"I heard it again," I said, on edge, constantly looking through the trees around us. 

"Yeah," Luna sounded irritated. "I know. It's been following us for a while now. Not much we can do about it, unless of course you want to seek it out."

"No," I admitted. "Not really."

I gripped my sword's hilt. Whatever was out there had been stalking us for the entire day. Maybe even longer, since I could remember hearing the same slithering noise back when we were still traveling to the Hall of Giants.

Xera climbed down from the tree she had climbed, Grovyle landing on the ground beside her.

"How far?" Luna asked.

"I'd say another day of walking," Xera said. "The plateau isn't that far off now."

"It's gonna be one heck of a climb though," Zoroark, in human form, said while tearing off a chunk of meat with pointy teeth. "Though, I wouldn't know."

Luna nodded. "From what I remember, there is a sort of path up it, but there are parts where you're going to have to climb."

I groaned. "Yeah, I'm dead."

Yanmega buzzed from my lap and I rubbed his head. "No, your wings might not be able to support me still. Thanks though."

Yanmega buzzed sadly and shifted himself into a more comfortable position. 

"When are we eating?" Luna sounded agitated, throwing a stick into the trees. "I'm hungry."

A cry came from behind me and I turned my head to see Leavanny nimbly hopping down from a tree branch. In her arms she held a big leaf, an assortment of fruits piled together.

She offered one to me first, so I grabbed two. "Thanks."

She gave a happy cry and moved on towards Luna and Z while I put one of the fruits next to Yanmega's head, who began eating right away. Chuckling, I bit into the orangeish fruit, relishing the unique sweet flavor. 

"There's nothing like this in Galar," I said, thinking of my home region. "It's really good."

"Ugh," Z stared at her green fruit with distaste. "I prefer meat."

"Go into the forest then," Luna said, swallowing the rest of her fruit. "Hunt whatever's been hunting us."

"Hmph," Z leaned back against a tree. "I might just do that."

"Liam," Luna said in my direction. "You have first watch. Wake me after a bit."

She clumped a bunch of leaves and moss under her head and turned over to sleep, her long white hair almost like a blanket.

"I don't have watch duty tonight it seems," Xera said, starting to climb back up the tree. "I found a spot up here where I can sleep peacefully. Wake me when it's morning."

"Sure," I nodded as Grovyle leaped up into the tree after Xera.

I stretched as dusk became night and the moon began to shine down through the cover of the trees. It was at times like these where I was able to have moments to myself to just relax and unwind.

"Seems like it'll just be us two for now then."

At least, that's what it used to be like.

"Why are you still here," I asked, purposely not looking. 

"Because," Eric moved into my line of sight, sitting on a moss covered rock, the hole I had created with my sword still present in his chest. "You can never get over killing another human being."

I turned away, trying to push down my emotions. Eric, while alive, had tried to kill me and my friends. I had every right to hate him. But now, I only was able to feel anguish. I hadn't known what life had truly meant until I took someone's with my own hands.

"Just leave me be," I said, choking back my emotions. "You tormented me enough before..."

Yanmega and Leavanny were looking at me with concern, so I smiled for them. A fake, sad smile.

"You know I can never leave," Eric leaned forwards. "I will be right here, next to you on the rest of your journey."

Moments of silence stretched on for seemingly an eternity. Finally, I asked a question I never got to ask when he was alive.

"What did you do to my brother's body?" I asked, almost afraid for the answer.

Eric chuckled. "That? Come on, it should be plainly obvious."

His face grew dark, cruel. "I hate you. I hate you outsiders, all of you. I had to put up a pretense when I was assigned to you, but I was able to enjoy that moment when I found your brother's grave."

A twisted smile appeared on his face. "So I dug up his body. I wouldn't allow him to rest in peace, not after what the outsiders had done to our island. I threw his body into the Endless Pit, where his rest will never come."

I wanted to yell, scream at him. But, I knew it would be in vain. He wasn't real, only in my head. Plus, I didn't want to wake and worry Luna and Xera.

"Just leave me alone," I said, turning my back on him.

"But then I can't warn you," Eric said, causing me to whirl around as he began to fade. "That the forest is moving..."

He disappeared entirely and the forest grew silent. I looked around. It was unusually silent. Generally the Bug Pokemon would be making songs around now, but nothing. I thought I saw something, so I strained my eyes into the darkness. It was moving. Slowly, curling, then I felt something wrap around my legs. Before I could utter a word of surprise, I was yanked backwards into the jungle. I was dragged along the forest floor before being let go and slamming into a tree.

I doubled over, groaning in pain as I felt something loom over me. As I raised myself to look, something slammed into my chest, knocking me out as I was pushed against the tree.

...

I froze as I stared into the giant Serperior's eyes, the sound of my beating heart way too loud. He hissed, a red fork tongue centimeters away from my face. He blinked and slid back up and disappeared into the tree. The ground moved again, his long serpent body blending in with the foliage, to the point where I had no idea if his head was still up in the tree or on the ground.

"This isn't good," I muttered, twisting in my vines. My sword was still attached to my hip, pressed against my leg. I didn't feel anything else in my pockets, so I figured anything I did have must've fallen out.

"Great," I closed my eyes, knowing I was gonna miss the flask, flint and steel, and my spear. 

A bit more wriggling and I discovered I still had my knife on me, the one I had found on Ryan's body.

I stopped, the thought of Ryan reminding me of that stone he had given me. It's strange, I knew I had brought it on the trip to find the Mysterious Region, yet I totally forgot about it till now.

"Doesn't do me any good," I sighed. "It's probably somewhere at the bottom of the ocean now."

I could just imagine Luna saying that it was just dead weight and that I should just abandon it.

I lifted my gaze to look at her, wrapped in vines and hanging like me. She had yet to awake, a spot of dried blood on her forehead. That couldn't be good.

I heard a soft cry and I looked past Luna's body and to a branch on a tall tree. There, hidden in thick leaves, was Leavanny. Our eyes met and she nodded. She pointed up and I looked to see Yanmega above the treetops.

I grinned. Things were looking up. Just in the nick of time too. My head wasn't feeling that great from hanging upside-down for who knows how long.

I then noticed Xera hidden on the forest floor. Her eyes narrowed at me, then began looking around her carefully. 

Then she did something that I felt was idiotic. 

"Hey!" she shouted. "Come and get me you big snake!"

The ground came alive all at once, the foliage twisting and the trees swaying. The giant snake's body lifted up, his head uncurling from his chest, his sharp red eyes focused on Xera. She grinned, running back into the jungle. Serperior's tail shot out of nowhere, homing in on Xera, but a Dragonite flew down, slamming a fist against the tail. Looked like Xera and Z were being the distraction.

I looked back at Luna to see Leavanny cutting away at the vine holding Luna to the branch. Once cut, Leavanny lowered both of them to the forest floor on a string of web. Dewpider was cutting away at the vine holding me up, Yanmega the one to carry me down. Once on the ground, I was able to stand, the vines falling off of me. 

"Oh thank you," I breathed, smiling, but very dizzy, so I had to sit. "That did not feel good."

Yanmega flew down and settled down next to me, nudging my side. I nodded.

"Thanks," my vision was clearing up and I wasn't too unsteady, so I made my way over to Luna. Thankfully the wound on her head didn't look serious and seemed to have closed up by now. For safe measures, Leavanny put a small web in place where the wound was.

At that moment, Luna's face pinched together and she blinked open her eyes.

"Oh," she held her head, eyes closed again. "Oh, this does not feel right. What happened."

"A giant Serperior it seems," I looked back at where it disappeared to chase after Xera, surprisingly calm about everything. "It caught the two of us."

"This is all your fault Outsider," Luna groaned as she got to her knees. "You were on watch duty."

"I was?" I thought back. "Okay, yeah, I guess I was. Sorry."

We looked at each other and blinked, once, twice.

Adrenaline began to surge through me as I quickly got to my feet. "Why are we still here!?" 

Luna hurried to her feet. "Yanmega, which way to the plateau?"

He buzzed and looked in the opposite direction of where Xera and Z ran off to.

Luna, probably sensing my dread, said, "They'll be fine. They'll catch up to us eventually. For now, let's get out of-!"

Without warning, she tackled me to the ground as the ground erupted in a storm of leaves, right where I had been standing. Yanmega flew into the air and Leavanny pulled herself and Dewpider up into a tree as two more leave tornadoes erupted around us.

Luna said something in her language I assumed was cursing. She rolled off of me and rose to her feet. "I really wish I had my spear."

I looked back at the jungle to see Serperior beginning to loom over us. I hurriedly got to my feet and put my hand on my sword's hilt, stopping there. I saw Eric standing in front of the snake, giving me a smile. I blinked and he was gone. My hand shook, trying to tell myself it was just a Pokemon, not a human.

"But," my thoughts raced. "What's the difference!? They're both living beings with thoughts and feelings like me!"

"Liam," Luna hissed. "Get a hold of yourself!"

Serperior's eyes gleamed as he sensed my feelings of turmoil, rearing his head back, fangs gleaming in the sunlight. A shadow blocked out the sun and Z, in Dragonite form, crashed down into the giant snake's head, slamming it to the ground. She leaped off him, landing between us and him, a fist sparking with electricity. 

Xera ran out of the jungle towards us, nearly out of breath, Grovyle beside her.

"You should've ran," she said, hands on her knees. "That thing realized what we were up to sooner than I expected."

"Let's do that now," Luna glanced at my shaking hand. "He's not able to do anything but that at the moment."

Xera nodded and took off, Luna close behind. Yanmega buzzed on my head, turning me in the direction they were running. Shaking my head and taking my hand away from the hilt of my sword, I ran after them. Yanmega flew above me and I could hear the roar of Serperior as he fought Z. As I ran, I saw Eric, mouthing the word "coward". I gritted my teeth and did my best to ignore him, knowing he would be my constant companion of my fears and doubts brought into a physical being. And I ran, into a wild full of dangers.

Finally got the first chapter out. I hope you all enjoyed it. Not too much going on so far, just a giant garden snake and a guy who just won't leave Liam alone, even after death. Let's see where I can take all this for the next 29 chapters. I expect another two-three weeks until the next chapter. In-between that time, LDOC. I'm trying to commit to this for every 2 chapters of LDOC, I get 1 of TMR 2 out. Let's see if this sticks. Oh, and I finally got the Disclaimer out for this book. Don't want to get copyrighted XD. Till next time my faithful readers. Toodles