You Lost What?!

A sly smile made it's way onto Naren's face as he held back a yawn.

He was picking his ears while she had been speaking, trying to ignore the noises of all the enormous animals and critters that seemingly filled the underground jungle, but now his full attention had been captured.

So the girl was chasing after Yuna and Cairo. Not that he really worried about whether they would get caught by her or not. But instead he was caught by something else.

Naren grabbed Jade's hands. The girl a bit jumpy at the swift movements.

"Jade...Did I tell you about my Epithet?"

"Yours?"

"Yeah, mine..."

Naren's eyes swam as he began thinking of an appropriate lie for her. Something that could be used to take him to Atlas instead of those other two goofballs.

He thought back to Alice, and a name he had once heard Bjorn call her.

"...Yeah they call me the Snow Fairy."

For a second there was silence as Naren blinked his eyes.

Jade squinted as her face fell in a look of disinterest and annoyance.

"You think Epithet's are jokes? Why in the world would I believe that you're the Snow Fairy?!"

Naren smiled as he squeezed her hands tightened.

"Come on, don't tell me you've never heard of my ability to change forms?"

Jade snatched her hands away from Naren.

"You dope. Why would Princess Alice ever come to a place like this. She has no reason too! Nor would she change into such an unsightly form!"

Naren clicked his tongue. She seemed smarter than she looks. He was hoping he could somehow convince her to take him in their stead. It's not like he was quite interested in spending more time with Yuna or Cairo. He just had to get to Atlas.

"Ah you got me. I was just kidding...But how do you expect to get those two back to the Tomb of Atlas anyways? Surely you have some way, right?"

He had hoped that there was some way to get to Atlas that wasn't just the standard walking or traveling path. Something that he could capitalize on.

Jade's eyes gleamed as she started searching her pockets.

"Of course! King Nero trusts me so he gave me one. A wormhole marble..."

Suddenly Jade's face fell as she looked like she'd seen a ghost. All the color draining at once as her whispered something only Naren could hear.

"...I lost it..."

At the same time Naren went pale as he gasped loudly. His face more torn up and contorted than even Jade's.

"You did what!"

—————————————————

Cairo led the way as him and Yuna traversed through a narrow tunnel. His body rubbing against the rugged terrain as he slowly shuffled himself forward towards what looked like an opening at the far end.

He was still in disbelief from what Yuna had told him. The possibility had never crossed his mind, yet her proof was sound. Yet, it was still so absurd.

Cairo pulled dug his nails into the stone around him, slowly smoothing it as he lurked forward.

Every now and then, he'd hear a coughing fit from behind him. The princess would stop shortly before forcing herself forward once more.

He had to hand it to her, at least she had some grit.

Soon the two had had finally emerged from the rugged tunnel, slowly emerging onto a thin ledge at overlooked a large cavern.

Cairo was momentarily stunned as his eyes failed to comprehend just how deep and wide the cavern expanded. Almost like a little world of itself underneath...Where ever they had been.

"What now, shorty."

Yuna sniffled as she held back coughs.

"Let's get down...Find my soldier..."

"Nah, I mean how we gon get to Atlas...I mean how can we?!"

"There's a ship...here..."

Cairo looked over the edge. The bottom looming underneath, faintly glowing from the blue lightning bugs that was so plentiful in this land.

" Here?! ...And how is that gon help...?"

Underneath them was jungle of unimaginable proportions. Purple vegetation hanging and latching off the calcite walls closest to him, their vines wrapping around one another as if trying to escape.

The trees stretched towards the sky. Their roots visible due to the ground being unable to support it's need for nutrients. So they must have taken a more aggressive stance.

Yet, even though the size was tremendous, they were still hanging leagues above the actual jungle.

Yuna trudged along the edge towards Cairo.

"Fast...Before it wakes again..."

Cairo looked around for a way to make it down, but nothing caught his attention. They must've been fifty meters above even the tallest tree.

"So how you finna get down?"

For a second, the princess stood quite. Her eyes pitch black as it gazed off into space. Then, her knees buckled as she caught herself.

Cairo's mouth stretched wide into an unnerving grin, none of his teeth showing as he grabbed a hold of the princess. Cairo was tired of letting her lead him along like some slave.

"I got an idea..."

Yuna's eyes widened as she realized what Cairo was doing. Suddenly the calcite ledge under them had been left behind, nothing but empty air around them.

"Les jump!"

———————————————————————

Naren shook the crying Jade as tears flowed from her eyes.

"I'm in so so so much trouble!"

"How could you lose it?! What do we do?!"

"I don't knowwww..."

Naren finally stopped shaking her, instead changing his outlook.

He knew there was a way to get to the Tomb of Atlas easily. Probably the same thing that those other two did to take Vera. And he also knew it was somewhere around. He just had to find it.

"Think back, what can you remember. There's gotta be clues."

Jade finally calmed down, swallowing her tears and snifling.

"You-you're right..."

She thought for a moment, her eyes swimming as she attempted to retrace her steps.

"I had at when I first came. And...And I had it when we fell into here."

"That's great! It means that it's somewhere here!"

"But...But what if it breaks..."

Naren collapsed to the ground, gripping the dirt on all fours as he grimaced. His face scrunched in.

"What do you mean it can break..."

Jade tried comforting him, seemingly forgetting that she's the one who's in more of a twist than Naren. She patted his head, trying to lift his spirits.

"Oh but maybe it didn't!"

The girl continued:

"It's got to be somewhere around here. It's got to be durable too!"

Naren sucked in air through his teeth as he let out a long yawn.

"I guess there's no helping it. We gotta find it quick!"

"Yeah!"

The two quickly set off, Naren leading the way as Jade stayed close behind, latching onto his back. She jumped with every little noise, gripping his clothes tighter.

But Naren ignored all the trouble.

All he had to do was use her to figure out what this item looked like. As soon as they identified it.

Bye bye Jade.

The two lurked through the trees as giant creatures prowled through the forest. A couple close calls as Naren had to hold Jade's mouth to stop her from screaming.

Then the two had appeared before a giant opening at what must've been the far end of the underground jungle. What looked like a tunnel the size of a massive ship was carved into the wall. A looming void staring back at them.

Naren stopped there as a chill ran down his spine.

He could hear it clear as day inside. The breathing and heartbeat. Even the blood-flow. It was so clear that he had only conclusion.

It was huge.