Road trips are classic. Nothin but you, your family or friends, maybe, and a crap ton of snacks, all bunched together in a car that's just a little less comfortable than you'd like, and the open road to guide you. Ah, how wonderful indeed. Or, at least, that's how it always starts. Then, one quickly realizes that the 'open road' is very rarely actually open. And that they're really just gonna be sitting still for the next few hours, not doing very much at all. And conversation topics quickly dry up, creating an uncomfortable awkward silence. Then one either realizes they're full of snacks, or that they've run out, always at an uncomfortable time. And then there's the possibility of countless, increasingly irritating stops, that leave on wondering things like 'why didn't they fill up on gas before this?' or 'Why didn't you piss 30 minutes ago?'. And then little annoyances start to perk up, like that someone's breathing is too loud, or that they're making some weird noise. Eventually, those build up, everyone gets irritated, and pointless and incredibly annoying arguments start, turning the trip from an enjoyable outing, to agonizing hours spent in a mobile hell, and one wonders why they even did it in the first place.

That's probably how it usually happens, I wager. Such unpleasantness.  

But I don't have to deal with that! Because I can just teleport everywhere! Ah, how wonderful indeed. 

Anyways, after I handed S the map, we set off on our journey to Basenholm.

"Right..." S said, studying the map intently. "We're here, and Basenholm's here... so that means we have to go... that way!" S said, pointing right. 

"Nice. Let's get going, then." I said. We walked off for a bit, following the path to the right, until we got a good distance away from the city, and once we felt like nobody could see us, I started teleporting. Make 2 holes, throw one as far as I can see, walk through, throw the exit hole again, bring the entrance hole over here, we step through, rinse and repeat, bada bing bada boom, we're well on our way. 

Hup, hup, hup, hup,

It's a lot faster than it sounds, I swear.

Hup, hup, hup, hup

It's a little tedious and kinda tiring, though. 'Least it's fast.

Hup, hup, hup, hup

I know that it's likely that someone's gonna see us as we go, since we're mostly just following a semi-regularly travelled road, but we'll only be in anyone's view for a moment, and we're gone without a trace. We're not on the path itself, just following it off to the side. I'm hoping that they'll just think they're tired and seeing things or something. Or maybe they'll just go 'Eh, magic.' and go on with their lives. 

"Y'know," S said as we travelled. "Thinking about it, this trick of yours, it's really something." 

"Is it?" I ask.

"Yeah. I mean, movement magic at all is pretty incredible. I mean, we've got some potions that can supplement movement a bit, but those don't last long and only do so much. The ability to do stuff like that at will, well, it'd take some incredibly skilled magic user to pull it off. Yet, here you are, movin' up a storm even before you knew squat about magic. That's beyond impressive."

Daw, you're making me blush.

He continued. "Your folks must be crazy tough."

Huh? "Huh?" 

S seemed confused. "Y'know, your family. You said they taught you how to do that, right?"

Oh shoot. I did say that, didn't I. "Uh, yep. For sure. Yeah. Real, uh... dudes." 

"Riiiiigght..." S said. 

Wait... speaking of movement magic... "Hey, how tough would flying magic be?" 

"I've heard rumors of some people using wind or fire to propel themselves, but I dunno how practical it is."

"What about, like, unrestricted flight, like a bird or something." 

 I think S almost laughed, but stopped himself. "Well, I want to say that it's way beyond impossible, but, I mean, considering you can do this... Still, probably impossible. At the very least, I doubt they'd be able to do, like, anything else ever." 

Oh.

Huh. That's, uh... not good.

Fear crept its way into every corner of my body, and I swear I could feel my heart pounding in my head. 

I stopped for a moment.

Impossible, huh... Impossible, impossible. 

"Why'd we stop?" S said. "Woah, you feeling okay? You're looking a little pale..."

"Uh, y-yeah, I'm fine." I say. I took a deep breath, to bring myself back to reality a bit. "Y'know the Purple freak from earlier? Well, after our little chat, they, well... Flew away." Looking back, they made quite a show of it. Were they trying to make some sort of statement? Well, whatever the purpose, it scared the crap out of me at the time. Still does, I guess. 

"Ah, so that's how they got away. I guess I just figured they jumped out the window and booked it, but that makes more sense." S said, unfazed.

Huh? "You're not surprised?"

S chuckled. "Now you know how everyone else feels." He joked. Is now really the time for gags?! "Well, I probably would have been a little more shaken, but I kinda figured you were gonna say that, after you asked all that. Still, the idea that they're able to fly, on top of being a crazy good summoner? That's scary, even to me. Makes you wonder what else they're capable of." 

He said he was scared, but it certainly didn't seem that way. He laid out his feelings simply and frankly. It was actually surprisingly comforting, despite the ominous ending. 

S continued. "Well, I'm sure we'll find out if we meet 'em again. In the mean time, we just gotta get stronger." By the look on his face, it seemed like he was actually pretty excited about the idea of meeting them again. I guess he's the type to stare danger in the face and smile at it.

I chuckled. "Yeah, that's true." I said, smiling a bit. I guess his confidence is a little infectious. I'm aware that I'm not exactly stellar in a fight, but it's not like I don't have a trick or two up my sleeve. And, if nothing else,

there's no one better at running away than me. 

I can't say I look forward to the next time we meet, but at least I won't, like, piss my pants, or something. Probably. 

S pulled out a small package of jerky. "Well, since we've stopped, may as well have a snack break, right?" He said. He then opened it and began munching without waiting for confirmation.

"Yeah, may as well." I said. Now's a good a time as any, I guess. I pulled out one of my snacks that I bought earlier. It's a chocolate and marshmallow cream thingy. In terms of appearance, It's a solid 8, it looks perfectly like a chocolate treat should, soft, velvety, and smooth. Yet, there's these little swirls where the marshmallow cream peeks through just a little bit, reminding you that the chocolates only half the bargain. It's a wonderful design. Just looking at it is half the pleasure, I think. Anyways, time for the taste. 

I unwrap the treat, place it in my mouth, and take a hearty bite.

Oh yeah, that's good. The combination of marshmallow and chocolate is obviously legendary, and this treat does nothing to get in the way of that. It's simple, knows what it wants to be, and doesn't feel the need to add anything extra, anything weird, instead focusing on the wonderful fundamentals, the chocolatey flavor, the sweetness, the soft chocolate ends with even softer cream betwixt all adding up to create a satisfying, perfect bite every time. 

Overall, top marks from me. I think that the taste might be a little duller than it would be from a similar product from my previous world, but it's still great, and everything works out beautifully in the end. Amazing, a prime example of everything a cheap sweet should aspire to be. 

I finish the thing with my second bite, and am left satisfied. I could certainly go for another, but I think I'll save it for a bit. S is still taking a bit longer with his jerky, so I gaze at the clouds for a bit while he finishes up.

I find that staring at the clouds is a good way to clear your head. It's comforting, just watching the clouds slowly drift away without a care in the world. I certainly recommend it. 

...

Y'know, clouds kinda look like marshmallows, don't they?

Maybe I should have my other snack.