry grass instantly turned vibrant green as flowers appeared around the young World Tree.

The Angel sat beside her and leaned against the trunk. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths in her nose, out her mouth.

Most would’ve thought Sera was doing a simple calming exercise, but Bea knew better. Her close connection to Sera and nature led her to a different conclusion. She felt Sera’s heart rate accelerate when their situation turned dangerous. It wasn’t from fear though, but excitement.

The bloodlust was getting worse. She might hide it well, but Sera was struggling to keep her mind under control.

Bea began thinking about how she could make the situation better when the Angel spoke, her eyes still closed, but her breathing and heart rate both calmer.

"You know, this isn’t what I planned for this expedition. I expected to find the village Faith spoke of within an hour, destroy the Seed of Madness, and spend some time relaxing with you."

Sera smiled widely as she opened one eye to check on Bea’s surprised expression. They both laughed and glanced up through the branches.

"You planned on turning this expedition into a date? You couldn’t find a better spot for such a special occasion?"

The Angel gently elbowed Bea while chuckling. She then made herself even more comfortable and placed her hands behind her head.

"I think a few hundred kilometers long anthill is pretty unique, but I guess our opinions about special places differ!... Anyway, I’ll take you to a better place, but first, let’s focus on our mission, shall we?"

With that, Sera jumped to her feet and reached down towards Bea. Their hands grasped together, sending a wave of emotion through both of their bodies. With a gentle pull, Sera lifted Bea to her feet, and reluctantly let her hand go.

Afterward, to dismiss the awkward atmosphere, Sera turned towards her shadow, and called out...

"Faith, could you guide us towards the village you found?"

The Shadow appeared moments later, kneeling before Sera with her eyes on the ground. The Angel held the bridge of her nose while sighing and shaking her head...

"Please get up from the ground, Faith. We’re in a hurry if you hadn’t noticed!"

Faith’s avatar chuckled mischievously, and a few seconds later, they were back in the sky moving towards their destination.